Personality Tests For Suitability To Work In The Call Center - Case Study Example

Personality Tests For Suitability To Work In The Call Center Table of Contents 1. Introduction : Page 3 2. Aspects of individual differences : Page 4 a. Information processing theory : Page 4 b. Knowledge and expertise theory : Page 5 c. Hierarchical model theory : Page 6 3. Information on who are the best to recruit : Page 7 4. Best methods of assessing candidate’s suitability to work in the call centre : Page 8 a. Psychometric tests : Page 9 b. Ability and Aptitude tests : Page 11 c. Personality tests : Page 11 5. Recommendations : Page 12 6. Conclusions : Page 12 7. References : Page 13 Introduction Call centre or business process outsourcing (BPO) jobs are increasing its popularity for the last two decades. Outsourcing business is goes on increasing day by day and based on that the need for call centre executives also increasing. Anybody who has basic skills in reading writing, and arithmetic skills along with good communication skills can try their luck in the call centers. Answer phones and respond to customer requests, Sell product and place customer orders in computer system, Provide customers with product and service information, Upsell products and services, Transfer customer calls to appropriate staff, Identify, research, and resolve customer issues using the computer system, Follow-up on customer inquires not immediately resolved, Complete call logs and reports, Research billing issues, Research misapplied payments, Recognize, document and alert the supervisor of trends in customer calls, Recommend process improvements etc are some of the duties of a call center executive (Call Center Customer Service Representative, n. d). It is not necessary that all the persons with the above credentials may excel in call centre jobs. Call centre jobs require lot of other skill as well. High degree of intellectual level, emotional control, patience, temperament, ability to work in night shifts, management skills etc are some other requirements needed for a call center executive. ABC Company which is engaged in call center business has been losing a lot of staff over the past few years and is now considering ways of improving its recruitment procedures to help ensure that the best people are hired for their vacancies. Training new employees for the call centre business is time consuming and expensive for ABC company and they decided to develop an assessment centre for analyzing the psychology of the candidates through psychometric testing and various questionnaires which other organizations are using for their recruitment procedures. This report analyses the best methods of assessing candidate’s suitability to work in call centers by focusing individual differences, character, abilities and suitability of the candidates for the call centre jobs. Aspects of individual differences No two individuals are alike in the current world. Even the twins are different in many ways. Individual differences play a critical role in recruitment process. It is not necessary that two persons with similar academic qualifications may equally suit for the call centre jobs. For example, some people like night shift works whereas some others dislike it. Some people like to communicate with others whereas some others may not. Some people might be introvert while others might be extroverts. Individuals with similar qualification but different in gender also may have different tastes and skills. In short, it is impossible to have two persons with equal competence for call centre jobs even if they have same qualifications. Information processing theory “The information-processing view likens the individual to an information-processing system, suggesting that the parameters governing the performance of an information-processing system, such as speed and memory capacity, might be the abilities that govern human learning and performance” (Individual Differences: Abilities and Aptitudes, 2009). Information processing abilities are different for different people. The time taken for processing of same information received by two persons at the same time might be different because of the individual differences. The person with good analytical and processing skills will process the information much quickly than the other. For example, in a call centre, information are not only coming from the domestic country, but from foreign countries as well. Suppose, a vital information reached the call centre during night time which needs immediate attention from the top executive. The call centre executive in charge of the night operation may hesitate a bit whether to call the top executive or not as it was the night time. Moreover, he may think that he could inform the CEO about the information in the morning. The delay in informing the information at the right time to the CEO may cause lot of damage to the organization because of the call centre executive’s poor judgment or processing skills of the information. On the other hand, another executive may respond differently against the same incidence and the company may benefit from that. Thus information processing abilities are different for different persons which need to be analyzed at the time of recruiting the employees for the call centre jobs. Knowledge and expertise theory In this view, characteristics such as working-memory capacity and information-processing speed are not viewed as fixed characteristics of an individual, but as dependent upon knowledge and skill that is developed over long periods of time (Individual Differences: Abilities and Aptitudes, 2009). Knowledge and expertise are also different for different people. Contexting or the level of knowledge possessed by a person is important for a person to communicate effectively. It is not possible to have two persons with equal level of knowledge or contexting. In the absence of knowledge, it is difficult to take sound decisions. For example, in most of the call centers, the manager or the previous shift in charge may written certain instructions for the executive responsible to handle the next shift in the log book. Consider a call centre executive who is over confident, failed to read the instructions from the previous shift in charge. In such cases, he may not be able to perform certain critical actions during that shift because of his lack of knowledge about it. Knowledgeable or those who interested in acquiring new knowledge are important for the success of a call centre functioning. Knowledge makes a man perfect and it helps a person to take sound decisions and avoid unnecessary problems. Knowledge helps a person to become an expert in his profession. “Many studies have demonstrated that processing speed is a direct function of repeated practice. These studies have demonstrated that efficient information processes are, in large part, the residue of well-organized knowledge structures that are developed over years of active engagement and practice within a domain” (Individual Differences: Abilities and Aptitudes, 2009). Hierarchical model theory “The hierarchical model, shows the fruitfulness of considering abilities as varying in their generality from fairly specific abilities (e.g., memory span, associative memory, and free recall memory), to broader ones (e.g., general memory and learning), to the most broad (general intelligence)” (Individual Differences: Abilities and Aptitudes, 2009). Memory levels are different for different people. It is not possible for a person of 50 years of age to memorize or recall things as easily as a person of 20 or 25 years of age. Even people of same age group and having same academic qualifications may have different memory levels. Memory is an important requirement for a call centre executive. He should be able to recollect old information along with the current ones in order to make sound decisions. For example, suppose a call centre executive has been directed to perform a particular task two days later. If he fails to recollect it on that particular day, the company may suffer from that. So while recruiting, the recruiters of the call centre should analyze the memory capacity of the applicant. Information on who are the best to recruit Call centre jobs are not like other jobs. Personality, gender, race, age, experience and qualifications should be considered as the major criteria for the hiring process. Because of the lot of communications required to perform with in a call centre the hired persons should have a matured personality and good communication skill. Moreover, personality of the employees increases the image of the organization. For example, no organization likes to have immature personalities as their employees. The organization is communicating with the public through the employees and the actions of employees affect the organization. So the recruiters should give importance to the personality of the candidates they interviewed while hiring employees for the call centre. Gender is another critical aspect of call centre jobs. Since the majority of the call centre jobs depend on communication, female candidates with good communication skills are more suitable to the call centre jobs compared to male candidates. At the same time, females may face difficulty in working in night shifts. So it is not possible to avoid male candidates completely. Race has not much importance while hiring candidates for the call centre operations. Irrespective of race differences, the candidate should be smart enough to deal with the extreme pressures generated inside the organization. Age is an important factor while recruiting candidates for call centre jobs. Call centre jobs are usually perceived as the jobs of the youths. It is difficult for aged people to work in call centers because of the nature of the job. Night shift jobs and lot of hard works required for call centre jobs. So, enthusiastic, young candidates definitely get preferences over aged people. Experience is not a big area of concern for the recruiters of call centre jobs. But experience is desirable for call centre jobs. Young and fresh candidates usually preferred in call centers because of the high energy and enthusiasm they generate in call centre like organizations. Moreover, call centre jobs are quite new to the market as the BPO jobs have recently entered the job market because of outsourcing and offshoring of businesses. So, experience is not a big factor in call centre businesses. As mentioned earlier, ability to read, write and communicate effectively are the major requirements for the call centre jobs. Academic qualifications may not have much importance in call centre jobs. As in the case of experience, better academic qualification is also desirable to this profession; not essential. Best methods of assessing candidate’s suitability to work in the call centre It is not easy to assess the abilities of a candidate using a conventional written test or interview alone. At present various tests were incorporated to each and every hiring process in order to identify the physical and mental levels, academic qualifications, competence, intelligence, personality, skills, communication abilities etc. Group discussions, interviews, written tests are the major tests used for the evaluation of the above skills. These tests are intended to assess the ability and aptitudes and the psychometrics of the candidate Psychometric tests Psychometric tests are any standardized procedure for measuring sensitivity or memory or intelligence or aptitude or personality etc (Psychometric tests, n. d). These tests can assess personality, intelligence, aptitudes and attitudes of a person. Generally speaking it assesses the strengths and weakness of a person. “The aim of psychometric tests is gain an accurate bearing of the candidate's cognitive abilities and personality/behavioral style” (What is Psychometric Testing?, 2009). It is not possible to assess the cognitive domains of a person using normal tests. In order to reach deep into the minds of a person specially made psychometric tests are needed. These tests are designed in such a way that the candidate may not get much idea about the intention of each question. So the candidate will be tempted to give realistic responses to each question. Psychometric tests can be of different types based on areas needed to be assessed by the recruiter. Conceptual reasoning tests, Verbal reasoning aptitude tests, Numerical aptitude tests, mechanical reasoning tests and emotional intelligence tests etc are some of the common psychometric tests used for the recruitment purpose. Abstract / conceptual reasoning assessments are psychometric tests which focus primarily on a candidate’s level of fluid intelligence (What is Psychometric Testing?, 2009) These tests are mainly designed for assessing the problem solving skills of the person. In a call centre, the employees usually face lot of problematic situations in which they need to take independent decisions. If the employee is not capable of taking sound decisions at the right time, the he can cause lot of damages to the organization. Verbal reasoning aptitude tests focus on the candidate’s ability to effectively pay attention to and communicate business related concepts in a verbal form (What is Psychometric Testing?, 2009). Call centre job requires persons who have better communication abilities to convert the business language understandable to the stakeholders. Communication abilities are so vital to the call centre organization and hence the assessment of these abilities is critical. The call centre employee need to give pay attention to all information he receives and the verbal reasoning aptitude tests are made for that. “Numerical reasoning aptitude tests establish a candidate’s ability to perform accurate arithmetic to understand and present conclusions regarding numerical data” What is Psychometric Testing?, 2009). Little bit of knowledge about arithmetic is essential for all the professions and the call canter jobs are also not an exception. It is quite possible that a call centre executive needs to work out the cost for a project or to handle statistical data. In order to accomplish such tasks he needs numerical abilities or reasoning skills which can be assessed using this type of tests. Mechanical reasoning tests are meant for assessing the abilities of the candidate in working with machines. For example, computer is essential machinery required for almost every organization and call centers are also not an exception. Most of the communication occurs through computers and hence the call centre employees should have the basic computer skills. “Emotional Intelligence reasoning tests target a candidates ability to handle emotional components (e.g. self and others emotional disclosure) in roles such as customer service, human resources, sales roles and team work” (What is Psychometric Testing?, 2009). Emotional controls are essential for call centre profession. Job stress in immense in call centers and persons with less patience or temperament cannot excel in call center jobs. Emotional intelligence tests assess the emotional control of the candidates. Ability and Aptitude tests “Ability and aptitude tests measure specific skill sets and the resultant score gives an indication of existing ability or potential to learn skills required for the job. They evaluate a particular ability such as numerical, verbal, diagrammatic etc” (What Recruitment Tests?, n. d). The candidates should have a positive aptitude and attitude for the profession they are applying for. In the absence of the above domains, the candidate may become dull in his profession. Only an employee with positive attitude about his profession may take risks and excel in his profession. Personality tests These tests are un-timed and have multiple answers with each of the questions relating to different aspects of your personality, such as team-working ability, leadership preferences. The tests must be answered honestly as they are trying to fit you into a job role and if you try to guess what the employer wants, you may find yourself in a job that does not suit you (What Recruitment Tests?, n. d) Personality is an essential component required for most of the professions. Only a person having sound personality can work as part of a team or leading a team. Team work is the order of current organizations and call centre jobs also require team work. Personality analysis helps both the employer and the employee in deciding the compatibility of the candidate to the profession. Employee retention is one of the major headaches; many organizations are facing at present. This is because of the faults in assessing the abilities of the candidate at the time of recruitment. The right candidate at the right place at the right time should be the slogan of the recruiters. Personality tests help the recruiters to analyze the merits and demerits of the candidate with respect to the requirement of the profession. Recommendations ABC Company should give more priority to the recruitment process in order to retain the employees for a prolonged period. The faults in the recruitment methods are creating problems for the company. Undeserved or unskilled candidates may not stick with the organization and in order to screen out such candidates, the recruitment or assessment methods should be revised thoroughly. Psychometric tests along with aptitude tests and personality tests should be conducted before the recruitment process. Moreover, ABC should realize that employee retention efforts should be started at the time of recruitment itself. In order to retain the employees they should be provided with better working conditions along with training and development opportunities. Conclusions ABC Company’s recruitment strategies need to be revised thoroughly in order to avoid the losing staff. Wrong candidates at the wrong places are the major problem of the company. A complete reshuffling of the employees along with an extensive training and salary revision may help ABC in retaining their existing employees. At the same time ABC should incorporate features of modern recruitment or assessment methods in their hiring process in order to get the right candidates. References 1. Call Center Customer Service Representative (n.d), Retrieved on 12 December 2009 from http://www.hrvillage.com/hrjobdesc/CallCenterRep.htm 2. Individual Differences: Abilities and Aptitudes, (2009), Retrieved on 12 December 2009 http://www.answers.com/topic/individual-differences-abilities-and-aptitudes 3. Psychometric tests, (n. d), Retrieved on 12 December 2009 http://www.thefreedictionary.com/psychometric+test 4. What Recruitment Tests?(n. d), Retrieved on 12 December 2009 http://www.tiptopjob.com/displaycontent/sectionid/15/contentid/435_what_recruitment_tests 5. What is Psychometric Testing?, (2009), Retrieved on 12 December 2009 http://psychpress.com/Psychometric/psychometric-testing-guide.asp?what-is Read More