Data Collection Techniques Matrix

Data Collection Techniques	Position or Positions Most Suitable – With Rationale
Records Tracking	The Sales team, Regional Sales Manager and VP.  The record tracking being done is a systematic procedure that will be used in collecting information about the potential employees or applicants’ experiences, training, past achievements and even their education which will be related critically to the competencies of the individual for a given job opening (Sackett, Schmitt, Ellingson, & Kabin, 2001). The record tracking or accomplishment is based on the person’s behavioral consistency through the principle that past behavior of a person is the best way to predict how they will behave in the future (Sackett, et. al., 2001). The applicants applying generally are asked to provide information about personal accomplishments in order to best illustrate proficiency on job related competencies, usually about 4-8 accomplishments (Sackett, et. al., 2001). Applicants are specifically requested to provide written details about their accomplishments including information about the situation or problem, the actions taken, and the outcome that was achieved (Sackett, et. al., 2001). They also should provide the name and contact information of a person that can verify the details and statements made. The accomplishments listed don’t have to be limited to just demonstrating the person’s previous experience on the job they applying for but rather should include experience that is gained from anything like community service, jobs, school, military service, volunteer work, or hobbies (Sackett, et. al., 2001). All of these can provide information about the person’s past that can show relevance to the position the person is applying for. A panel of interviewers trained in rating people on a competency-based benchmark can be used to evaluate accomplishments and use the past records information in order to verify information during the selection process (Sackett, et. al., 201).
Assessment Centers	For the Regional Sales Manager and VP. The rationale to this approach is that applicants are typically assessed through a wide range of procedures and variety of instruments (Berg, 1995). These include things like interviews, personality and skill measures, and a variety of standardized management activities as well as problem solving exercises (Berg, 1995). Generally the exercises and activities are leaderless group discussions, in basket tests, and role play exercises.  Assessment centers are generally widely used for high level positions and managerial positions to assess managerial potential, problem solving skills, promote ability, and decision-making skills (Guion, 1997).  The tools would be most appropriately used in high ranking positions within a company.  The center’s use a whole person approach in order to assess personnel (Guion, 1997).  The centers can be very good predictors when it comes to behavior and job performance when the procedures and tests the makeup the center are used appropriately in constructed appropriately.  These may be costly to set up a larger companies can create their own assessment center, and smaller as well as midsized firms generally can send applicants to private firms for evaluation (Guion, 1997).
Assessment Instruments	This can be used for the sales team, regional sales managers, and the VP.  The rationale behind this is that any procedure test can be used to measure a person’s employment or career qualifications as Wells interests in order to be considered personnel should be used as an instrument or tool during the assessment process (Guion, 1997).  There a variety of personnel assessment tools which can be used in determining the abilities of an individual for multiple employment positions (Guion, 1997).  This includes gaining ability tests as well as traditional knowledge, subjective procedures, inventories, and projective instruments.  Guion (1997) states that personnel assessment tests or instruments will differ in their purpose, what they are designed for, what their designed to predict, format, and level of standardization.  Under the purpose the assessment could be used for placement, selection, promotion, career counseling, or training (Guion, 1997).  In what the assessment is designed for it could be designed to measure the abilities, work styles, skills, work values, or vocational interests of an applicant (Guion, 1997).  In prediction eight could be designed for job performance, career success, job satisfaction, tenure, and managerial potential (Guion, 1997).  In format it could be comprised of computer simulation, pencil and paper, or work sample (Guion, 19997).  In level standardization it could entail quantifiability or objectivity (Guion, 1997).  The assessment procedures and tools can vary greatly on these different factors such as this objective evaluations when reading to resumes, structured achievement tests, having interviews of varying degree and structure, detailing personality inventories that has no specific right or wrong answers (Guion, 1997).  All of the various tools for assessment can be used in making decisions upon employment regardless of the format that they use their level of standardization or the objectivity of the assessment tool which is subject to legal and professional standards (Guion, 1997).  For instance, evaluating the resume as well as providing a standardize achievement tests to an individual applicant has to comply with all applicable laws (Berg, 1995).
In Baskets	That should be for the regional sales manager and the VP.  This assessment is a very powerful tool in evaluating applicants for manager, director, supervisor, or senior executive roles (Berg, 1995).  In the simulation applicants assume the role of being a manager innovate company and are provided with information and materials typically found in the position through the manager’s e-mail and asked to respond to the information accordingly (Berg, 1995).  During the simulation “a day in the life” an applicant is expected to react in real time to different scenarios of a professional nature (Berg, 1995).  The applicants need to respond to emails in order with the highest priority being first and do so in the exact manner they would if the applicant was actually on the job.  The applicant is provided with all of the background information they need about the fake company and their role within the fake company prior to the assessment and are given any supporting information are documents that will be needed to help make their decision and create their responses to the emails.  Additionally the applicant will take part in a role-play scenario where an assessor will assume the role of employee interacting with the applicant.  The scenario provides the hiring managers with an accurate measure of how the individual will perform in their capabilities (Berg, 1995).  The hiring managers will also need to measure the leadership style inability of the applicant as well as other crucial competencies during the assessment and will include decision-making styles, interpreting information, empowering others, working with others, managing resources, in their written communication skills.  Some of the advantages that can be gained through using this assessment include an accurate evaluation of an applicant handling realistic situations, face validity, interactive as well as engaging, assessment is administered and scored remotely, it is an unstructured format which allows the applicant to respond freely,  it is seen as fair by the applicant, as well as being difficult for applicants to fake. THe
Leaderless Group Discussions	thethe             Sales team, regional sales manager, and VP of sales.  The rationale behind this is that in leaderless group discussions there are group exercises where a group of applicants is asked to respond to a variety of scenarios and problems without having a group leader designated to them (Berg, 1995).  This can help to reinforce leadership skills in an individual applying for a position of high-ranking value or to test a possible applicants initiative action (Guion, 1997).  Apple cancer than evaluated on their behavior with in these discussion groups which may include their work skills, their interactions with others, or even the leadership skills they display and thus is a tool which can be applicable for all of the positions a company needs (Guion, 1997).
Nonverbal Tests	Over the past decade there’ve been several nonverbal intelligence measures developed to be an alternative to administering an intelligence test to an applicant in order to minimize the use of language (Bell, McConnell, Lassiter, Matthews, 2013).  Some of the measures included the Leiter International Performance Scale-Revised, the General Ability Measure for Adults (GAMA), the Comprehensive Test of Nonverbal Intelligence (CTONI), the Raven Progressive Matrices, and the Test of Nonverbal Intelligence-Third Edition (TONI-III).  The measures listed all lessen having to use language while the response is still require verbalizations which has been criticized because of the limitations (Bell, et.al., 2013).  Because of the cited limitations of the tests is recommended to refrain from this particular kind of test do to the included lack of theoretical basis, inadequate normative data, psychometric properties, and limited predictive utility (Bell, et. al., 2013).  When information regarding the tests criterion-related validity is available, and the correlation coefficients between the various achievement measures and these tests is seen a usually falls somewhere between 0.30 and 0.20 (Bell, et. al., 2013).  This range is typically lower than other intelligence tests which are considered to be adequately valid and scoring where between a 0.40 and a 0.70 (Bell, et. al., 2013).
Situational Tests	For the sales team, regional sales manager, and VP.  Applicants may be required to take a variety of assessment tests throughout their careers including traditional multiple-choice pons and extending to match in questions or essay papers (Chamorrow-Premuzic & Furnham, 2005).  Throughout the years the shift has been created leading away from testing knowledge of facts to looking more at the application of the knowledge (Chamorrow-Premuzic & Furnham, 2005).  This test can be beneficial for all of positions listed above sense a person’s judgment in different situations may be assessed through situational judgment tests which are also known as professional dilemma tests (Chamorrow-Premuzic & Furnham, 2005).  These tests have become popular as assessment tools in recruitment as they assessed job-related skills that are not taped by any other measures and can range from problem solving to decision-making to interpersonal skills (Chamorrow-Premuzic & Furnham, 2005).  Situationaljudgment tests are used for assessing non-academic soft skills and practical intelligence.  Generally they are used with a combination of knowledge-based tests in order to give a better overall picture of an applicant’s aptitude in a certain job (Chamorrow-Premuzic & Furnham, 2005).  Situationaljudgment tests can be used for recruitment by many companies as a scenarios can range from different aspects to things like ethical dilemmas with colleagues are clients which are good in both a sales manager or VP position or can be tailored scenarios that are written to assess for competencies in different job placements (Chamorrow-Premuzic & Furnham, 2005).
Interest Tests	Sales team, regional sales manager, and VP of sales.  This test could be used to uncover an applicant’s interests specifically the interests not identified during an interview or any other kind of testing that was done.  The interests tests generally are a psychometric specific branch which studies psychological measures an educational ones (Van Egeren, 2009).  Psychometric describes a psychological test which is generally used in an occupation or educational setting which is standardized and proven to be both valid and reliable measures for things like ability, aptitude, personality, and interest (Van Egeren,  2009).  Affective psychometric tests be on the criteria listed have to be relevant in modern workplaces and before using the test a company needs to make sure the test has been updated recently invalidated (Van Egeren, 2009).  Van Egeren (2009) states that interests tests will measure how individuals differ in motivation, opinions, values, in relation to the interests the individual holds. Additionally, personality tests measure how in individual differs in style or manners of interacting with other people in their environment we’re doing things (Van Egeren, 2009).  Aptitude tests will measure how individuals differ in carrying out different tasks or their ability to perform (Van Egeren, 2009).  In interest as they can be used for a variety of different purposes with the common use is being selection of personnel, team building and development, career development in progression, and individual development as well as training (Van Egeren, 2009).
Projective Tests	For these kinds of tests it is recommended to refrain from being used for any of the applicants for any of the three positions listed.  The test expect applicants to interpret situations are problems based on their own attitudes, motives, values, ect. (Caldwell, Thornton, Gruys, 2003).  There are many personality tests which are projective in their nature though this test specifically presents a picture to an individual and then ask the individual to react or interpret it (Caldwell, et. al., 2003).  The pictures can be clouded making the individuals interpretation come from inside the individual and get projected into the picture.  Basically the individual spice to project their own emotional attitudes, first Russian’s, motives, aspirations, or ideas about life on to the picture they are presented with (Caldwell, 2003).  Generally standard tests are used in assessing a personality of an individual applicant such as the Thematic appreciation test in which the applicants shown a picture and asked to develop a story off the picture (Caldwell et. al., 2003).  The response is given and the stores created are analyzed and the individuals personality profiles developed.  Projective tests have widely been criticized as being unscientific having a lack of reliability and validity and often will reveal bias of the test evaluate are a special in cases where the evaluator is not trained (Caldwell et. al., 2003).
Work Samples	Recommended for regional sales manager and VP.  In combination with traditional testing methods such as cognitive tests, questionnaires, personality tests, etc.  Many companies use work samples are situations in decision-making processes (Caldwell et. al., 2003).  The work samples are exercises that are carefully constructed in order to stimulate situations that happen on the job.  The test is recommended be used for more demanding positions higher in the organization as the situation presented in the test can range from exercises about simple have any candid design and deliver presentations to something more complex and elaborate.  Having an applicant deliver presentation will assess their presentation skills which may be needed for training position while having the candidate use highly structured computerized simulations can help to assess the individuals ability to operate expensive and potentially dangerous equipment (Caldwell et. al., 2003).  Two of the most common simulations that are generally used include role playing and in-basket exercises (Caldwell et. al., 2003).

References

Bell, N. L.; McConnell, J. E.; Lassiter, K. S.; Matthews, T. D. (2013). Academic journal article from North American Journal of   Psychology, Vol. 15, No. 2

Berg, B. (1995). Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences. 2^nd ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon

Caldwell, C., Thornton, G. C., & Gruys, M. (2003). Ten classic assessment center errors: Challenges to selection validity. Public           Personnel Management, 32(1), 73-88.

Chamorro-Premuzic, T., & Furnham, A. (2005). The relationship between personality traits, subjectively assessed and fluid         intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences, 38, 1517-1528.

Guion, R.M. 1997. Assessment, Measurement, and Prediction for Personnel Decisions. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Sackett, P. R., Schmitt, N., Ellingson, J. E., & Kabin, M. B. (2001). High-stakes testing in employment, credentialing, and higher       education: Prospects in a post-affirmative-action world. American Psychologist, 56(4), 302-318.

Van Egeren, L. F. (2009). A cybernetic model of global personality traits. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 13, 92-108.