PointLeader Research

Research Services

Our biggest advantage for clients is in research services and analytics. We believe in human intelligence (versus the artificial kind) to guide our research, and have assembled the best and brightest experts in IO psychology and psychometric research to work with us to design and communicate results of our job analysis, validation, and job performance research projects for clients. To facilitate our research in a secure and seamless manner, we designed the PointLeader system to serve as both a research engine and talent management system. Our research services also include custom assessment development, performance system improvement, and diversity evaluations. Organizational level data for brand loyalty, profits, EEOC/OFCCP findings are often included as outcomes in our final models.

Research Results

Our research archives include over 400 reports of the results from job analysis, test validation, performance measurement and leadership development research studies. Most of these studies are proprietary; however, a select few are made available through consent of the author and/or client. These are listed below, as are results from our synthetic validity and psychometric research studies. Synthetic validity is often an important factor in starting an assessment project. By breaking a job down into its critical competencies, we are able to specify a predictive profile based on the results of our existing validation studies. This is one source of validation evidence for use of assessments in any job in any organization. We continue to collect localized validity data throughout our client projects, to ensure we have the most predictive and legally defensible system possible.

Outcome Research

Truck Driver Applicant Selection Project

By selecting drivers with a high probability for increasing profits and a low probability for increasing costs, key business outcomes can be improved by 40% per driver. To demonstrate this effect, PointLeader conducted a predictive analytics project for truck driver selection. Download paper.

Warehouse Logistics Team Selection Project

Average annual impact per warehouse employee on the bottom line for a business totals +/- $54,400 annually. By selecting workers with highest probability for success and lowest probability for risk, this impact is optimized. PointLeader conducted a series of predictive analytics projects across a seven year period for warehouse worker selection into three businesses to validate the PPA use. Download paper.

Manufacturing Worker Safety Project

Selecting workers with high probability to behave safely and low probability to engage in risky behaviors improves outcomes for employees and manufacturing businesses. PointLeader has demonstrated this outcome for manufacturing by applying predictive analytics to improve safety through machine operator selection. Download paper.

Transforming CSR Performance in Call Centers

A longitudinal criterion-related validation study of the PointLeader Potential Assessment (PPA) was recently conducted with data from 13,455 customer service representative (CSR) applicants to five US call centers. This white paper describes how the PPA: (1) significantly reduced attrition rates; (2) accurately predicted interview outcomes, attendance, training, sales and computer performance; and; (3) caused no adverse impact for applicants. Download paper.

Psychometric Research

Improving Call Center Applicant Experiences

In this paper, we summarize ten years of evaluative results regarding applicant and HR experiences from our continuous improvement process with the PointLeader job applicant system. Download paper.

Personality Assessment in Multiple Languages: Solving Diversity Issues

Using IRT modeling of test items from an English base form and Spanish language translation of a commercially available Five Factor Model personality assessment, we examined how quality of items in the base form impacts the equivalence of translated content.

Cheating, Guessing, and Self-Presentation in Assessment Responses

Research on assessment response faking within a broader framework of types of responses to assessments using 3pl IRT.

Distributional projection: Solution to small sample size.

Describes application of Lord’s (1974) IRT methods to estimate population distributions of test scores from randomly representative small samples from the applicant population.

PointLeader Talent Management System Technical Manual

This technical manual describes the development, validation, administration, reporting and interpretation of PointLeader Predictive Assessment for job applicant and employee testing.

PROBLEM

A retail business with over 10,000 outlets faced the costly problem of less than 5% average annual retention across customer service representatives. The previously used applicant assessment was too cumbersome for users and was not improving the retention problem. HR leaders sought a more effective solution that would streamline applicant selection to a 2 – hour window and improve retention.

SOLUTION

Application Blank

Applicants ported from recruitment sites to mobile enabled, online application blank for pre-screen against knock-outs. Time – 15 minutes

PPA

Pre-screened applicants directly ported to mobile enabled, online PPA to measure job fit. Time – 15 minutes.

Online Human Interview

Applicants with high job potential are immediately offered video interview on mobile device with trained behavioral interviewer using PPA results as guide. Time – 30 minutes.

Store Hiring

Applicants who pass interviews are assigned time to meet hiring team at store, who use PPA and interview results for final hiring decision and onboarding.

APPROACH

PointLeader responded to the client problem with the solution and approach as shown in this video.