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Case Studies
MANUFACTURING SELECTION SYSTEM
The Challenge
A multi-plant manufacturing organization re-engineered its processes to ensure quality and enhance
profitability. It then looked at its “People Systems” to ensure the same quality orientation was present
there as well.
The challenge posed to Polaris Assessment Systems – ensure consistently high-quality
testing and interview processes that meet “world-class” standards across all plants.
The Response
Polaris Assessment Systems worked with manufacturing job experts to define the requirements of the
organization’s jobs. It then continued to work with the Human Resources department to structure a testing
and interview system that (a) incorporated world-class elements the organization already had in place,
and (b) enhanced other elements to bring them up to world-class standards. Figure 1 shows the key factors
addressed by the testing system.
The tests were administered on a trial basis to 114 volunteer incumbents.
Statistical analyses verified that the tests predicted overall performance, as well as key facets of
performance such as attendance, at statistically significant and meaningful levels. For example, Figures
2 through 4 show the increasing proportion of Outstanding employees…and the decreasing proportion of Weak
employees…among high versus low test scorers.
Programs were created that supported PC-based scoring of the tests, including scoring
on portable computers for off-site testing. Interview procedures were created to allow information from the
tests (e.g., problematic answers to certain items; marginal scores on key test dimensions) to be accessible
to interviewers. This enabled the interviewers to probe selected areas in addition to addressing the more
standard issues covered by the interview.
The Results
The organization implemented an untimed test that took most applicants about 45 minutes to complete. The
test covered personality components (working productively, quality orientation, working well with supervisors
and coworkers), attitudes and beliefs (attitudes toward business, attendance, theft/substance abuse) and
workplace aptitudes (reasoning, math and measurement, ability to perceive details). The interview process
was enhanced through (a) reducing the need to interview large numbers of applicants due to the test screen
and (b) the “pass through” information supplied to interviewers. The result was a system that was “world
class” in terms of both efficiency and proven effectiveness.
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