Most readers will already be users of our flagship personality questionnaire, 15FQ+, arguably the most comprehensive personality assessment adapted for New Zealand’s unique population and incorporating Belbin Team Roles, Leadership, Subordinate and Influencing Styles into one profile.
This month heralds a significant step forward in the availability of the 15FQ+ to online users.
Until now, 15FQ has taken two forms; a full length 200 question version which is completed in a supervised setting and a shortened 100 question version (15FQ+C) available in an unsupervised online setting. The rationale behind the split was the perceived risk of participants losing interest and being less attentive when faced with 200 questions, perhaps taking breaks or getting interrupted, which could affect results. The 100 question online version mitigated those risks as most participants complete it in 15 to 20 minutes, and this version quickly became the personality questionnaire of choice for hiring managers and recruitment consultants wanting to streamline their selection processes with online personality assessments.
We sold thirty online versions to one supervised version from 2008 to 2013.
Now that online psychometric assessments have been commonplace for about ten years, test publishers and psychometricians have had the time to measure both the effectiveness of shortened versions and whether perceived attentiveness of participants became reality. Their findings led to a decision by Psytech International, the global owners of the 15FQ+ licence, to take the shortened version (15FQ+C) off the market and make the full version available online with effect from 24th February.
What does this mean for clients?
The effects for current and prospective users of 15FQ+ are entirely positive:
- Firstly, validity and reliability scores across the sixteen personality factors are increased through a questionnaire with twice the number of questions, raising the effectiveness of your selection processes further still
- The full version introduces valuable facets of personality into your selection decision making, including scales of Emotional Intelligence, Positive Work Attitude and enhanced Impression Management scales, essential in determining whether a participant completed their questionnaire openly candidly
- The full version also has a greater depth of specific norm-groups against which to measure future participants, including most professional groups and industry sectors
- Clients with extensive banks of 15FQ+C candidate and employee reports can have absolute confidence that their existing reports and data are comparable with the full online version.
What does this mean for your candidates and internal participants?
- The time taken to complete the 15FQ+ increases from 15 to 20 minutes to 25 to 30 minutes.
- Instructions in the email inviting participants to complete the 15FQ+ set out the time required to complete the questionnaire, as well as the need to complete it in one uninterrupted sitting
- Greater validity, reliability and enhanced profile report content bring with them an even stronger report upon which to base feedback discussions around personal and career development
Give us a call with any questions
Do give Steve Evans a call on 0508 736 753 with any queries on these changes. We have the comparative validity and reliability data to share with anyone keen to see the technical stats and sample reports of the 15FQ+.