1.0
Introduction
We are firmly committed to achieving high standards in administering our Materials, interpreting Participants' results on tests, exercises or
questionnaires (“an Assessment”), and providing feedback to Participants. We ensure that Assessment users within our own organisation have the necessary
qualifications and experience required by us, and relevant professional bodies such as the British Psychological Society (BPS). We also expect our own
Assessment users to protect copyright and trade marks, and to comply with the law and our own In the interests of promoting best practice and developing
responsible ethical attitudes towards assessment, we expect all users of our Materials and Services to abide by similarly high standards and specifically
to adhere to the guidelines set out in this document.
2.0
Registered User Competence
Registered Users must have certain qualifications and experience in order to register with us to purchase and use specific Talogy
Materials and Services. All parties who authorise the purchase of our Materials and Services and carry out the Tasks must be Registered Users approved by
us. If a person wants to become a Registered User but does not meet our registration criteria they will need to successfully complete appropriate training
provided or endorsed by us.
Registered Users are authorised by us to carry out the following "Tasks":
(a) Invite Participants to complete specific assessments and perform administrative functions relation to the coordination of assessments, or supervise
this process if conducted by a Project Coordinator;
(b) Access Participants' reports for specific assessments;
(c) Interpret Participants' results from specific assessment s;
(d) Share Participants' assessment results in accordance with these Ethical Use of Psychometric Assessments guidelines; and
(e) Give feedback to Participants on their test results in accordance with these Ethical Use of Psychometric Assessments guidelines.
With regard to personal competence, we would emphasise Registered Users' obligations to:
(a) Update their skills, knowledge and qualifications in the use of our Materials, and where relevant other psychometric tools, so that their level of
competence continues to meet our registration criteria;
(b) Never offer administration, scoring, interpretation, or feedback services for Assessments for which they are not qualified or experienced to use;
(c) Maintain their general knowledge of legislation and best practice with regard to the use of psychometric assessment tools.
3.0
Communicating with Participants
The following points relate to general communication with Participants during an assessment process. This communication could originate from Registered
Users or Project Coordinators.
(a) Prior to completing an Assessment, Participants should be briefed appropriately as follows:
(i) The nature and purpose of the assessment process should be explained clearly and accurately;
(ii) Participants should know when they can expect to receive their Assessment results, and when and how they will receive feedback;
(iii) Participants should know how long their personal data will be retained for, by whom, and for what purpose. Our position on the collection, processing
and storage of personal data relating to Participants is explained in our Privacy Policy.
(b) Throughout an assessment process, Participants should have the opportunity to request relevant information or raise queries, and to receive a timely
professional response from competent service providers;
(c) Participants should be invited to disclose any special needs they have in relation to completing an Assessment so that proper adjustments can be made
to the assessment process wherever possible and appropriate. Such special needs might include a disability, including a language disorder, which affects
the Participant's ability to complete the Assessment. When necessary, professional advice should be sought to ensure that the Assessment and test
environment are conducive to providing a fair evaluation of all Participants;
(d) Participants should never be forced to complete an assessment activity but they should understand the consequences of their actions should they
decline, refuse or miss an opportunity to participate. This could include automatic disqualification from a selection process or elimination from a
development programme.
4.0
Administration of Assessments
The following guidelines relate to the administrative aspects of the selection, administration, scoring, interpretation, reporting, data management and
validation of Assessments.
(a) The choice of assessment tools should be based on a thorough analysis of the need, using rigorous techniques such as job analysis. Any assessment
process that is carried out should generate relevant information about Participants that meets the purpose and aim of the process;
(b) When assessment tools are being considered to help make promotion, placement or development decisions with current employees, consideration should be
given as to the relative value of using such tests when direct evidence of performance is available from sources such as performance reviews. In some
cases, it may be advisable to use assessment tests as well as direct evidence of performance in order to reach balanced, fair and accurate decisions;
(c) No unqualified person should be allowed to administer, score or interpret assessment tools. We would remind Registered Users of their responsibilities
for ensuring that anyone who invites Participants to complete Assessments and/or performs administrative functions in relation to the co-ordination of
Assessments is an authorised Project Coordinator under the supervision of a Registered User;
(d) Assessments must be administered, scored and interpreted in accordance with the explicit instructions provided by Talogy in our
Materials and via our Services;
(e) Reports generated for interpretation purposes and to provide feedback to Participants should only be accessed by Registered Users, and used only under
their professional guidance;
(f) Data generated from the administration of Assessments must be collected, processed and stored in accordance with statutory or regulatory requirements,
and our Privacy Policy;
(g) Data generated from the administration of Assessments should always be corroborated and integrated with data from other relevant sources (eg Assessment
Centre simulation exercises, competency based interviews, appraisal ratings) when used to make decisions about a Participant's suitability for selection,
promotion, development or other purpose;
(h) The validity and reliability of assessment tools should be checked to determine their continued relevance and effectiveness in delivering the intended
outcomes. When large numbers of Participants are tested, consideration should be given to conducting criterion related validation studies to compare
Participants' Assessment results with data about their work based performance. When necessary, professional advice should be sought to ensure that the
validation studies are carried out using the correct methods;
(i) Longer term reviews of the impact of assessments and related decisions on different groups (eg to monitor equality and diversity impact on grounds of
age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation) should be undertaken to guard against unfairness and adverse impact.
5.0
Participant Feedback
The following guidelines relate to the provision of Participant feedback, whether this is delivered through computer generated narrative reports,
face-to-face, over the telephone or any other means.
(a) The approach to delivering feedback should be defined in a policy document and feedback providers should be briefed on its contents. This policy should
cover confidentiality and the disclosure of Participants' personal assessment data and information;
(b) Feedback skills training should be provided when appropriate to ensure that feedback providers follow best practice;
(c) Feedback offered to Participants should be delivered in compliance with any applicable statutory or regulatory requirements. BPS guidelines state that
meaningful feedback should be given to Participants in a form which is "clear and in a style appropriate to their level of understanding”. This is also
consistent with the International Test Commission (ITC) guidelines and UK data protection legislation. Accordingly, consideration needs to be given as to
whether feedback is offered to Participants on technical grounds (eg to verify the Assessment results), ethical grounds (eg simply to enable the
Participant to develop greater self-awareness) or both. Talogy is happy to give advice on such matters;
(d) The level of feedback that Talogy recommends differs according to two key factors:
(i) The nature of the Assessment. For the purposes of these guidelines, we would emphasise that all Talogy Materials
offered through the Services on our Websites require as a minimum the provision of a written or verbal summary of results for individual Participants in
accordance with BPS guidelines;
(ii) The purpose for which the Assessment is used. In so-called "select-out" situations (often an early stage of the selection process
where Participants identified as less suitable for a role are deselected from the process), feedback should be offered, but may not always be taken up by
the Participant. Feedback on Talogy Materials in select-out situations, such as online high volume sifts, would be given sufficiently by
a written summary of results for individual Participants. In "select-in" situations (usually a final stage of a selection process, when one or more
Participants have been identified as someone to whom a role may be offered), feedback on Talogy Materials offered through the Services
on our Website might be combined with feedback on other assessment tools.
Select-in situations will require person-to-person feedback. The feedback interview would be a part of a wider assessment process alongside, for example, a
competency based interview, ability measures, personality measures, simulation exercises and so on. As such, the feedback provides additional information
to help with the selection decision. It also helps the Participant to get a feel for where their talents and motives may fit, or not, with the role for
which they have applied. Examples of such scenarios include Assessment Centres for selection and Development Centres for promotion or the identification of
high flyers.
(e) When communicating Assessment results, care should be taken to ensure that their implications are clear to the Participant, and to explain the
limitations of the instruments referred to in any report;
(f) Participants should be given the opportunity of seeking further clarification with regard to the feedback should they wish to;
(g) The requirements for giving feedback on individual results to respondents may be waived where data are being gathered for research purposes only.
Respondents should be told beforehand whether or not they will receive feedback although researchers are encouraged to provide feedback if an individual
requests it. If the research context is to establish test reliability or validity, the experimental nature of its use should be communicated clearly to
respondents;
(h) Assessment data acquired from current employees should not be used to determine an individual's career development or promotion, unless it is
corroborated by independent reliable data such as appraisal records or line manager review;
(i) Data acquired for a stated purpose or purposes should not be used for another purpose without the Participant's knowledge and explicit consent.
6.0
Security
There are two aspects to the following guidelines, one relating to the security of Registered User information and the other to the security and
confidentiality of assessment data.
(a) In completing the registration process, Registered Users agree to provide accurate, complete and up-to-date information as required on the registration
form, and to maintain this information from time to time as required to keep it accurate, up-to-date and complete;
(b) Registered Users are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of their registration data and agree to notify Talogy
immediately of any unauthorised activity using their registration data or if they suspect that the confidentiality of their registration data has been
breached;
(c) Registered Users must keep their login and password details strictly confidential and secure at all times; do not disclose them to anyone or allow
anyone else to use them. Talogy cannot be held responsible for any use made of this Website and/or the Materials and Services as a
result of Registered Users not keeping their login and/or password details secure and confidential;
(d) All data stored (on file or electronically) must be held according to the requirements of any applicable legislation with respect to the collection,
processing and storage of personal data;
(e) All assessment materials (including user guides and Assessment reports) must be stored securely and only be accessible to qualified authorised users;
(f) Registered Users should notify us of any change of employer or address as soon as reasonably possible. When the Registered User moves from their
current employer or department they should, where possible, ensure that any restricted confidential materials (including Talogy
Materials) are transferred to another authorised Registered User. If there is no authorised Registered User to whom Talogy Materials can
be entrusted, please contact us as soon as is reasonably possible;
(g) Participants' Assessment results and reports should only be disclosed to third parties where essential and agreed. The rules on disclosure should be
set out in a policy document. For further information on data protection in relation to the use of Talogy Materials and Services, please
refer to our Privacy Policy.