ATP Announces Release of Third Edition of Model Guidelines for Preemployment Integrity Testing

WASHINGTON, March 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Association of Test Publishers (ATP) today announced the release of the Model Guidelines for Preemployment Integrity Testing (3^rd Edition).  Preemployment integrity tests are assessments that are designed to predict counterproductive work behaviors such as theft, gross misconduct, illicit drug use, turnover for cause, violence, and other employee activities that damage or waste an employer's assets. The objectives of the revised Model Guidelines are to promote good testing practices in the development, administration, and use of preemployment integrity tests.  

Adherence to these Model Guidelines helps to ensure that both test publishers and test users follow generally accepted "best practices" in six areas:  (1) test development and selection; (2) test administration and scoring; (3) test use and decision making; (4) test fairness and confidentiality; (5) public statements and test marketing; and (6) international considerations.  "The need to mitigate counterproductive employee behavior through scientifically-based preemployment integrity testing is a global phenomenon," said ATP's CEO William G. Harris, Ph.D.  "In fact research reviewed in the Model Guidelines reveals that the cost of worldwide employee theft in the retail industry alone is $50.5 billion annually. In this third edition of the Model Guidelines we've included a new section that addresses a variety of international concerns."  

The 2010 Model Guidelines Revision Committee included the following professionals:  John W. Jones, Ph.D., Vangent, Inc. (Chair); David W. Arnold, Ph.D., J.D., Wonderlic, Inc. (Chief Legal Advisor); Michael R. Cunningham, Ph.D., University of Louisville; Reid E. Klion, Ph.D., Performance Assessment Networks, Inc.; Deniz S. Ones, Ph.D., University of Minnesota; Lance W. Seberhagen, Ph.D., Seberhagen & Associates; James C. Sharf, Ph.D., Employment Risk Advisors; and Vish V. Viswesvaran, Ph.D., Florida International University.  "The Model Guidelines were initially developed by the leading experts in the field of personnel testing," noted Marten Roorda, CEO of Cito B.V. in the Netherlands and Chair of ATP's Board of Directors.  "Therefore we were committed to ensuring that our 2010 Model Guidelines Revision Committee was represented by well respected industrial-organizational psychologists who would create a set of guidelines to help both test publishers and end users comply with all relevant professional standards and employment laws."  

"The 2010 Model Guidelines are relevant to organizations and professionals who are unfamiliar with preemployment integrity tests.  They should also prove useful to testing experts who want to stay abreast of the latest best practices related to this class of personnel assessments," said John W. Jones, Ph.D., Chair of the 2010 Model Guidelines Revision Committee.  "For example, these guidelines include an updated research section, which supports the validity generalization for integrity tests across a wide variety of jobs, settings, and organizations.  The research section concludes that properly developed integrity tests are not only effective in predicting counterproductive behavior in the workplace, but they are fair and helpful from a societal perspective."  

Organizations who are interested in reviewing integrity tests for inclusion in their recruitment and hiring process can receive a copy of the Model Guidelines for Preemployment Integrity Tests by contacting Lauren Scheib at 866-240-7909 (US) or +1- 717-755-9747 or email [email protected].  These guidelines should help the many companies that need to control employee theft and related counter productivity to properly select and use high quality integrity tests.  

About ATP

Established in 1992, The Association of Test Publishers is an international, non-profit organization representing providers of tests and assessment tools and/or services for use in educational, occupational, psychological, screening, certification, or licensure settings.  ATP  is dedicated to the highest level of professionalism within the test publishing community.  ATP welcomes any test publisher involved in the development and marketing of preemployment assessments to apply for membership by visiting the ATP website at www.testpublishers.org.

SOURCE Association of Test Publishers