New psychometric test - 'A step change in employee selection and personal development'

28 October 2004
A new psychometric test, cdaq, based on cognitive psychology and neurolinguistic programming (NLP), is to challenge established tests based on traditional personality/trait models as the most effective means of assessing potential recruits and current employees.

cdaq has undergone 4 years rigorous empirical testing and is currently in the process of obtaining the recently introduced British Psychological Society kite mark. To be formally launched in October 2004, cdaq has been developed by cda, the Leeds-based organisational development and change management consultancy, and can be administered verbally, in hard copy form or on-line.

“cdaq will provide a new perspective on personality at work,” states Tony Dunk principal at cdadevelop. “Over 60% of UK employers utilise psychometric testing, but many of the existing tests have become over-familiar to candidates. Additionally, in response to the increasing demand for something new and relevant, the market has seen an influx of poorly designed and validated personality tests.”

A full-scale validation of cdaq has been carried with the participation of a range of private and public sector organisations, including Toyota GB, the Alpha Group, Northern Foods and Essex County Council. It has been successfully applied in a variety of settings, including training, development, teambuilding, coaching and selection, with users reporting that cdaq is able to accurately identify thinking and behavioural preferences in their employees.

Developed in response to the view that many of the established personality tests fail to deliver a sufficiently useful or comprehensive model for contemporary working styles, a key differentiator of cdaq is its use of verbal components. It is the only psychometric tool that has an easy to use verbal component that can be applied in conversation to identify and work with preferences on a day-to-day basis. cdaq is based around eleven discrete dimensions (metaprogrammes) that are the particularly applicable in a work context, focusing on predicting performance at work.

Dr. Paul Brewerton, the UK’s only lecturer on an MSc degree course in psychometrics (at City University), has assessed cdaq and concludes: “It represents an assessment tool that offers insights into thinking styles and preferences. In exploring the NLP phenomenon, and the notion of metaprogrammes, we found solid ideas supported by robust psychological theory which provided a sound basis for understanding people’s behaviour and thinking.”

“Our testing process has been extensive and has produced significant practical outcomes,” explains Tony Dunk. “For example, we worked with one trialling client to profile managers responsible for major contract negotiations, and it helped them understand their own style and trained them to use language patterns to understand the preferences of their counterparts in negotiations. Another client has found cdaq to be a particularly useful predictor of team ‘fit’ for recruiting, while another used it to profile a senior team and improve their collective dynamic.

“We are confident that we are launching a tool for which there is a significant demand in the marketplace, which is much more than an individual personality test and which represents a step change in employee selection and personal development.”

Contact
Tony Dunk, cda
Tel: 0113 235 1007 or
Alistair McLean, Acumen
Tel: 0131 624 1155

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