Users Guide to the Principles for Professional Conduct
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Principles for Employer Professionals
8. Testing
"Those engaged in administering, evaluating, and interpreting assessment tools, tests, and technology used in selection will be trained and qualified to do so. Employment professionals must advise the career services office of any test conducted on campus and eliminate such a test if it violates campus policies. Employment professionals must advise students in a timely fashion of the type and purpose of any test that students will be required to take as part of the recruitment process and to whom the test results will be disclosed. All tests will be reviewed by the employing organization for disparate impact and job-relatedness. (See Career Services Principle 8)
Intent / Rationale / Resources
Judgments made in the selection process should be fair, which includes an accurate method of appraising student qualifications for the positions being filled. The student’s right to make an informed decision about participating in the employer’s selection process should be protected.
Justice and the respect for the human right of autonomy, i.e., being able to function independently of the control of others, serve as the foundations of this principle. Some tests, notably those that assess personality or intelligence, may heighten student anxiety. Candidates whose autonomy is being respected will be provided timely, clear, and thorough information that they can understand use to reach a rational decision whether or not to participate. This is known as "informed consent," i.e., being empowered to make a fully considered decision, without coercion, as to taking part in a process that might have an impact on the individual’s well being.
That the selection process is fair to a large degree means that the candidates are chosen based on their qualifications for the position. In that spirit, tests should accurately determine the presence of the qualities in question. In addition, those qualities should be ones that successful employees actually need. Otherwise, selection decisions can be unwise. Moreover, if the test disproportionately screens out women and minority group members and if the qualities it is assessing cannot be shown to be needed by successful employees, a charge of job discrimination can be filed and enforced in the courts.
NACE Principles for Professional Conduct Committee. "Playing Fair." Job Choices 2002.
Principle
9. Using Third Party Organizations
