SHL On Demand
Best Practice Template Guide:
Graduate Recruitment
September 2009
Best Practice Template Guide
Graduate Recruitment
Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................... 2
When to use the project template ...................................................................... 3
What is in the project template .......................................................................... 3
Default Assessments ..................................................................................... 3
Reports ....................................................................................................... 3
Auto-generated reports ................................................................................. 4
On demand reports ....................................................................................... 4
Selecting the Correct Verify Assessments ............................................................ 5
A Best Practice Process ..................................................................................... 6
A step by step guide to setting up the project ...................................................... 7
Using the Verification Test ............................................................................... 14
Changing the project template defaults ............................................................. 17
How to change auto-generated reports .......................................................... 17
How to select reports for on demand generation ............................................. 19
About the Best Practice Project Templates ......................................................... 21
Introduction
This best practice template guide has been designed to help you use the SHL On
Demand Assessment system more efficiently and effectively, when recruiting
graduates into your organisation.
The guide helps you configure the system exactly the way it should be configured
according to best practice in graduate shortlisting, a very useful aid given the wide
variety of choices the system offers you. This in turn makes your job simply one of
choosing the applicants who show the strongest potential to be successful in the role
being recruited.
Correct pre-configuration will provide valuable reports that ensure your main focus is
on selecting the candidates with the most potential to perform well in the roles you
are recruiting them for.
This guide does not replace the judgement of a suitably trained user. Your SHLregistered user should have been involved in the template choice, and if in doubt,
you should ask them about how it should be implemented in your organisation.
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When to use the project template
This project template is designed to be used in situations where it is necessary to
identify the most promising applicants for a specific role you have in your
organisation and is designed to be used with applicants who are graduates. It is
important to use the outputs from these assessments in the context of a specific job
role. To do this, you need to create a profile for the role, possibly using the
Universal Competency Framework. Contact SHL if you need help in determining a
role profile or are unsure about how to use the output reports provided.
Within this template, there are three types of Verify test – numeric, verbal and
inductive reasoning. It is unlikely that you will always want to assess individuals
using all three of these. When you are creating the project, you will need to follow
the instructions in Step 5 of the „A step by step guide to setting up the project‟
section to select only the appropriate Verify assessments. More information about
the different Verify assessments and when they should be used is provided in the
„Selecting the Correct Verify Assessments‟ section below.
What is in the project template
Default Assessments
There are four assessments that are already set up for each individual in this
template. These are shown in the table below. They are configured by default to
use general population comparison groups. To choose different comparison groups
during the project set up phase, see the „Changing the project template defaults‟
sections on page 17.
Questionnaire
What does this help me achieve?
Personality – OPQ32r
This provides detailed information about „How‟ the person
typically behaves at work.
Verify – Verbal
Reasoning
This provides a measure of the individual‟s level of verbal
reasoning ability.
Verify – Numeric
Reasoning
This provides a measure of the individual‟s level of
numeric reasoning ability.
Verify – Inductive
Reasoning
This provides a measure of the individual‟s level of
inductive reasoning ability. This is a good indicator of
the individual‟s ability to solve complex problems.
Reports
There are two types of report generation methods in the SHL On Demand system;
„auto-generated‟ reports and „on demand reports‟. Auto-generated reports are
generated by the system as soon all of the required assessments have been
completed for an individual. By default, if you have been set up as feedback
provider, the system will send you an email to let you know as soon as an autogenerated report is available. Simply clicking on the link will display the report as a
Microsoft Word document. On demand reports are generated at the request of an
administrator or feedback provider.
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The tables below show the auto-generated reports and the on demand reports
available in the „graduate recruitent‟ project template.
Auto-generated reports
Report
What does this help me achieve?
Universal Competency
Report (OPQ32)
Provides a description of an individual‟s likely
performance against the core 20 competencies from the
SHL Universal Competency Framework.
Manager‟s Plus (OPQ32)
Designed specifically for line managers, this report shows
how the assessed individual prefers to work, is likely to
perform against a range of competencies proven to be
important at work and is likely to interact with
colleagues.
Candidate (OPQ32)
Ideal for internal or external candidates, this report is
designed to be given to the candidate and reflects best
practice in this regard.
Verify Ability Test Report
Provides information about the levels of ability in each of
the Verify tests they take.
On demand reports
Report
What does this help me achieve?
Maximise your Learning
(OPQ32)
This report provides information on the ways in which an
individual is likely to learn best
Leadership (OPQ32)
Provides a detailed insight into an individual‟s leadership
capability by analysing their unique style of operating
and suggesting the areas of leadership they have the
potential to excel at as well as areas they may find more
challenging.
Team Types and
Learning Styles (OPQ32)
Indicates the type of role each individual will play within
a team. This is followed by short descriptions of how the
person‟s behaviour is likely to match or differ from typical
role behaviour. This tool builds a profile of a candidate
based around Team Types, Leadership Styles and
Reporting Styles.
It is possible during the project setup phase to change the reports which are autogenerated if you would prefer to have additional reports generated. To see how to
do this, view the section „How to select reports for on demand generation‟
below on page 19.
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Selecting the Correct Verify Assessments
It is important to select only those assessments which measure things that are
appropriate for the role you are recruiting into. It is unlikely that you will want to
assess your candidates with all three Verify assessment types; Verbal, Numeric and
Inductive reasoning. Having determined which of these abilities, if any, are
important for the role that you are recruiting, you will need to make sure that you
select only those assessments for the project.
Verify Verbal Reasoning measures a candidate‟s ability to evaluate the logic of
various kinds of statement presented in written form. The test measures the ability
to determine the support for conclusions drawn, using content that typifies a variety
of work settings.
Verbal Reasoning is relevant for use in assessment where the following tasks are
critical aspects of the job or role:

Analysing and interpreting written and oral information

Preparing written documents

Preparing and delivering presentations.
Verify Numerical Reasoning is designed to measure a candidate‟s ability to make
correct decisions or inferences from numerical or statistical data. The test measures
the ability to work with numerical data in a realistic workplace context.
Numerical Reasoning is relevant for use in assessment where the following tasks are
critical aspects of the job or role:

Analysis and interpretation of numerical data including statistical analyses

Preparing budgets, analysing financial information including costs, margins
and trends
Verify Inductive Reasoning is designed to test a candidate‟s ability to draw inferences
from, and understand the relationships between, various concepts, independent of
acquired knowledge.
Inductive Reasoning is relevant for use in assessment where the following tasks are
critical aspects of the job or role:

Understanding new concepts and approaches to problems

Dealing with complex, ambiguous and new problems.
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A Best Practice Process
We recommend using this best practice template in the following type of process:
Determine the role profile and identify which VerifyTM assessments are applicable
Use best practice template to configure SHL On Demand Assessment system
Invite applicants to take assessments as part of the selection process for next stages
Use reports and Verify scores to determine which candidates have the best fit for
the role. Use this to identify those to invite to interview and use the information to
probe specific areas. Administer Verification tests to check their ability scores. Give
Candidate report to individuals to take away
Choose one or more individuals to fill the roles available
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A step by step guide to setting up the project
Step 1: Click on the Project Maintenance tab on the top toolbar, to go to that page.
Step 2: Click on the 'Create new project' link on the left side of the screen.
Step 3: Choose the project template you would like to use to create the new project.
In this case we are choosing the “Best Practice: Graduate Recruitment” template.
You must also complete the “Project location”, “Project name” and “Project
description” fields before clicking the “Create new project” button as shown in the
example below.
Step 4: Then complete the following two areas on the „project details‟ page.
1. Add the specific project dates, particularly the deadlines for completion.
2. If you want reminder emails to be sent to individuals who have not completed
their assessments. Complete the „Reminder‟ section
These areas are highlighted in the screen shot overleaf.
Ensure maximum project flexibility by checking the ‘Add Focuses after
Project Start’ checkbox you can then add more people to be assessed
whenever you want.
Once you have made any changes necessary click on the „Save‟ button at the bottom
of the page.
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Step 5: Navigate to the „Configure Project Rules‟ page (hint: choose the Modify
Project Details‟ link on the „Project Details‟ page) and then click the „Select
Instruments and Reports‟ link. On the „Select Instruments‟ page, choose which of
the Verify Assessments is appropriate for the job you are recruiting for. In the
example below, we have chosen verbal and inductive reasoning assessments. You
should also choose the appropriate comparison groups for your industry sector.
Note: more information about choosing the right Verify assessments is provided in
the „Selecting the Correct Verify Assessments‟ section above.
On the same page, you must also select the equivalent Verification tests to ensure
they are available to Verify the ability test scores of any of your candidates.
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Once you have chosen the correct Verification tests, click on the „Select Reports‟
button and then click the „Save‟ button at the bottom of the „Select Reports‟ page
Step 6: Now add the project administrator, by clicking on the „Add project
administrator‟ link on the left hand side.
Find the appropriate user by entering all or part of the first or last name. For partname searches add an * at the end. For example, enter Hallw* in the last name box
to search for Nick Hallwood. The results will return all users with a last name starting
Hallw. Too many results? Narrow the search by adding more detail. You can also
create a new user by clicking on the „Create new user‟ link.
Click the „Add to project‟ link against the selected user name as shown below.
Step 7: A feedback provider is required to receive the reports generated from the
system. This can be the person distributing the information to managers and
employees or the person providing the feedback sessions to employees.
To add a feedback provider click the „Add feedback provider‟ link on the project
details page. The same search process can be followed as described in step 6.
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Once you have found the user you require, then simply click the „Select as feedback
provider link against their name as show below.
You will then see the following screen asking which users you would like to add this
individual to as a feedback provider. In this case, we have not added any
assessment focuses so none are displayed. This functionality allows you to add
different feedback providers to different assessment focuses. Once you have chosen
the appropriate individuals for this feedback provider, or if there are none available,
then click the Save Changes button.
Step 7: You can add individuals to the project to be assessed now. If you made sure
the „Add focus later‟ box was checked in Step 4 above, then it is not necessary to do
that now. If you want to add people to be assessed now, then click the „Add
assessment focus‟ link on the project details page.
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Step 8: To enable the Verification tests to be completed, you will also need to add
an instrument supervisor to each assessment. From the „Project Details‟ page, click
the „Add instrument supervisor‟ link. Follow the same process as Step 7 above to
find all those users who could be allocated as an instrument supervisor. Once you
click on the person you want to be the instrument supervisor, you will see the screen
below where you can select the candidates to be supervised by your chosen user.
Typically you will choose an instrument supervisor who is in the same location that
the candidate will be interviewed in.
Step 9: The final step is to launch the project. This enables the assessments to
start. Note: once you complete this step you will not be able to change the
assessments, comparison groups or auto-generated reports.
An email will be sent to each individual advising them that they have been asked to
complete assessments and giving them login details.
The nominated project administrator will also receive an email informing them that
the project has been launched, see the sample below.
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Once you have added assessment focuses to the project and they have completed
their assessments, the person nominated as the feedback provider will receive
emails letting them know when auto-generated reports are available. These can
then be used as the basis for development activities with each individual.
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Using the Verification Test
One of the key features of the Verify range of ability tests is the Verification test that
enables you to determine if the person you have brought in for interview has an
ability level equivalent to the individual that completed the initial online,
unsupervised ability test. This section explains how to administer the Verification
test to those individuals who you are considering making an offer of employment to.
Step 1: Navigate to the „Project Details‟ page for your project and then click on the
„View project stages‟ link.
Step 2: On the „Project Stages‟ page, choose the „Verify Ability Test Results‟ option
from the top drop down list and the „Ability Test (un-progressed focuses)‟ option
from the second drop down list and then click on the „Display Report‟ button.
Step 3: When the candidate names and ability test scores are displayed, you need to
review them to identify the candidates who you would like to test with a Verification
test. For those candidates, select the „Yes‟ radio button in the „Progress to
Verification Test‟ section at the right hand side of the screen and then click the „Save
Changes‟ button.
Note: in the screenshot below, the second candidate has not yet completed their
assessments and so cannot be progressed to the next stage.
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Step 4: The „Confirm Progress Decision‟ screen will be displayed giving you an
opportunity to make sure that you are progressing the correct candidates. Any
changes you make cannot be undone so you need to check carefully. You also have
an opportunity to change the person who will be allocated the task to supervise the
Verification test. This is the person who will see this task on their task list the next
time they log in to the SHL On Demand system.
Step 6: If you are happy, then click on the „Confirm Changes‟ button.
Step 7: Once the individual to be assessed is ready, then the instrument supervisor
should log in and click on the „Supervise Verification Test‟ link. In this example, the
test type to be supervised is a Verbal test.
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Step 8: The individual taking the Verification test should be asked to log into the
system using their password. Their username will already be populated into the
login screen. You should make sure the candidate remembers to bring their
password with them.
The individual taking the Verification test will see the various assessments that they
needs to complete on their Assessment Home page. As with the original Verify
Ability tests, they will be required to complete the assessments in a specific order.
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Step 9: Once they have completed the assessments they should log out of the
system. Verification reports will be generated and will be available for the feedback
provider to review.
Changing the project template defaults
Although the Best Practice templates have been designed to have appropriate
defaults so no modifications are necessary, you may wish to adapt the project to
your own circumstances. These changes need to be made before you launch the
project, (Step 8 in the guide above). Some typical changes are described below.
How to change auto-generated reports
This step can be completed either from the „Configure project rules‟ page you will see
in Step 4 above or by clicking on the „Modify project details‟ link on the left hand side
of the project details page. This can only be done prior to the project being
launched.
On the „Configure project rules‟ page, click on the „Select Instruments and Reports‟
link
This will lead you to the Select Instruments page where you need to click the „Select
Reports‟ button at the bottom of the page.
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The „Select Reports‟ page will now appear, as shown below. This will display a list of
the automatically generated reports. In the example below, to ensure each
individual had an Employee Motivation Report generated automatically for them, you
would click the checkbox next to that report. You can also choose the language for
the report to be generated in.
Once you have chosen the auto-generated reports you want click the „Save‟ button.
This will lead you back to the „Configure Project Rules‟ page where you must also
click the „Save‟ button at the bottom of the screen.
How to select reports for on demand generation
To generate on demand reports, you need to select the „Generate Optional Reports‟
link near the bottom left hand side of the „Project Details‟ page (highlighted below)
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This will take you to the Optional Reports page:



First select the individuals you want to generate the on demand reports for.
Simply check the boxes against the ones you want.
Then choose the reports you want by selecting them from the „Select a
Report>>‟ drop down list.
Once you have selected the report, you can select the language you would
like it to be in using the „Select a Language >>‟ drop down list.
You should start with the ‟First Report‟ line and add a second and third if needed.
To generate the reports, simply click on the „Generate Reports with default Norm
Groups‟ button.
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You will then see the next page. Simply click on the „Generate Reports‟ button and
the reports you specified will be generated.
About the Best Practice Project Templates
The Best Practice project templates have been designed to make it straightforward
for an infrequent user of the SHL On Demand system to set up assessments and
received out put reports for common situations. The default settings for
assessments, comparison groups and automatically generated output reports will
ensure that the process adopted meets what is generally considered to be a best
practice approach.
For each template in the Best Practice range, there is a set of documentation and
how to use guides available including this document. All of the information is made
available through the shl.com website.
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SHL Group Limited
The Pavilion, 1 Atwell Place
Thames Ditton, Surrey, KT7 0NE
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SHL is a trademark of SHL Group Limited.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any
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Limited.
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