Coming soon · Book Profile
Assessment Methods Recruitment Selection Edenborough
A manager's guide to the theory and practice of using objective assessment methods—psychometric tests, structured interviews, and assessment centres—to improve recruitment, selection, and performance management.
A profile of this book is on the way.
What it’s about
This book provides managers and HR professionals with an integrated, 'joined-up' approach to understanding and assessing human capability. Moving beyond subjective gut-feel and unreliable traditional methods, it offers a comprehensive guide to the three pillars of objective assessment: psychometric testing, structured interviews, and assessment centres. The book demystifies these powerful tools, explaining their historical development, the statistical principles of validity and reliability that ensure their effectiveness, and the practical standards for their ethical implementation. By linking assessment inputs to performance management outputs through the central concept of competency, it equips readers to make better selection decisions, improve employee retention, and build a high-performing organization.
The through-line
- Who it’s for
- Managers, HR professionals, and business leaders responsible for hiring, promoting, and managing people.
- The problem
- Making poor hiring and promotion decisions based on subjective, unreliable methods, leading to high turnover, low productivity, and significant financial costs. Feeling frustrated by the 'hit-or-miss' nature of recruitment, anxious about making legally indefensible decisions, and uncertain how to objectively identify and develop true high-performers.
- The plan
- Understand the principles of objective assessment and build a clear competency model for the role.
- Master the practical application of the three core assessment methods: psychometrics, structured interviews, and assessment centres.
- Integrate these assessment 'inputs' into a strategic performance management system to drive desired 'outputs' and organizational success.
- The payoff
- Consistently selecting the right people for the right roles, leading to higher individual and team performance. · Reduced employee turnover and the associated costs of re-hiring and training. · Developing a high-performing, motivated workforce by aligning individual capabilities with organizational goals.
See our guide
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Additional reading
- The Organism · Kurt Goldstein
Maslow sources the term 'self-actualization' from Goldstein and builds upon his holistic view of the organism.
- Explorations in Personality · H. A. Murray, et al.
Cited as providing an 'excellent discussion' on the basic principle of centering motivation theory on goals rather than instigation or behavior.
- Social Interest · Alfred Adler
Maslow credits Adler and his followers for stressing the importance of the 'esteem needs,' which he felt were neglected by Freudian psychoanalysts.
- Wisdom of the Body · W. B. Cannon
Provides the foundational concept of 'homeostasis,' which Maslow uses as the starting point for his discussion of physiological needs.
- Multipliers · Liz Wiseman
Explores how leaders can either amplify ('multiply') or diminish ('diminish') the intelligence and capabilities of their teams, a key concept for creating a positive, low-anxiety environment.
- The Fearless Organization · Amy Edmondson
Provides the foundational research and practical steps for creating psychological safety, which the book identifies as crucial for reducing interpersonal anxiety and encouraging people to speak up.
- Mindset · Carol Dweck
Explains the difference between a 'growth mindset' and a 'fixed mindset,' which is presented as a key tool for helping employees manage perfectionism and see failures as learning opportunities.
- Crucial Conversations · Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, et al.
Recommended as a resource for employees to learn how to navigate difficult, high-stakes conversations, directly addressing the book's theme of moving from conflict avoidance to healthy debate.
- Better Allies · Karen Catlin
The author is quoted on specific, actionable steps for allyship, making her book a practical guide for implementing the principles in Chapter 7.
- Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People · Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald
Explains the science of implicit bias, which is central to the book's argument that leaders need to be proactive allies because 'not being racist/sexist' isn't enough.