ESQ Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the ESQ?
- How does faking affect the results of employee selection measures?
- What are the advantages of using a personality-oriented selection test, like the ESQ, over an overt measure?
- What makes the ESQ better than traditional hiring methods, like interviews or reference checks?
- Is the ESQ legally defensible?
1. What is the ESQ?
The Employee Screening Questionnaire (ESQ) is a measure designed to identify superior job candidates. The ESQ screens for applicants who are likely to engage in any of the following counterproductive work behaviors:
- theft
- driving delinquency
- absenteeism\ bogus sick days
- sabotage
- loafing\laziness
- safety violations
- on-the-job alcohol and drug abuse
- lateness
In addition to screening potential delinquent employees, the ESQ also measures positive facets of job performance, such as good customer service, productivity, promotability, accuracy, and organizational commitment.
2. How does faking affect the results of employee selection measures?
Both intuition and research indicate that job applicants "fake good" on dependability measures, often resulting in problems like "restriction of range". This reduces the quality of hiring data. Despite assurances that it can be dealt with statistically, faking is a very serious problem for most traditional selection measures. A problem that cannot be wished away. The ESQ uses a carefully constructed "forced-choice" format that is inherently resistant to faking. This format matches items equal in desirability, thereby making it difficult for respondent to decide which of the alternatives is the best response. The ESQ will help you make better hiring decisions because it designed to provide higher quality data.
3. What are the advantages of using a personality-oriented selection test, like the ESQ, over an overt measure?
Most selection tests are overt integrity tests. Respondents are asked about their attitudes towards theft and other counterproductive behaviors, as well as past transgressions. However, people with low integrity will often "fake". The ESQ is similar to integrity tests, as it measures a respondent's probability for counterproductive behavior; however, it differs insofar as it views integrity as one factor amongst many others that can predict an employee's productivity and dependability.
4. What makes the ESQ better than traditional hiring methods, like interviews or reference checks?
Nearly everybody considers themselves to be an excellent judge of character. But research indicates that it's very difficult to quickly identify job applicants with "the right stuff". Hunter and Hunter (1984) found that the typical job interview contributes less than 2% towards the selection of the applicant with the greatest potential for superior job performance. Usually interviewers' personal biases and/or prejudices will play a role in hiring decisions. The ESQ is an objective tool, free from individual biases.
5. Is the ESQ legally defensible?
The ESQ is in full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidelines. In addition, it is free from questionable content.
