Honesty Assessments
What are honesty assessments?
Honesty assessments are tools that companies use to evaluate the integrity of their candidates or employees. These tests are based on questions designed to measure the honesty, ethics and integrity of the candidates or employees. Job honesty tests can help companies identify employees who may be prone to committing dishonest acts, such as theft in the workplace. By identifying these candidates or employees, companies can take steps to reduce theft risks, fraud, bribery, corruption and other workplace crimes.
Why are workplace honesty tests important?
Workplace honesty testing is important because it can help companies reduce the risks of theft and other crimes in the workplace. By identifying employees who may be prone to committing dishonest acts, companies can take steps to reduce the risks of theft and other crimes in the workplace. Additionally, workplace honesty testing can help companies create a safer, more trusting work environment for all employees.
How can workplace honesty testing reduce the risks of workplace theft?
Honesty testing can help reduce the risks of workplace theft by identifying candidates or employees who may be prone to committing dishonest acts. By identifying these candidates or employees, companies can take steps to reduce the risks of theft and other crimes in the workplace. For example, businesses can implement additional security measures, such as security cameras or access control systems, to reduce the risk of theft. Additionally, companies can provide additional training to employees to help them understand the importance of honesty and integrity in the workplace.
How do we prepare this evaluation report?
The Integrity & Productivity Assessment© (IPA©) allows you to reduce harmful counterproductive behaviors, such as employee theft, violence, drug and alcohol abuse, sabotage, poor interpersonal relationships, among others.
It is based on extensive research carried out in Mexico, Chile, Peru and Colombia where the explanatory factors of counterproductive behaviors were identified, thus calibrating the Integrity & Productivity Assessment© model.
IPA-R® measures the following scales and subscales
- Theft
- Violence
- Absenteeism
- Drug and alcohol abuse
- Non-compliance with regulations
Reduce Counterproductive Behaviors in Your Organization
Identify upright and productive collaborators.
Benefits for your organization:
- Be an accurate and quick diagnosis.
- Provide a report that is easy to interpret.
- Reduce costs associated with employee theft, sabotage and low productivity.
- Have the latest scientific evidence regarding the explanatory models of counterproductive behaviors, updating it to 2019.
- Based on the Mexican, Colombian, Chilean and Peruvian population in its construction and development, identifying the Latin American idiosyncrasy.
- Break with the basic logic of simulating an interrogation waiting for the candidate's voluntary confession.
INFORMATION
Name: Integrity & Productivity Assessment®
Use: Selection of candidates
Number of Questions: 87 items.
Application Time: 15 minutes.
Terms of validity: Concurrent validity and some criterion validity studies.
Reliability: 0.941
Languages: Latin American Spanish, Portuguese and English.
Types of Evaluated: All position/position level.
Why use honesty or integrity tests for personnel selection and employee evaluation?
Honesty Test – Integrity & Productivity Assessment Report (IPA-R)
Fraud, internal theft, bribery and corruption generate enormous losses in companies, affecting them in financial and organizational terms.
According to international studies, 75% of workers admit to having stolen from their companies, and 95% of companies have internal theft problems.
Companies must take preventive measures by implementing filters through the use of honesty or integrity tests to improve their personnel selection processes.
To reduce employee theft and counterproductive behavior, the most recognized solution is the use of honesty or integrity tests in personnel selection processes, highlighting the integrity test INTEGRITY & PRODUCTIVITY ASSESSMENT REPORT or IPA-R, created to identify the level of integrity of a candidate before joining your company.
In this way, your company will be able to reduce the probability of employee theft within your company, strengthening an ethical culture in your organization.
What do typical honesty tests measure?
- What is the difference between overt and trait type tests?
In the middle of the previous century, as a result of the damages associated with fraud in North American companies, a series of labor psychologists began various studies aimed at developing honesty tests to be used in selection processes.
The first type of tests was called “OVERT”, which in Spanish means obvious or evident. In this way, based on the questions that were applied in the polygraph, questionnaires were constructed that sought the voluntary confession of the candidates regarding previous robbery behaviors through obvious answer questions, combined with a social desirability scale for determine the level of sincerity put by the candidate or applicant when answering the honesty questionnaire.
For deductive reasons, this type of questionnaire is strongly questioned in its effectiveness, however, it is capable of detecting distracted candidates who voluntarily confess, as well as people who have internalized and normalized criminal behavior, who sometimes do not see the inconvenience of recognizing it. in a personnel selection process.
In Latin America, curiously, there are honesty tests on the market, based exclusively on the “OVERT” model with questions of voluntary self-confession of previous theft behaviors.
As more research was developed on the behavior of theft or internal theft in companies, certain characteristics were isolated that differentiated employees who participated or not in internal theft, and types of honesty tests were then developed based on the measurement of certain characteristics of personality of the employees who had a greater probability of theft or robbery in companies.
The INTEGRITY & PRODUCTIVITY ASSESSMENT REPORT or IPA-R honesty test was developed by combining both approaches in a comprehensive manner, assigning 25% relevance to the OVERT model and 75% to personality traits, according to the evidence collected in the extensive studies developed. .
The comprehensive approach is recommended since, as mentioned above, the confession of previous behaviors, as well as the beliefs in the techniques of neutralization of social control, are complementary elements to the identification of personality traits with a greater probability of being related to theft behaviors. or theft in the company.
What is general deviation syndrome?
The General Deviance Syndrome or General Deviance Syndrome states that people who present it may manifest various criminal behaviors depending on the life circumstances that occur. On the other hand, there is also the approximation that each criminal manifestation (robbery, sexual harassment, violence, etc.) has its own causality, and that there would be no interrelation or intercausality between them.
According to the evidence collected in the study for the creation of the INTEGRITY & PRODUCTIVITY ASSESSMENT REPORT, there would be a high correlation between different counterproductive behaviors, for example violence, drug abuse, theft, sexual harassment, among others. That is, a person who claims to participate in internal theft could also engage in violent behavior or drug abuse. On the other hand, there would be specific traits associated with each specific illicit behavior, that is, it would not be fulfilled in its entirety by the General Deviation Syndrome, there being people who only commit drug abuse, but are not violent or steal, and all combinations possible.
In this way, the INTEGRITY & PRODUCTIVITY ASSESSMENT REPORT or IPA-R model includes both approaches, that is, there would be certain basic traits to be able to participate in criminal behavior, but at the same time, there would be specific traits in each of them.
WHAT ARE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIORS?
Counterproductive behaviors are understood as ““any intentional conduct of any member of an organization, as contrary to its legitimate interests.”. Some manifestations would be internal theft, employee theft, fraud, corruption, bribery, alcohol and drug abuse, sabotage, sexual harassment, bullying or mobbing, absenteeism, among others.
Does the IPA-R test measure the probability of sexual harassment?
Sexual harassment at work is a form of sexual discrimination, abuse, or intimidation that happens in the workplace. Various regulations have been developed and implemented to prevent and punish sexual harassment within companies, specifically due to the documented negative consequences for the victims of these events.
In the research underlying the creation of the INTEGRITY & PRODUCTIVITY ASSESSMENT REPORT selection test, participation in these behaviors was measured in the original sample.
In the study to develop the IPA-R test, 30 people acknowledged having participated in:
Sexually overdoing someone at work without their consent.
People who acknowledged having participated obtained a lower score on the IPA-R scales than those who did not recognize said behavior, with statistically significant differences. In this way, the use of the INTEGRITY & PRODUCTIVITY ASSESSMENT REPORT personnel selection test would reduce the probability of sexual harassment behavior occurring in companies.
Why is it so important to measure workplace violence?
Workplace violence is considered a highly harmful phenomenon for the work environment in organizations. It manifests itself mainly in three ways:
- Bullying or mobbing that consists of frequent harassment or harassment of peers, with clear associated intentionality, seeking the detriment of the victim. This harassment can be based on discrimination based on nationality, race, gender or physical attributes and would generate harmful psychological effects on the victims, as well as on organizational productivity.
- Sexual harassment, basically with unrequited pressure from the victim that affects the victim's productivity and psychologically.
- Harassment or physical aggression is associated with obvious direct verbal or physical abuse, which implies greater severity of the associated events.
In the studies that based the INTEGRITY & PRODUCTIVITY ASSESSMENT REPORT personnel selection test, indicators of these three types of manifestations of workplace violence were measured, generating a valid and reliable indicator called the VIOLENCE scale, intended to measure the probability of participating in violent behavior. or aggressive in the workplace. This type of behavior can occur in situations of tension or stress, or due to conflicts with other people (clients, colleagues, or bosses). This scale is associated with the degree of impulse control and the ability to keep one's emotions under control and avoid negative reactions when faced with provocations, opposition, or hostility from other people or under stressful conditions.
Why is it so important to measure drug abuse?
The abuse of alcohol and drug consumption at work is undoubtedly a harmful phenomenon for any organization, affecting internal relationships, and depending on the functions, it can generate a serious work accident by not having the sufficient concentration necessary for performance. appropriate.
The INTEGRITY & PRODUCTIVITY ASSESSMENT REPORT personnel selection test consists of the ALCOHOL AND ILLICIT DRUGS ABUSE scale in order to identify the employee's probability of participating in this consumption in the workplace.
It is necessary to be explicit that the scale evaluates only consumption in the work area, since it is not of methodological and legal concern to measure aspects outside of the purely work area, framed in current legislation. Unlike medical examinations, the presence of drugs measures consumption, without discriminating whether it was within the work day or not.
Another difference with common drug tests, such as urine or hair tests, which measure the presence of the associated chemical compound in the body over a variable period of time. The ALCOHOL AND ILLICIT DRUGS ABUSE scale of the IPA-R selection test measures the probability of consumption occurring in work performance.
What does the Integrity & Productivity Assessment Report (IPA-R) work honesty test consist of?
The integrity test INTEGRITY & PRODUCTIVITY ASSESSMENT REPORT or IPA-R corresponds to a questionnaire of 87 items with Likert-type alternatives, applied online to candidates and employees, taking an average of 15 minutes to complete.
It operates on our TEST-HR.COM processing platform, providing usage statistics to client companies, as well as the option to download the data in Excel format to perform your own statistical analysis.
The INTEGRITY & PRODUCTIVITY ASSESSMENT REPORT psychometric test is an exclusive and comprehensive evaluation tool, developed by a team of multidisciplinary experts made up of experts in security, as well as in psychometrics, in order to generate a model that is useful for user companies, seeking significantly reduce losses associated with fraud, corruption, bribery, theft and employee robbery in companies, and also prevent workplace violence, sabotage, sexual harassment, drug abuse, among others.
The INTEGRITY & PRODUCTIVITY ASSESSMENT REPORT integrity test is currently available in three languages: Spanish, Portuguese and English and is used mostly in Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Central America with excellent results in terms of its validity and reliability, effectively achieving Identify candidates and employees at high risk of engaging in counterproductive behaviors, such as employee theft, drug abuse, workplace violence, sexual harassment, among others.
The INTEGRITY & PRODUCTIVITY ASSESSMENT REPORT personnel selection test is used for any position, highlighting more massive positions such as security guards, assistants, cashiers, salespeople, operators, supervisors and management in general.
This evaluative test is highly accurate, is answered online and measures the following five scales in candidates and collaborators:
- Theft
- Violence
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse
- Non-compliance with Standards
- Absenteeism and Tardiness
WHAT FACTORS MEASURES THE INTEGRITY & PRODUCTIVITY ASSESSMENT REPORT (IPA-R) HONESTY TEST
After extensive bibliographic research, various factors associated with counterproductive behaviors were identified, in particular identifying differentiating factors of people who participate in employee theft, fraud, corruption, workplace violence, drug abuse, non-compliance with rules, absenteeism, among others.
This extensive research was systematized and validated through various studies, ultimately allowing the identification of eight factors associated with integrated behavior, which have been validated in multiple investigations.
The eight fundamental factors associated with comprehensive work behavior are:
- Emotional imbalance. This factor is based on the presence of behaviors associated with emotional instability caused by various internal or external situations. People who are more emotionally unstable may have less self-control and engage in various counterproductive behaviors, such as violence or drug and alcohol abuse at work.
- Risk Orientation. This factor is associated with people who are prone to experiencing new sensations and who favor risky experiences. The clearest relationship occurs in situations of fraud or employee theft, in which the employee is faced with the dilemma of analyzing the consequences of being surprised, and even so, takes the risk of participating in the crime.
- Responsibility – Neatness. This factor points to responsible, meticulous, planned and orderly behavior, presenting a significant inverse correlation with counterproductive behavior.
- Machiavellianism. This factor is associated with behaviors based on cynicism, immorality and manipulation. Unlike psychopathy, their actions are based on greater planning and maintenance of a good social reputation, implying less sensitivity in their social behavior. Its relationship with various counterproductive behaviors has been demonstrated, for example with employee theft, sabotage, fraud and violence.
- Negativism. This factor measures the individual's predisposition to experience discomfort and other negative feelings beyond time and situations. Negative affectivity has been found to be the closest predictor of aggressive behavior in several models of aggression, as well as antisocial behavior at work.
- Poor relationships – Violence. It is associated with selfish and poor behavior with third parties. Hostile, aggressive behavior is associated, triggering various types of counterproductive behaviors.
- Rationalization. This factor is based on the neutralization techniques identified by David Matza that reveal the existence of certain beliefs in the criminal world aimed at reducing the impact of social control, or, in other words, at normalizing deviant behavior to make it acceptable.
- Previous behaviors. This factor investigates previous criminal or illegitimate behavior, in order to measure the evaluated person's history regarding counterproductive behavior.
In this way, the Integrity & Productivity Assessment Report (IPA-R) questionnaire is based on these eight factors and measures them in order to provide a profile for each of the five scales measured in the measurement instrument: Theft, Violence, Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Noncompliance with Rules, and Absenteeism and Tardiness.
Why use the Integrity & Productivity Assessment Report (IPA-R) work integrity test
The importance of establishing controls in selection processes through valid and reliable honesty tests has been demonstrated as an effective mechanism in reducing counterproductive behaviors, such as employee theft, drug abuse, workplace violence, sabotage, among others.
In this way, the use of the Integrity & Productivity Assessment Report personnel selection test becomes an effective measure in the prevention of these behaviors in the workplace.
Due to its solidity and theoretical and methodological foundation, the Integrity & Productivity Assessment Report becomes an excellent solution that is easy to implement when implemented through the TEST-HR.COM processing platform that allows immediate reports and a dashboard of usage statistics. , in other aspects.
What information does it provide about the evaluated candidates and collaborators?
The Integrity & Productivity Assessment Report labor integrity test is applied online after 15 minutes on average, generating an easy-to-interpret report for your company.
The report provided depends on whether it is applied to candidates or current employees, since the comparison scales differ in both cases, as well as the detail of each report.
The report provides a general indicator of adequacy to the constructed profile and provides scores on five scales:
- Theft
- Violence
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse
- Non-compliance with Standards
- Absenteeism and Tardiness
The scores are expressed on a Sten scale, which ranges from 1 to 10, facilitating the interpretation of the report. Where 1 represents the highest risk of counterproductive behavior and 10 the lowest, the ideal being obtaining scores close to 10 points.
It is possible to configure profiles for each scale, defining ideal scores in each of them. A final score of adaptation to the defined profile is generated, expressed in %, in which the value of 100% means that all the scores obtained by the evaluated are within the range of ideal scores defined by the company.
The report of the IPA-R work integrity test is very complete, since it includes the percentage of adjustment to the profile, the scores on the five scales, self-report of counterproductive behaviors and interpretation of the results obtained.
Can I apply the Integrity & Productivity Assessment Report (IPA-R) test to current employees or collaborators?
The Integrity & Productivity Assessment Report test is used in evaluation processes with current employees, and must be used with certain considerations to achieve better results.
It is relevant that this application in current employees occurs within a comprehensive organizational diagnostic framework, and that the test results are considered in a larger study, with delimited objectives and associated decisions.
Its use in current employees, in some cases occurs after an event of fraud or internal theft of relevant dimensions, and a measurement is required in employees who work in the affected work area.
How was it created?
The Integrity & Productivity Assessment Report was developed by the company VYA CONSULTING GROUP at the request of various clients who saw it necessary to implement an honesty test that was not based solely on the “Overt” model of obvious questions seeking confession of crimes and conduct. counterproductive.
First of all, we carried out an extensive literature review of the factors associated with counterproductive behaviors, particularly employee theft, workplace violence, absenteeism, drug abuse, sabotage, workplace harassment, among others.
We developed a preliminary instrument of 137 items that was applied to 844 people online following the snowball methodology, and anonymously, seeking maximum sincerity in the answers given. The application was carried out on people from four countries: Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Peru in order to have greater heterogeneity and representativeness, in addition to considering various nationalities.
After carrying out various analyses, the final instrument was created with 87 items applied in an average of 15 minutes. Various subsequent validation studies were carried out in various companies and institutions in order to provide greater evidence of the validity and reliability of the Integrity & Productivity Assessment Report integrity test.
- Does it effectively predict employee ethical behavior? How has it been validated?
Multiple studies have been carried out in various companies in several countries, which can significantly impact the loss indicators by improving their personnel selection processes.
The following document details a validation study of the Integrity & Productivity Assessment Report honesty test in LATAM.
Customer benefits
As a client of our solutions, your company will receive access to the chosen tests and the online processing platform, as well as support from our experts for the best use of these solutions.
You will have training in the use of our tools and support for basic material and documentation of the developed models.
We are at your disposal to support you through comprehensive and professional advice.
TRAINING
From day one and throughout the service cycle, in-person or online training is available to all test administrators. Supported with exclusive audiovisual training material
SUPPORT FOR
Our team will always be available to answer user questions, usually with almost immediate response times, establishing a close long-term relationship.
RESEARCH
Scientific research and publications provide solid support for evaluation decisions and enable accurate ROI calculations.
ADVISORY
We are an interdisciplinary team of experts and researchers with vast experience in the fields of psychology, psychometrics and personnel evaluation.
