Case Studies Manufacturer Uses Mechanical Aptitude Test to Enhance Hiring Process

The Challenge

A large manufacturer of packaging solutions wanted to maximize its quality of hire (QoH) by selecting a pre-employment test that predicted job performance for its machine operators.

The Solution

The company administered the Wiesen Test of Mechanical Aptitude (WTMA) to 82 of its incumbent manufacturing personnel. The five-point performance rankings for the employees in the sample group were then compared to their WTMA test scores.

The Results

Employees who scored over 50th percentile on the WTMA received much higher performance rankings than those who did not. The higher-scoring employees received average performance rankings of 3.9, vs a 3.4 average for those who did not. Since 79 0f 82 employees received rankings of 3, 4 or 5, this difference was judged to be very dramatic. Moreover, all 12 of the highest ranked employees (ratings of 5/5) received passing scores on the test. The observed correlation (.23) between WTMA scores and performance was statistically significant (p < .05).

Job performance ranking chart

Based on the results of this local validity study the company implemented the WTMA as a selection instrument to be utilized for screening all its future applicants for its manufacturing positions.

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Industry

Manufacturing