Best Practices for Using the Caliper Profile

In This Article

• Using Caliper as a selection tool
• Picking the right job model
• Administering the assessment
• Retesting
• Weighing the Caliper Profile against other data points
• Sharing data appropriately
• Demonstrating ROI

Using Caliper as a selection tool

Caliper recommends administering the assessment to your serious candidates to enhance your selection process. Always use the Caliper Profile data as one of multiple decision-making factors.

The Caliper Profile has been developed to legally and effectively help you make employment-related decisions about job candidates.

• More about Legal Compliance
• Getting Started with Selection

Picking the right job model

Whether you’re selecting candidates or developing your employees, to accurately predict the behavior you care about, it’s vital to start with a strong understanding of the job at hand. 

Put time and care into selecting the Job Models (Click for more info on CALIPER: Job Models) against which you compare your candidates or employees. Job-fit scores, in particular, can only be as useful as the degree of fit between the Job Model and the role. If you’re evaluating a candidate using an inappropriate job model, you’re grading apples as oranges.

If none of the models serve as an effective fit for the role, utilize a general model instead. Caliper can also support you by developing a custom validated job model tailored to your role.

Administering the assessment

Related: Setting up an Assessment, Information for Assessees

The Caliper Profile can be administered in a proctored setting or remotely on the assessee’s own time. When discussing the Caliper Profile with your candidates, you should advise them that the assessment is untimed and that its purpose is to collect information about their personality and problem solving skills. In addition, we recommend using the term “assessment” rather than “test” and emphasizing that it is only one data point in their development or hiring process. Individuals should strive to take the assessment in a place with as little distraction as possible, and they should answer all items without input from others. The average seat time for the assessment is 60-75 minutes. 

Retesting

If you are considering re-assessing an individual who has completed their assessment for you in the past, please consult our retest guidelines.

Weighing the Caliper Profile against Other Data Points

It is important to consider all elements of an individual. In addition to the Caliper Profile data, previous work experience and job performance, education and training, interviews, and references are all valuable data points. Do not base your hiring or development decision on a single data point.  Evaluate the individual’s fit to the role and likelihood to succeed based on all the available data.

Sharing data appropriately:

With candidates:

Caliper strongly recommends against sharing Selection reports or discussing scores directly with internal or external job applicants. These data should be considered a confidential piece of your hiring process, much like your interview notes. If you would like to provide something for your candidate to take away with them, an Individual Developmental Guide is an appropriate option.

For clients outside the U.S., your legal responsibilities to the candidate may differ. Consult with your Caliper team for specific guidelines for your country.

With employees:

The Individual Developmental Guide makes a great tool for sharing and discussing Caliper results with your employee. You can utilize the Manager’s Guide to the IDG and the Employee’s Guide to the IDG as additional tools to draw the most value from this discussion. 

If you would like to share and discuss more detailed scoring, we recommend doing so only after becoming Caliper Certified. This certification will equip you to review Caliper scores with your employees.

Demonstrating ROI

A great way to demonstrate ROI is to assess the impact the Caliper Profile has on critical business outcomes, including job performance and employee retention. The Caliper Talent Metrics team will partner with you to conduct an analysis of this impact.

To learn more about ROI and Talent Metrics support, reach out to your team.