Integration and Honesty Testing in Talent Acquisition

Definitions of Integrity & Honesty

  • Integrity:

    • Adherence to a strict moral code or ethical principle.
    • Doing the right thing even when no one is watching.

  • Honesty:

    • Being truthful, sincere, and free of deceit.
    • Telling the truth regardless of the situation.

  • Integrity and honesty tests:

    • Designed to identify candidates likely to engage in Counterproductive Work Behaviours (CWBs), which include behaviors like:
    • Theft
    • Dishonesty
    • Fraud
    • Substance abuse (drugs/alcohol)
    • Vandalism
    • Violence
    • Sabotaging work

  • Integrity and honesty reflect an individual’s disposition to think and act in consistent ways across situations, thus being viewed as a special type of personality.

Conceptual Bases of Integrity/Honesty Test

  • Assumptions regarding low-integrity individuals:

    • Report more dishonest behaviors.
    • Seek justifications for their actions.
    • Believe others are likely to commit crimes.
    • Exhibit impulsive behavior.
    • Think severe punishment is appropriate for deviant behavior.

  • Testing Methodology:

    • Administer tests to both CWBs-committing individuals (experimental group) and non-offenders (control group) to validate test items.

Approaches to Measuring Integrity/Honesty

Overt Integrity/Honesty Tests
  • Definition: Self-report tests where subjects disclose their past behaviors/attitudes towards honesty, crime, and drug use.
Attitude-Based Tests
  • Focus: Test takers provide opinions on attitudes towards theft, beliefs on frequency/punishment of theft, self-honesty, and trustworthiness.
Behavior-Based Tests
  • Focus: Test takers disclose actual past behaviors related to illegal/unethical activities, including theft and sabotage.
Examples of Integrity Tests
  • Applicant Risk Profiler: Measures various scales related to integrity and compliance.
  • The Reid Report: Covers social behaviors and personal traits.
  • The Stanton Survey: Assesses tendencies related to theft and policy violations.

Personality-Oriented Integrity Tests

  • Aim to measure personality traits linked (positively/negatively) to CWBs:

    • Dependability
    • Social Conformity
    • Thrill Seeking
    • Conscientiousness (best predictor of performance).

  • Example: Personnel Reaction Blank measures dependability and compliance.

Establishing the Validity of Integrity/Honesty Testing

  • Content validity relies on the adaptation of test items to reflect job requirements.
  • Research indicates a correlation between overt tests and personality-oriented tests, confirming reliability.
  • Distinctions found in correlation with different traits:
    • Overt tests correlate with honesty/supervision attitudes.
    • Personality tests correlate with impulse control and emotional stability.

Usefulness & Defensibility of Integrity/Honesty Tests

  • A study estimates savings of over $200k per 1,000 applicants from integrity testing.
  • False Positives may occur, meaning some reliable candidates may engage in CWBs post-hiring.
  • Social Acceptance: Personality-based tests viewed as less stigmatizing than overt measures.
  • Legal Complaints: Few legal complaints exist against integrity tests, indicating strong defensibility.

Other Integrity/Honesty Testing Methods

  • Drug/Alcohol Testing: Generally accepted due to safety concerns, especially when conducted with proper procedures and support.
  • Genetic Testing: Generally not allowed in the U.S. and Singapore.
  • Neuroscience Lie Detection: Not commonly permitted.
  • Polygraph Testing: Limited use; cannot be used as admissible evidence in court.