Assessments of mental skill are the best single predictor of performance. But most of these assessments are multiple choice tests of general intelligence or aptitude with items like the one shown below, which are clearly not directly measuring the skills most needed in the workplace—such as the ability to work closely with others or find solutions to thorny real-world workplace problems.

Lectical Assessments are sophisticated scenario-based developmental assessments that ask candidates to demonstrate how they would apply their knowledge and skills in complex real-world contexts in which there are multiple stakeholders and problems have no single correct answer.

They measure four important indicators of mental ability:

Complexity level (a.k.a. Lectical Level)—Complexity level is a score on a life-span developmental scale called the Lectical Scale. It is determined with one of two well-validated systems for determining developmental complexity.

Fit-to-role—Fit-to-role is the relation between the complexity level of an individual’s reasoning and the complexity level of a given role. Good fit-to-role increases well-being, engagement, effectiveness, and productivity.

Clarity—Clarity involves the degree to which an individual’s arguments are coherent and persuasive, how well their arguments are framed, and how well their ideas are connected. Individuals who make clear arguments also make better decisions and grow more rapidly than individuals who think less clearly.

VUCA skills—VUCA skills are required for making good decisions in volatile, uncertain, complex, or ambiguous contexts. They are…

• perspective coordination—determining which perspectives matter, seeking out a diversity of relevant perspectives, and bringing them together in a way that allows for the emergence of effective solutions.
• decision-making under complexity—employing a range of decision-making tools and skills to design effective decision-making processes for complex situations.
• contextual thinking—being predisposed to think contextually, being able to identify the contexts that are most likely to matter in a given situation and determine how these contexts relate to a particular situation.
• collaboration—understanding the value of collaboration, being equipped with the tools and skills required for collaboration, and being able to determine the level of collaboration that’s appropriate for a particular decision-making context.

See the LAP-2 preview to learn more about our approach to recruitment.

Lectica First and the Lectica Suite

Lectica First affordably delivers customized and objective front-line to mid-level assessments that measure workplace reasoning—in real time. It reduces recruitment costs while measuring what matters most, first.

Most organizations conduct some kind of pre-screening, such as resume scans, phone interviews, or screening questionnaires. These processes are time-consuming, expensive, and have low predictive power. Lectica First replaces these processes with the best predictor of recruitment success, to ensure that every candidate who moves to the next step in your recruitment process has the mental skills required for the specific role you're trying to fill.

For employers who aren't ready for a pre-screening solution, we've created Lectica First Plus. With Lectica First Plus, you can gently tweak your current recruitment process to increase its efficiency and predictive power.

With both Lectica First products, you will find out if the workplace reasoning skills of prospective employees are adequate to fulfill the complexity demands of a given role.

The Lectica Suite is composed of three products that help organizations refine senior-level recruitment & promotion decisions—the Complexity Assessment, the Role Fit Assessment, and the Team Fit Assessment. 

The Lectica First dashboard

The figure below shows how easy it is to identify the candidates who are most likely to be a good fit—from the perspective of their workplace reasoning skills—for a particular role. In the figure, eight candidates are represented by circles of different colors. The size of the circle represents the range in which a candidate's "true score" is likely to fall. The darker numbers in the score scale on the right represent the desirable score range for the role. Individuals represented with teal circles are "in the zone." Individuals represented by yellow circles have borderline scores, and individuals represented with red circles are out of range.

You'll notice that people can be underqualified or overqualified for a role. We do not recommend hiring individuals who are overqualified unless you plan to put them on a fast track to a higher position or have another more senior role that may be a better fit. Putting people in a job where they're likely to be more sophisticated thinkers than their boss or colleagues, or in which they will not be appropriately challenged by role requirements, is a recipe for frustration and dysfunction.

A note on cheating

Lectica First assessments are taken online in secure sessions. If you conduct the assessments under observation, it is virtually impossible for test-takers to cheat. Cheating is difficult for a number of reasons:

• assessment questions call for written judgments and explanations;
• test takers cannot learn in advance which test form they will be presented with; and
• attempts to cheat most often result in irregularities that cause CLAS to deliver a particular kind of "low confidence" score.

If you have concerns about cheating, we recommend that you consider retesting final candidates under observation.

Get a Lectica First estimate...

Click here to be notified of the next free Lectica First webinar, or use the form below to receive estimates for a LecticaFirst subscription and a LecticaFirst Role Complexity Analysis: