Success in Higher Education and the Labor Market

Abstract

In personnel selection, psychometric tests are often used to predict the suitability of job applicants. Of the available predictors, like job sample, interview or references, tests stand out with regard to their predictive validity. According to a large meta-analytic study by Schmidt and Hunter (1998) cognitive tests are among the best predictors available (also see Robertson and Smith (2001)). In many validity studies, supervisor ratings are used as criterion measures. In the field of personnel selection these ratings are known for their unreliability (Murphy, 2008; Saal, Downey, & Lahey, 1980; Scullen, Mount, & Judge, 2003).

In this article, validity is approached from a different angle. Instead of using supervisor ratings, dropout in higher education and (un)employment were used as criterion measures. It turns out that both criteria can be predicted using combined scores from a multi-scale personality questionnaire. Implications and suggestions for application and further research are discussed.

Keywords: predicting, predictive, dropout, employability, higher education, labor market, psychometrics, unemployment