A professional development assessment is a set of tests designed to identify areas of strength and weakness in a candidate’s skill set. This is frequently the first step in creating a professional development or training plan. Professional development refers to the skills that all employees have acquired through formal education, work experience, and personal experiences. Professional development is well-known in the educational community, and the methods for assessing these skills are also used in career planning and psychological assessments.
Intelligence, personality, and organizational style are the three types of tests used in the professional development assessment process. The tests used to evaluate employees vary depending on the assessor’s background, the desired outcome, and the test sponsor. In general, a psychologist or career counselor can conduct professional development assessments at the request of an individual, an employer, or a professional association.
Candidates’ suitability for senior or management positions is frequently assessed using intelligence tests. While most people think of intelligence quotient (IQ) tests when they think of intelligence, many experts believe that these tests are culturally biased and do not provide a reliable indicator of intelligence. Emotional intelligence and critical thinking have recently gained popularity as better workplace tools. These two types of intelligence are measured using a combination of written and oral interviews.
The Myers-Briggs personality test is a well-known and widely used tool for determining one’s strengths, weaknesses, and potential areas of difficulty. The questions are meant to uncover a person’s core values, beliefs, preferences, and dislikes. This type of professional development assessment has no right or wrong answers, but it is an unbiased way to identify areas where the candidate might want to focus.
Leadership skills evaluation used to be called organizational style preferences, but that term did not adequately capture the information gathered in this assessment tool. Not everyone aspires to be a leader, but we all have different expectations for our roles in organizations. Finding the type of organization that will allow you to work at your best is a crucial component of any professional development evaluation.
The tests themselves are usually conducted over several days, as the candidate must think and reflect in order to provide a useful response. If the results were obtained at the request of an employer, they are usually kept confidential and only shared with the human resources and staff development departments. Before you begin the process, read the fine print to see who will have access to the assessment results.