RECRUIT STANDARD

The British Standards Institution (BSI) has created the first ever international standard of competency in recruitment decisions. The standard is called BS ISO 10667 – Assessment Service Delivery. It offers a benchmark which indicate the quality of occupational assessment services and should in effect, lead to the more efficient and exact placement of new employees.

The standard has been developed with input from committee members including organisations such as the British Psychological Society, SHL, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Association for Coaching.

“Good measurement through assessment is the key to enhancing the acquisition and management of talent,” says Professor Dave Bartram, chief psychologist at the talent measurement company, SHL: “Good talent measurement provides the ‘people intelligence’ managers need to deliver the business results.”

Businesses who hold the standard will demonstrate they follow best practice procedure for recruitment assessments. The standard should give HR more confidence in its work and those with whom the function works, enabling it to get the most from an organisation’s most expensive asset. Similarly the standard offers reassurance to candidates that they are being assessed fairly and appropriately by people with the relevant skills to carry out such an assessment. 

The standard is delivered in two parts, the first more relevant to those buying in services of assessment providers or running internal assessment programmes, the second is more geared to assessment providers. Significantly, and in reflection of the task of recruitment, the standard works on the assumption that best practice exists when these two parties work together on assessment specifications, data use and interpretation.

“ISO 10667 is an important step in addressing issues of good practice in the assessment of people in the workplace,” notes Professor Bartram. “As a global provider of assessment services, we welcome the availability of a truly international standard that will help us in working with our customers to ensure they realise value from using our services.”