Usefulness Trumps Validity

Validity is perhaps one of the most misunderstood concepts in HR analytics and psychometrics in particular. This is a topic that I have previously written about on this blog but the message has yet to fully resonate with the HR community. The most common question that OPRA gets asked in relation to any solution we sell, be it an assessment, survey or intervention, continues to be “What is the validity?”

On the face of it this is a perfectly reasonable question. However when probed further, it becomes clear that there remains a gap in understanding what validity translates to in terms of business outcomes. The answer to this question is invariably a validity coefficient rolled off the tongue that then suffices some checkbox prescribed for decision making.

Leaving Value – Exit Interviewing as a Strategic Intervention

Despite their reputation, exit interviews are not a waste of time. But there’s a catch.

A common complaint from organisations is that exit interviews are a waste of time, effort, and money. The reason for this is that they are simply done as part of the checklist for any exiting employee. Box ticked. Job done. But therein lays the problem. Exit interviews are only as useful as the information gained, but this is just one part of the puzzle. Simply getting information achieves very little. Real value comes from the information being applied.  While the old adage says knowledge is power, it would be more apt to say, knowledge applied is invaluable. If this is the case with exit interviews, two key questions need to be answered: how can organisations ensure that they are getting accurate insights from exiting employees and how can the information gained be used more strategically?