Objective, transparent & fair

abcî facilitates personnel decisions on a level playing field.

Organisations and applicants benefit equally from the best possible fit of person and task.

A trustworthy procedure becomes an appreciative experience by sharing individual results directly after working through the abcÎ challenge.  Transparency and fairness contribute to a positive candidate experience.

In the decision-making process for recruiting and developing employees, companies are increasingly using standardised procedures to assess potential, knowledge, and competencies. Experts in aptitude diagnostics also refer to this as ‘psychometric’ procedures or psychological measuring procedures.

There are many different names for these methods, but whether they are called tests, assessments, potential analyses, or other terms; all refer to methods in which personal characteristics are measured in ways that are meaningful and relevant for further development in a professional career or for stepping into new or even entry-level jobs. These characteristics can be general mental abilities, skills, knowledge, or even certain behavioural preferences, styles, or motivations. These are often difficult or impossible to reliably capture in interviews.

Psychometric methods thus help companies to better assess or compare the abilities or development potentials of individuals or groups beyond the impressions gained from CVs,motivational letters or conversations. They serve to supplement the decision-making process together with interviews or other approaches.

Such a procedure also assures the quality of a decision for applicants and candidates. Because their success in a new position is the most important for them.

Online assessment procedures can be used on-site at organisations’ offices or they can be offered as online procedures.

For psychometric procedures and selection processes, strict guidelines and standards apply in Germany and internationally, such as DIN 33430 or  ISO 10667 and the guidelines issued by the International Test Commission (ITC).

The German DIN 33430 standard defines strict requirements. We, the abci-team take the quality of our procedures and methods very seriously.

Our managing director, Harald Ackerschott, is a founding member of the DIN commission that wrote DIN 33430. He is also a co-author of the practical guideline explaining the use and implementation of DIN 33430 for recruiting.

Psychometric methods are the most objective method for obtaining relevant information about an applicant. Even if it is not about external candidates but about existing employees, such methods can make an important contribution to fairness and objectivity. Current discussions about unconscious bias or stereotyping pinpoint the need for better tools in people decision making.

Online assessments are presented and scored automatically; they are the same for each participant. In technical terminology this is called standardisation. This makes such procedures a very fair step in the application process for everyone; after all, everyone has the same chance.

For external candidates, the selection process itself is not just about assessment. It is also a work sample of the hiring organisation: is hiring or promotion done on the basis of favoritism or does the company strive for a fair and transparent process?

Get an idea, ask questions, and think about the answers. What can you conclude from the process, the company’s way of dealing with each other, and the way you are dealt with?

In the online format, psychometric test procedures are particularly efficient; participants can take part in the assessment when and where it suits them best. This saves time-consuming travel and expenses and enables the company or organisation to broaden the basis of applicants to consider for further selection steps.

An online assessment usually consists of several types of tasks with different functions. They can be about cognitive performance, such as language or numerical skills, concentration, knowledge, or analytical skills. There are usually one or more correct solutions in these sorts of tasks.

Other approaches assess behavioural preferences or styles in different situations or are based on questions about attitudes and motivations. Since these tasks are about personal preferences, no right or wrong answers exist.

Cognitive or other assessments may have time limits.

Different configurations of the abcÎ assessment are possible. There is a certain element of surprise, but that is intentional. No one receives detailed information or training materials beforehand. Usually there are a number of tasks at the beginning that are limited in time and cover dimensions of information processing. They may be followed by tasks requiring judgements, spontaneous decisions, or intuitive evaluations.

For all participants, the following applies: if you wish, you will have the opportunity to download your individual result anonymously. If you wish, you can also provide us with feedback directly on the platform. All feedback we receive is evaluated and appreciated.

In our online assessment abcÎ, participants will work in most configurations on both types of tasks: information processing skills and behavioural styles. Each task type is explained in detail and information is shared to complete it, such as whether the task is time-limited or not. Time only counts when the task is started. When the processing time has expired, the task is automatically terminated and the next block of tasks can be started.

The online assessment is available in several languages. At the beginning participants can select the language version they want to use. We do not assess mastery of a foreign language in the first place, so please select the language version in which you feel most confident; this is usually a participants native language or the language in which most of the participants schooling, education or professional training has been completed. As a rule of thumb, it is a good idea to choose the language in which it would be easiest to solve a crossword puzzle. If there is any uncertainty concerning which language version to choose, please contact us using the contact information in the invitation to the assessment.

In your invitation letter you will find information on the technical preparation for participation of the online assessment abcî.

In principle, you should always ensure that you have a quiet place to work so that you can concentrate on your tasks and are undisturbed. Work on the online assessment in one sitting. It is essential that you switch off your mobile phone or other possible sources of interference during the work.

You probably also want to prepare yourself. If you are worried ahead of an assessment, it can be useful to familiarise yourself with the typical types of tasks. You can find many examples of this on the internet. However, especially for the abcÎ you don’t need to practice anything. And remember: a little tension usually increases concentration!

Above all, it is important that you are physically and mentally fit and that you start the assessment well rested. If you have been ill for a long period of time or have just passed strenuous exams, or if you take medication that can impair your ability to drive a car, you should postpone the assessment if possible.

If participation in the online assessment is difficult for you due to a current or permanent restriction or disability, you should definitely contact us or the company that invited you to the online assessment. With the right measures we can then ensure that the procedure produces fair and reliable results for you.

The results are used by the organisation that invited you to the abcÎ to support their people decisions.

As part of a transparent process, it is a matter of course for us as a responsible service provider that you also can get information about your personal results. After having completed the abcÎ, you will automatically be directed to our download platform, where you can download your results for your own use.

In individual cases, there may be different processes; you may be informed of this in your invitation letter.

While you are working on the online assessment, we do not collect any direct information about you that would allow us to identify you. You will receive an individual access code from our partner along with the invitation, which you can use to start the assessment.

We generally do not know which access code belongs to which participant. In most cases only our client, who invited you, has access to this information and can assign the results to you. Within the framework of data processing agreements, we may take over the assignment of the codes to the names of the participants for the evaluations on behalf of certain clients. Our client will inform you of this when inviting you. In these case we also know the assignment of access codes and participants. However, these personal data are only used to document the results and are only stored for as long as the application process takes.

In principle, all data that we process for the delivery of the assessment and scoring are stored and processed by us exclusively on computers in Germany that have been certified according to DIN ISO 27001.

We delete data that can be traced back to a specific participant at the latest six months after completion of their online assessment unless we have been expressly instructed otherwise by the client.

We store your answers to all tasks in anonymous forms, meaning without assigning names, IP addresses, or access codes. We use these data for the evaluation and further development of our instruments. Insofar as findings are publicised, for example in scientific journals, these data are used exclusively in aggregated form.

If you would like to know which data we may have stored about you or if you have further questions about data protection in the context of abcÎ, please contact us directly: Datenschutz@ackerschott.eu

 

FAQ

No specific preparation is necessary for participation in abcî. Make sure you are well-rested and able to work in a concentrated manner for the time of the processing without interruptions, for example by telephone calls. A little tension is useful for a good performance. If you have no previous experience of taking tests, we would advise you to familiarise yourself with the basic requirements on your own. You will find a large number of free online tests on the internet.

We recommend that you work on the abcî on a PC or a laptop or notebook. You need a stable internet connection and a browser.

A stable internet connection is a prerequisite for any online test procedure. Nevertheless, interruptions may occur from time to time. However, this does not cause any disadvantage for test takers. The high storage frequency of the answers guarantees that even after an interruption, the procedure can be resumed without any problems at the point where the last answers were given.

First of all, the most important thing is your computer with a browser and connection to the internet. Everything else is explained in detail in your invitation. But don’t worry. Even after you have started the abcî, you will be reminded of everything you need to know.

You do not need any special knowledge to work on the abcî.

A little bit of excitement is a prerequisite for a good performance. If you have no previous experience in taking online assessments, we would advise you to familiarise yourself with the basic requirements on your own. You can find a variety of free online tests on the internet.

Make sure that you are as well-rested as possible and that you can work in a concentrated manner and without interruptions, e.g. telephone calls, for the duration of the assessment.

Taking an online assessment can be a special situation for people with disabilities.

If you have a visual impairment or limitations in your movements, or if special circumstances affect your working speed or ability to react or use a computer, you should find out about arrangements that will enable your work to be assessed properly and fairly. There are technical aids and certain settings, such as a second monitor showing a larger picture or the screen magnifier.

If you have questions about this or if you are not sure, it is best to contact the person who invited you to the abcî.

You can work on abcî when you want. This is a great advantage of an online assessment. It is important that you feel comfortable, that you can work attentively and with concentration and that you do not come exhausted from work or sport.

First of all, you have the possibility to download your own result immediately after you have finished working on it. In the organisation that invited you, it may take a few days for your result to be viewed or compared with possible other applicants. The organisation that invited you will contact you again.

Your data are and remain your data. The organisation to which you have applied may not use your data for purposes other than the application process without your consent.

As a rule, the results of the abcî and some data such as your name or email address are stored at least for the duration of the processing process. Only a few people from the companies have access to this.

We at Harald Ackerschott GmbH only have anonymous data from you, we usually do not know your name nor do we have any contact details from you.

To data protection

Call now: or request a callback