Comparing the validity and utility of behavior description interview versus assessment center ratings

This research investigated the relationship between job performance ratings for 39 Israeli medical unit managers and two types of performance predictor: ratings from behavior description (BD) interviews and ratings from an assessment center. The BD validity 0.53 compared favorably with the 0.62 obtained by the assessment center. Utility analyses that table the financial return for investing in the more expensive assessment process under different levels of tenure, number of new hires, and selection ratio, reveal the conditions under which assessment centers pay off best.