The validation of an assessment battery for sales representatives in a telecommunication company / Antoinette Charlene Smith

Globalisation yields numerous challenges and continuous changes in the economicenvironment, rapid technological advancements, and an increased emphasis on organisationalcompetitiveness. The existing practice in the Telecommunications company relied onconventional recruitment-on-vacancy and training. In 1997, a customer contact researchprogramme was launched to review the specific competencies underlying the full range ofcustomer contact roles, in order to understand the constructs which would underlie effectiveassessment of people for the role of sales and marketing.The aim of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of an assessment battery in atelecommunications company. The assessment battery measures the participants' essentialskills, behaviour and performance to bring about critical development action. The WorkProfiling System (WPS) and Subject Matter Experts in the Sales Division identified thefifteen competencies. The assessment battery consisted of Ability Tests: Verbal Evaluation(VCC3) and Numerical Evaluation (NCC4), and a personality questionnaire: CustomerContact Styles Questionnaire (CCSQ7.2). The Customer Contact Competency Inventory(CCCI) was electronically administered to the sales representatives' respective managers in2006, to give objective 360" feedback. The study population (n=97) consisted of salesrepresentatives working in a Telecommunication company.The objectives for this research were to validate the chosen selection battery for the salesrepresentatives, and determine its relation to manager-rated performance. Descriptive andinferential statistics were used to analyse the data. Stepwise multiple regression analyseswere carried out to determine whether the independent variables (CCSQ7.2 and AbilityTests) hold any predictive value regarding the dependent variable (CCCI).The results of the regression analyses showed that Verbal Evaluation (VCC3) was asignificant predictor of: Convincing, Communicating Orally, Results Driven. ProblemSolving and Organisation. Modest (R4) was a significant predictor of Convincing.Participative (R5) was a significant predictor of Problem Solving and Organisation.Overall, it can be stated that there is a significant relationship between the test battery and jobperformance. The results in this study reflect that correlations between personality, abilityand performance were small to moderate. This is lower than expected and what is found insimilar international research. This is probably due to the flawed criterion. The results shouldbe used with caution to prevent making a Type I1 error.Recommendations for future research are made.vii