Web-Based Assessment of Call Center Agents : Development and Validation of a Computerized Instrument

This study describes the development and validation of the (C-A-T), an Internet-based multi-method measure for the pre-selection of call center agents. The C-A-T includes a short biographical form, a cognitive speed test, a personality inventory, and a multimedia situational judgement test. A total of 327 call center agents completed the C-A-T and were concurrently assessed by their superiors. In a pilot study (=151), a prototype was tested and subsequently optimized. In the main study (=176), the revised and extended version of the C-A-T was reliable (=.85) and showed good convergent and discriminant validity. The concurrent validity (=.33) can be considered to be satisfactory for a computerized pre-selection instrument. Evidence was also found for high face validity and acceptance in both studies