Employee assessments are a great investment for any organization. No matter the size of your talent pool, assessments can help you make a better hiring decision and make sure that the candidate who eventually becomes your employee fits right with their job and your company. But, while numerous assessments are readily available, you may find that they may not be for you. This is where test development comes in. And, the good news is that you can outsource it. But, before you do, here are some pros and cons that you need to consider when outsourcing your test development.
The Pros and Cons of Outsourcing Your Test Development
Pro: You can rest assured by having a team of experts doing it for you
When you decide to have assessments developed, it’s not as simple as listing out the things that you want to have answered and rolling it out. You have to make sure that they have the right psychometric properties. These properties will guarantee that the data you gather is accurate, valid, and reliable.
So, when you outsource test development, you can have a team of experts doing it for you. Providers usually have a dedicated team of psychometricians and even psychologists to help you develop the assessment for your needs. They also usually have consultants that can provide insights regarding area- or field-specific test items.
Pro: You can dedicate your time to something else
Test development is a very time-consuming task. From item writing, review, data gathering, and other steps along the way before you can administer it to your test-takers, a lot of time is needed. So, when you outsource your test development, the time that you’ll be dedicated to it will be freed up and can be used for other matters.
Pro: You can have dedicated support for your tests
Challenges and problems can occur anytime during and even after test development. And when you do this on your own, it can be overwhelming. But, when you outsource your test development, you can rest assured that you will have support for your assessments. They can assist you in tackling the roadblock you encountered regarding your tests, and help you solve it.
And, since your tests have their own reports, in case you have trouble understanding results, you can also get in touch with your partner to better comprehend them. Which, will be crucial for your selection process.
Con: You need to find a partner you trust
Your assessments are critical for your organization. As such, you must find the right partner to develop them. There are a lot of companies out there that offer these services. Each of these companies has its own pros and cons, too. This means that it can be a challenge to choose one among your many options. But, while we’ve listed this as a con, it’s more of a thing to factor in when outsourcing your test development.
Con: They cost money
Of course, when you outsource test development, it will cost money. After all, you’re paying for the labor and expertise of the people who will develop your tests for you.
However, there are definitely affordable options out there. The key is to research for possible providers, set a budget, and negotiate with your partner so that both parties get in a win-win situation. You also have to keep in mind that paying for your test development is an investment, and will help save you money by having the right assessments for your organization.
Now that you know the pros and cons of outsourcing test development, you can now start carefully evaluating whether this step is for your organization to take. The answer will always be on your resources and your needs.
If you’re looking for a trusted partner to do your test development, People Dynamics is here for you! People Dynamics’ outsourced test development services are done by a high-powered team of professionals to develop new questionnaires, validate them, and provide you with local norms. We use the most up-to-date methodologies to provide you with the best results possible. For more information, you may email us at solutions@peopledynamics.co or contact us through our website, https://peopledynamics.co/contact-us/.
