Computer-implemented system for human resources management

Abstract

A system and method for testing and/or evaluating employees or potential employees is disclosed. An applicant terminal presents a first set of a plurality of questions to an individual, the answers to which are stored by an applicant screening server. An electronic predictor system is configured to predict at least one business outcome for at least one job performance criterion if the individual were to be employed by the employer based upon correlations of the stored answers with answers to sets of questions by other individuals for which post-hire information has been collected. A viewing system can provide an output indicative of the prediction and can determine a score for the individual and identify the individual as a favorable candidate if the score is over a norm.

1 . An apparatus for assisting in determining the suitability of an individual for employment by an employer, the apparatus comprising:
 an electronic data interrogator configured to present a first set of a plurality of questions to the individual;   an electronic answer capturer configured to electronically store the individual's responses to at least a selected plurality of the first set of questions presented to the individual;   an electronic predictor responsive to the stored answers and configured to predict at least one post-hire outcome for at least one job performance criterion if the individual were to be employed by the employer, the predictor providing a prediction of the at least one post-hire outcome for the at least one job performance criterion based upon correlations of the stored answers with answers to sets of questions by other individuals for which post-hire information has been collected; and   an electronic results provider providing an output indicative of the prediction of the at least one post-hire outcome for the at least one job performance criterion to assist in determining the suitability of the individual for employment by the employer; wherein the electronic results provider is configured to provide a hiring recommendation based at least on the at least one post-hire outcome for the at least one job performance criterion; wherein the electronic results provider is further configured to determine a score for the individual, further configured to determine whether the score is over a threshold, and further configured to identify the individual as a favorable candidate if the score is over the threshold.   
     
     
         2 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein at least one of the predicted outcomes is a predicted ranking of the individual for the outcome. 
     
     
         3 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the data interrogator is located at a first location and the predictor is located at a second location which is remote from the first location. 
     
     
         4 . An apparatus according to  claim 3  wherein the data interrogator and the predictor are selectively electronically interconnected through a network. 
     
     
         5 . An apparatus according to  claim 4  wherein the network is the worldwide web. 
     
     
         6 . An apparatus according to  claim 4  wherein the network is a telephone network. 
     
     
         7 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the first set of questions may be varied. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus according to  claim 7  wherein the predictor is configured to determine and indicate a lack of a correlation between one or more questions of the first set of questions and at least one of the predicted outcomes, whereby questions which lack the correlation may be discarded or modified. 
     
     
         9 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein at least one of the predicted outcomes is longevity with an employer and the answers to sets of questions by other individuals comprise answers by employees of the employer for whom longevity has been determined. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  in which the predictor comprises at least one model which provides a predictor of the probability of the individual exhibiting at least one of the predicted outcomes, the model being based on correlations between the at least one of the predicted outcomes and the answers to questions by the other individuals, including answers by at least some employees of the employer, the model taking at least selected answers of the stored answers as inputs to the model, a probability of the individual exhibiting the at least one of the predicted outcomes being provided as an output of the model. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the predictor is responsive to the stored answers and configured to predict plural outcomes if the individual were to be employed by the employer. 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus for assisting in determining the suitability of an individual for employment by an employer, the apparatus comprising:
 means for electronically presenting a first set of a plurality of questions to the individual;   means for electronically storing the individual's responses to at least a selected plurality of the first set of questions presented to the individual;   responsive to the stored answers, means for predicting at least one post-hire outcome for at least one job performance criterion if the individual were to be employed by the employer, the means for predicting providing a prediction of the at least one post-hire outcome for the at least one job performance criterion based upon correlations of the at least one characteristic with answers to sets of questions by other individuals and the closeness of the stored answers to such correlations;   means for determining a score for the individual based at least on the prediction of the at least one post-hire outcome for the at least one job performance criterion;   means for determining whether the score meets a threshold; and   means for providing an output indicative of the at least one post-hire outcome for the at least one job performance criterion and whether the score meets the threshold to assist in determining the suitability of the individual for employment by the employer.   
     
     
         13 . A computer-readable medium having a collection of employment-related data, the data comprising:
 pre-hire information for a plurality of employees, wherein the pre-hire information comprises information electronically-collected from an applicant, wherein the information comprises a plurality of pre-hire characteristics;   post-hire information for at least some of the plurality of employees, wherein the information comprises a plurality of post-hire outcomes;   a data structure identifying which of the pre-hire characteristics are effective in predicting a set of one or more of the post-hire outcomes for at least one job performance criterion for a job applicant;   a set of scores for candidate employees, wherein the scores are generated via the set of one or more of the post-hire outcomes; and   an indication of which of the scores for the candidate employees are over a threshold.   
     
     
         14 . An apparatus for assisting in determining the suitability of an individual for employment by an employer, the apparatus comprising:
 an applicant terminal configured to present a first set of a plurality of questions to the individual;   an applicant screening server configured to electronically store the individual's responses to at least a selected plurality of the first set of questions presented to the individual;   an electronic predictor system responsive to the stored answers and configured to predict at least one business outcome for at least one job performance criterion if the individual were to be employed by the employer, the electronic predictor system providing a prediction of the at least one business outcome for the at least one job performance criterion based upon correlations of the stored answers with answers to sets of questions by other individuals for which post-hire information has been collected; and   a viewing system providing an output indicative of the prediction of the at least one business outcome for the at least one job performance criterion to assist in determining the suitability of the individual for employment by the employer; wherein the viewing system is configured to provide a hiring recommendation based at least on the at least one business outcome for the at least one job performance criterion;   wherein the viewing system is further configured to determine a score for the individual, further configured to determine whether the score is over a norm, and further configured to identify the individual as a favorable candidate if the score is over the norm.   
     
     
         15 . An apparatus according to  claim 14  wherein at least one of the business outcomes is a predicted ranking of the individual for the outcome. 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus according to  claim 14  wherein the applicant terminals are located at a first location and the electronic predictor system is located at a second location which is remote from the first location. 
     
     
         17 . An apparatus according to  claim 16  wherein the applicant terminals and the electronic predictor system are selectively electronically interconnected through a network. 
     
     
         18 . An apparatus according to  claim 17  wherein the network is the worldwide web. 
     
     
         19 . An apparatus according to  claim 17  wherein the network is a telephone network. 
     
     
         20 . An apparatus according to  claim 14  wherein the first set of questions may be varied. 
     
     
         21 . An apparatus according to  claim 20  wherein the electronic predictor system is configured to determine and indicate a lack of correlation between one or more questions of the first set of questions and at least one of the business outcomes, whereby questions which lack the correlation may be discarded or modified. 
     
     
         22 . An apparatus according to  claim 14  wherein at least one of the business outcomes is tenure of employment and the answers to sets of questions by other individuals comprise answers by employees of the employer for whom tenure of employment has been determined. 
     
     
         23 . An apparatus according to  claim 14  in which the electronic predictor system provides a prediction of the probability of the individual exhibiting at least one of the business outcomes, the prediction being based on correlations between the at least one of the business outcomes and the answers to questions by the other individuals, including answers by at least some employees of the employer, the prediction taking at least selected answers of the stored answers as inputs to the prediction, a probability of the individual exhibiting at least one of the business outcomes being provided as an output of the prediction. 
     
     
         24 . An apparatus according to  claim 14  wherein the electronic predictor system is responsive to the stored answers and configured to predict plural business outcomes if the individual were to be employed by the employer. 
     
     
         25 . An apparatus for assisting in determining the suitability of an individual for employment by an employer, the apparatus comprising:
 means for electronically presenting a first set of a plurality of questions to the individual;   means for electronically storing responses of the individual to at least a selected plurality of the first set of questions presented to the individual;   means for predicting at least one business outcome for at least one job performance criterion if the individual were to be employed by the employer that is responsive to means for electronically storing responses of the individual, the means for predicting being configured to provide a prediction of at least one business outcome for the at least one job performance criterion based upon correlations of the at least one criterion with answers to sets of questions by other individuals and the closeness of the stored answers to such correlations;   means for determining a score for the individual based at least on the prediction of the at least one business outcome for the at least one job performance criterion;   means for determining whether the score meets a norm; and   means for providing an output indicative of the at least one business outcome for the at least one job performance criterion and whether the score meets the norm to assist in determining the suitability of the individual for employment by the employer.   
     
     
         26 . A computer-readable medium having a collection of employment-related data, the data comprising:
 pre-hire information for a plurality of employees, wherein the pre-hire information comprises information electronically-collected from an applicant, wherein the information comprises a plurality of competencies;   post-hire information for at least some of the plurality of employees, wherein the information comprises a plurality of business outcomes;   a feedback process identifying which of the competencies are effective in predicting a set of one or more of the business outcomes for at least one job performance criterion for a job applicant;   a set of scores for candidate employees, wherein the scores are generated via the set of one or more of the business outcomes; and   an indication of which of the scores for the candidate employees are over a norm.   
     
     
         27 . An apparatus for assisting in determining the suitability of an individual for employment by an employer, the apparatus comprising:
 an electronic data interrogator operable to present a first set of a plurality of questions to the individual;   an electronic answer capturer operable to electronically store the individual's responses to at least a selected plurality of the first set of questions presented to the individual;   an electronic predictor responsive to the stored answers and operable to predict at least one post-hire outcome if the individual were to be employed by the employer, the predictor providing a prediction of the outcome based upon correlations of the stored answers with answers to sets of questions by other individuals for which post-hire information has been collected; and   an electronic results provider providing an output indicative of the outcome to assist in determining the suitability of the individual for employment by the employer.   
     
     
         28 . An apparatus according to  claim 27 , wherein at least one of the predicted outcomes is a predicted ranking of the individual for the outcome. 
     
     
         29 . An apparatus according to  claim 27 , wherein the data interrogator is located at a first location and the predictor is located at a second location which is remote from the first location. 
     
     
         30 . An apparatus according to  claim 29 , wherein the data interrogator and the predictor are selectively electronically interconnected through a network. 
     
     
         31 . An apparatus according to  claim 30 , wherein the network is the worldwide web. 
     
     
         32 . An apparatus according to  claim 30 , wherein the network is a telephone network. 
     
     
         33 . An apparatus according to  claim 27 , wherein the first set of questions may be varied. 
     
     
         34 . An apparatus according to  claim 33 , wherein the predictor is operable to determine and indicate a lack of correlation between one or more questions of the first set of questions and at least one of the predicted outcomes, whereby questions which lack the correlation may be discarded or modified. 
     
     
         35 . An apparatus according to  claim 27 , wherein at least one of the predicted outcomes is longevity with an employer and the answers to sets of questions by other individuals comprise answers by employees of the employer for whom longevity has been determined. 
     
     
         36 . An apparatus according to  claim 27 , in which the predictor comprises at least one model which provides a predictor of the probability of the individual exhibiting at least one of the predicted outcomes, the model being based on correlations between the at least one of the predicted outcomes and the answers to questions by the other individuals, including answers by at least some employees of the employer, the model taking at least selected answers of the stored answers as inputs to the model, a probability of the individual exhibiting the at least one of the predicted outcomes being provided as an output of the model. 
     
     
         37 . An apparatus according to  claim 27  wherein the predictor is responsive to the stored answers and operable to predict plural outcomes if the individual were to be employed by the employer. 
     
     
         38 . An apparatus for assisting in determining the suitability of an individual for employment by an employer, the apparatus comprising:
 means for electronically presenting a first set of a plurality of questions to the individual;   means for electronically storing the individual's responses to at least a selected plurality of the first set of questions presented to the individual;   responsive to the stored answers, means for predicting at least one post-hire outcome if the individual were to be employed by the employer, the means for predicting providing a prediction of the outcome based upon correlations of at least one characteristic with answers to sets of questions by other individuals and the closeness of the stored answers to such correlations; and   means for providing an output indicative of the outcome to assist in determining the suitability of the individual for employment by the employer.   
     
     
         39 . A computer-readable medium having a collection of employment-related data, the data comprising:
 pre-hire information for a plurality of employees, wherein the pre-hire information comprises information electronically-collected from an applicant, wherein the information comprises a plurality of pre-hire characteristics;   post-hire information for at least some of the plurality of employees, wherein the information comprises a plurality of post-hire outcomes; and   a data structure identifying which of the pre-hire characteristics are effective in predicting a set of one or more of the post-hire outcomes for a job applicant.