TTS is proud to be long-standing sponsors of the Assessment Centre Study Group’s (ACSG) conference. This year was especially exhilarating as our MD, Fred Guest, delivered the keynote address, entitled: “Elevating assessment practice: A framework for maturity and strategic impact.”
Fred is a veteran IO Psychologist and Managing Director of TTS who has a keen interest in the evolving maturity of assessment practices in local organisations. Drawing on a decade of observed trends and global benchmarking standards, Fred proposed a structured assessment practice maturity framework. Using this model, talent professionals (and especially consultants) can orientate themselves within the landscape of client organizations, especially as it relates to how assessments are used, conceptualized, and propagated within the larger HR or recruitment spheres.
An evolving talent landscape
Fred’s address highlighted how several key trends have reshaped the field:
- Broader, less specific RFPs
- The rise of online assessments and more recently, AI augmented assessments.
- Increased integration with broader talent management systems
- The growing prominence of skills-based evaluation over formal qualifications.
The result? Psychometrists and IO Psychologists are increasingly called upon to shift from merely being administrative facilitators to strategic talent advisors. This transformation requires not only technical skill but business acumen, and agile mindset, and ethical clarity of purpose.
The TTS Assessment Practice Maturity Framework
At the core of the keynote was a four-level model of assessment maturity, informed by international standards including SIOPSA, EFPA, ISO 10667, and APA guidelines.
Each level reflects increasing complexity, integration, and escalating value contributions:
- Ad-hoc (expert and method driven): Characterised by isolated decision-making and manual processes. Validity and scalability are low, and tool choice is often driven by practitioner preference or purely commercial factors.
- Managed service (criteria and standards driven): Introduces process consistency and compliance, but may sacrifice flexibility and validity. Standardised models are common, yet often outdated or poorly defined.
- Integrated (process and stakeholder driven): This level of maturity marks a transition to broader organisational alignment. Assessments are tailored to specific talent processes, and insights begin to inform decisions across the employee lifecycle.
- Embedded (insights and strategy driven): The apex of maturity where assessments are integrated with analytics, aligned to strategic goals, and informed by predictive insights. Ethical considerations around data control, construct specificity, and cross-system governance become more of a focus.
Implications for practice
Fred stressed that achieving maturity requires more than just the automation of processes. It also demands an alignment between assessment purpose, tools, stakeholders, and talent strategy.
Talent professionals are therefore encouraged to:
- Build proficiency in data integration, the use of AI, and analytics.
- Shift focus from tool administration to strategic enablement.
- Develop contextualised reporting for diverse end-users.
- Ensure alignment of assessment criteria with business-defined outcomes.
Importantly, the notion of a “one-size-fits-all” approach to assessment needs to give way to tailored assessment strategies based on the specifics of the role and organizational context.
Looking Ahead: AI, Ethics, and Strategic Value
In closing, Fred highlighted key future trends: The disruptive potential of generative AI, the increased demand for explainable assessments, and the intensifying importance of data governance and stakeholder trust.
The keynote offered a lens based on both scientific best practice and a wealth of professional experience through which to view the evolving role of assessments.