OPQ AND THE SELECTION OF TRAINEE REFINERY OPERATORS

1

• OPQ AND THE SELECTION OF TRAINEE REFINERY
  OPERATORS
• QNI (BHP Billiton)

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THE QNI PROBLEM

• Yabulu Expansion Project (YEP)
• Aim to increase nickel production at QNIs
  Yabulu refinery from around 31,200 tonnes per
  year to 76, 000 tonnes per year
• 40-50 entry level trainee operator roles
• Requirement Strong cultural fit, potential for
  development and long term commitment to business

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THE INITIAL SITUATION

• Existing relationship with another firm of
  consulting psychologists
• Used NEO personality questionnaire
• Issue too clinical and not integrated into
  overall selection data
• Used in conjunction with basic cognitive ability
  tests without assessment centres, added little
  value

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THE PSYLUTIONS ALTERNATIVE

• We proposed a holistic methodology integrating
  cognitive ability tests, OPQ and behavioural data
  (assessment centres)
• Emphasised the importance of job relevance and
  data integration
• Ran the process 4 times across 2 years, 4 week
  end-to-end projects
• Candidate numbers e.g. Jan 06, 508 applications
  shortlisted to 20 roles

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STAGE ONE

• MatchMe! our own ATS (application tracking
  system) online data collection including biodata,
  education, work experience, motivation and
  competency based behavioural questions
• Shortlisted based on biodata, education, work
  experience and motivation
• Our team of assessors then evaluated the
  behavioural responses of those who were
  shortlisted

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STAGE TWO

• Shortlisted candidates invited to complete online
  cognitive ability tests (verbal, numerical and
  abstract reasoning)
• Presented spreadsheet of rank ordered results to
  QNI for review

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STAGE THREE

• Shortlisted candidates invited to complete OPQ
  online
• Invited to attend assessment centres in
  Townsville

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STAGE FOUR

• Assessor training balance of theory and
  practical skill development
• Assessment Centre behavioural interview, team
  activity and individual problem solving challenge
• Designed interactions based on close consultation
  with QNI HR and Line
• Integration sessions included candidate scores
  from cognitive ability tests, OPQ scales and
  assessment centre performance

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CHALLENGES

• Implementing change from a strong emphasis on
  informal interviews and family connections to a
  more rigourous approach cultural shift
• Education process with line managers (assessors)
  selling the benefit of psychometric and
  behavioural data to a group of seasoned refinery
  workers
• Very strong views about the type of people who
  could do the job, i.e. gender, cultural
  background

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CHALLENGES

• Mapping OPQ scales to non-behavioural criteria,
  BHP Billiton Values such as respect for others-
  drawing long bows with Trusting, Caring
• Ultimately they embraced the OPQ and initiated
  discussions about individual profiles, OPQ
  terminology became part of their language

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LEARNINGS

• Methodology honed it each time to improve
  predictive validity e.g. earlier approaches
  included safety assessment tool which often
  contradicted OPQ so eliminated this in later
  iterations
• Profiling developed benchmarks for the more
  highly predictive scales e.g. detail conscious,
  conscientious and rule following
• Adapted our interpersonal style to connect with
  QNI staff, e.g. mate