By Kendra Royer, M.A.

As Michigan's largest promotional testing company EMPCO, INC., we are often asked what promotional system is  "best. " Our answer may surprise some that are reading this article. No single way to determine promotions should be used. As a testing company, you might think that we would support only tests to determine a promotion. We do not. Here is our thinking.

Various promotional methods are used today by law enforcement agencies in our state: appointment, nepotism, favoritism, election, seniority, evaluation and testing. Conceding that there is no perfect method of determining promotions, we are left to choose from an array of imperfect methods.

There should be two basic objectives a promotional system: fairness, and promotion of the best candidate. The promotional process should be fair to all. This means that the process gives each candidate an equal opportunity to be promoted so long as they complete a pre-determined promotion process better than other candidates. Promoting the best candidate means that the candidate(s) performing best in the pre-determined promotional process should receive the promotion. With these objectives in mind, what strategies should be employed in a promotional process? We believe that a promotional process should incorporate as many components as possible. For instance, we do not support a promotional system that relies only on nepotism or favoritism – inherently unfair. By the same token, we do not support a promotional system based only performance ratings, or seniority, or testing. Any system based on only one component lends itself to be unfair to other candidates. A one legged stool cannot stand.

Based on this, we recommend promotional systems that include as many components as possible. For instance, seniority, weighted fairly, should rightfully be a component of a well designed promotional system. Performance on the job, properly and fairly measured, should be a component (The old saying is true;  "Past performance is the best predictor of future performance ".) Testing, properly conducted, is a valid predictor of future performance and should also be a component of a well designed promotional system. (A three legged stool can stand.) If testing is used -we are a testing company, so we'll talk about it - in combination with other components in the promotional decision, the proper tests should be used.

For instance, written exams measure whether or not candidates have the knowledge required to perform the job. However these exams do not take into account how the candidate utilizes that knowledge, nor do these exams measure a candidate's management skills and abilities. Assessment centers assume that candidates have job knowledge, and, therefore, measure how candidates use this knowledge. They also measure candidates' management skills and abilities.

Tests are designed to be an unbiased measure that looks solely at candidates' performance in the examination process. The short coming of testing alone is that testing does not take into account the candidate's experience or work performance.

Promotions based solely on seniority take a candidate's experience into account. The short coming of promotions based only on seniority is that experience does not equate to having the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to fill the position.

By using as many tools to build a promotional system as possible the best candidate will be promoted and the process is fair to all candidates.

About the Author Kendra Royer is the Director of Testing Services for Empco, Inc. She holds a Master of Arts Degree in Industrial/ Organizational Psychology, and is working to complete her dissertation to earn a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology.