GRADUATE EMPLYABILITY SYSTEMS

Integrating A Web-Based AssessmentTechnology Solutions for Profiling and Job Matching Unemployed Graduates to Job-fit Positions Offered by Employers in Malaysia

by Ismail AbJamal

Abstract
This doctoral research project presents an expert web-based system for evaluation of the unemployed graduates in Malaysia at certain offered entry-point posts. The expert application uses Profiling and Job Matching techniques for analyzing a corporate database of unemployed and enterprises profile data. The process of matching an unemployed graduate with an offered job is performed through a web-based Profiling and Job Matching inference system. The system output is a measure of the unemployed graduate suitability for the certain job (evaluation mark).

Introduction
n Millions of ringgit was spent in the last few years to retrain 10,000 fresh graduates who faced difficulties in finding jobs, and this year the Government has allocated another RM100mil to help some 15,000 unemployed graduates.
n On average, the Government had spent about RM10,000 per unemployed graduate for the reskilling program using the appointed training providers throughout the country.
n With the Job Profiling and Job Matching technology, we may not have to spend so much money on reskilling the jobless graduates BUT to ask instead the employers to come forward with the Job Patterns that are required and expected by them from the fresh graduates in meeting the requirements of the so-called K-economy and K-workers.

K-Economy realities or myths?
n The new economy is characterised by rapid advances in technology, which in turn changes the way business is run.
n This change is not a temporary shift that can be overcome with some quick fix; it requires a transformation of the whole business structure and the employment of a new breed of workers called ‘knowledge workers.
n There will be a loss of traditional jobs and a situation will arise where large amounts of vacancies go unfulfilled, whilst unemployment queues keep growing.

JOB MATCHING OUTRANKS ALL OTHER FACTORS IN MAKING UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES EMPLOYABLE
n A well-documented study, published in Harvard Business Review concludes that "Job Match" is by far the most reliable predictor of effectiveness on the job. The study considered many factors including the age, sex, race, education and experience of approximately 300,000 subjects. It evaluated their job performance and found no significant statistical differences, except in the area of "Job Match."
n The conclusion: "It's not experience that counts or college degrees or other accepted factors; success hinges on a fit with the job."

Normative vs. Ipsative
The individual (jobless graduate) is compared to a “job pattern” designed for each vacant position as advertised by employer(s)
n (the shaded areas on the sample) specifically for a particular job in the organization.
n This job pattern is derived by giving the Profile to 2-20 of the top performers or 20% of the top performers in the position or, if top performers are lacking, having an immediate supervisor answer a questionnaire regarding the job.


Each position in the organization would have a different job pattern.
n A percentage fit to the pattern is given in each of the critical areas along with a total percentage fit to the job.
n Interview questions are provided in the Hiring Report where the person scores outside of the job pattern.
n In addition, the Profile also contains a distortion scale, ranging 1-10, indicating the candor (forthrightness) in which the person showed when taking the assessment. The higher this score…the better.


The e-PROFILING and JOB MATCHING system
n Imagine within just a few minutes of interaction being able to accurately predict how someone is likely to:
u Communicate (Behavioural Trait)
u Perform on the job (Occupational Interest)
u Make decisions (Thinking Style)
n These are three of the most valuable pieces of information most people would like to learn about others in almost any professional environment.
n Assessing this kind of valuable information about someone is called profiling.
n Profiling is the ability to assess a comprehensive amount of information about a person’s personality.

Web-Based Technology
n has been applied to the research project.
n Methods used by e-PROFILES INC., have been extensively used in recommendation and information retrieval and could be successfully used in job information retrieval.
n The structure of the proposed doctoral research project is the following.


The job matching opportunity is formulated using the following fields:
n Job Analysis Form (Soft Skills)
n Profile XT Assessment Tool
n JOB FIT TRACKING REPORT ANALYSIS (In Excel)
n CONFIDENTIAL INDIVIDUAL REPORT (In Word)
n Confidential Multi Job Match Report (In Word)
n Confidential Placement Report (In Word)



RESEARCH QUESTION: Is Profiling and Job Matching outranks all other factors in determining suitable candidates for available Job Positions?
n A well-documented study, published in Harvard Business Review concludes that "Job Match" is by far the most reliable predictor of effectiveness on the job. The study considered many factors including the age, sex, race, education and experience of approximately 300,000 subjects. It evaluated their job performance and found no significant statistical differences, except in the area of "Job Match." The conclusion: "It's not experience that counts or college degrees or other accepted factors; success hinges on a fit with the job“ (Lou Adler, 2002).
n Thus, we should not be quick to blame the unemployed graduates for their lack of communication skills, ICT competencies and not a team player.
n The former Education Ministry's parliamentary secretary Datuk Mahadzir Khir said “There is no sense in 'retraining' graduates. We want employers to come forward with their feedback on what they expect of fresh graduates.”
n This is definitely in contrast with what being said by the Human Resource Minister Datuk Dr Fong Chan Onn who urged local universities to review their curricula to produce graduates who are more marketable and do not require “retraining” by the Government.
n The minister said that employers indicated that there were three major problems among local graduates – no language proficiency, a lack of knowledge in information and communication technology (ICT), and failure to fit in as team players.
n These missing traits can be seen when you match the skills that a fresh graduate offers against the definition of a knowledge worker and manager below.
n IS THIS A FAIR DEFINITION of K-WORKER in the context of UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES IN MALAYSIA?

Research Motivation
n Users of current Job Portal Web-Based systems have little or no control over their job applications as perceived by the prospective employers.
n Many Job Portal Users that have models that collate ONLY
u Hard Skills of Candidates
u User preferences/profile and resource profiles that are ipsative in nature.
n Profiling and Job Matching monitoring technology still an open issue
u Web-based environments offer special advantages to monitoring of job applications by unemployed graduates and job vacancies in the job markets as advertised by employers .

Research Objectives
n TO ESTABLISH THE JOB PATTERN REQUIREMENTS OF THE EMPLOYERS IN THE CONTEXT OF K-ECONOMY AND NORMATIVE PATTERN OF COMPETENCIES.
n TO ASCERTAIN THE SOFT-SKILLS (AND HARD SKILLS) OF THE UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES IN ORDER TO MATCH THE POSITIONS OFFERED BY THE PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYERS AND FUTURE JOB OPENINGS.
n TO SPUR THE GROWTH OF MALAYSIAN K-ECONOMY BY OPTIMIZING THE UNDERUTILIZED RESOURCES COMPRISING THE UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES.
n TO ASSIST THE RELEVANT AUTHORITIES IN CHARTING OUT THE NEXT STRATEGY BY FOCUSING ON THE CRITICAL SKILL SETS OR COMPETENCIES REQUIRED BY THE NATION'S SO AS TO ENABLE THE IPTA, IPTS AND OTHER LEARNING INSTITUTES TO CONCENTRATE ON THE CORE SYLLABUS IN TANDEM WITH THE FUTURE JOBS OR PATTERNS AND SOFT SKILLS REQUIREMENTS OF THE INDUSTRIES AND THE PUBLIC SECTOR.
n TO CREATE JOB OPPORTUNITIES AMONG THE UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES.
n TO ESTABLISH A MORE STRUCTURED FORMAT FOR ACCURATELY COLLATING THE DATA OF UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AMONG THE MALAYSIAN PEOPLE DUE TO THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN.
n TO CREATE THE CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE called by the PM AMONG THE UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES BY ESTABLISHING THE ACTUAL SOFT-SKILLS OF THESE CANDIDATES AND HARNESS ON THEIR STRENGTHS BASED ON THEIR OCCUPATIONAL INTERESTS (IN WHATEVER AREAS OR DISCIPLINES).
n TO PROMOTE THE CULTURE OF FAIR ASSESMENT BY THE EMPLOYERS as called by PM WHEN SELECTING AND HIRIING THE UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES.
n TO ESTABLISH THE NOPIM (NATIONAL OCCUPATIONAL PROFILING INDEX FOR MALAYSIA)
n TO MEET THE ASPIRATIONS OF VISION 2020.
n Investigate the role of Job Portals (e.g. JobStreet.com and JobDB) and in supporting the Ministry of Human Resources in Job Matching the Unemployed Graduates in Malaysia within the context of Job Placements.
n Determine which Profiling and Job Matching Tools are best suited to resolve the Unemployed Graduates in Malaysia.
n Investigate Profiling and Job Matching Tools used to monitor the Occupational Indices for Malaysian employment market.
n Investigate the use of Profiling and Job Matching Data Mining Techniques to construct National Occupational and Profiling Index for Malaysia (NOPIM) for employers and job seekers.

Research Contribution
n Formalisation of a NOPIM (National Occupational and Profiling Index for Malaysia) model suitable for keeping the job database of employers on-the-web to be used by job applicants.
n Specification of a Job Profiling component for analysing jobs and profiling candidates among the unemployed graduates using web-based systems
u Offers a solution in monitoring, service tailoring and adaptation, active path management
u Protocol for communication of available jobs and Job Analysis requirements (hard skills and soft skills)
n Application of new Job Portals to construct optimal job patterns and profiles of applicants for Job Fitting the employment markets in Malaysia more objectively.

Research Hypothesis
n The only reliable method for evaluating “Job Match” is with a properly designed assessment instrument, capable of measuring the essential job-related characteristics particular to each specific job.

Research Hypothesis
n Complex multi-job match applications benefit from distributed processing of job profiles and job patterns across multiple locations and industries on a network with the purpose of establishing Job Fits.
n Such applications need web-based infrastructures capable of linking multiple job data-bases in a network to form a controlled network (controlled resources) under NOPIM.
n Future development of NOPIM will support job data that can monitor job vacancies and job applications.
n Profiling and Job Matching data in a unified NOPIM model can be subjected to Job Patterns data mining techniques to determine optimal Job Fit Requirements of Job Applications that can span multiple Job Vacancies or Opportunities in a web-based network

Research Questions
n What are the requirements & characteristics for a unified Profiling and Job Matching model to satisfy job applicants in a web-based environment?
n How can the specification of a web-based Job Profiling component system be made general enough to apply to wide variety of job recruitment and selection based systems?
n Can normative Job Profiles monitoring, tailoring and adaptation services be adequately deployed as components to be downloaded as required – as opposed to traditional ipsative Job Profiling services or Job Matching processes offered by existing Job Portals?
n What is required by Job Profiles data mining and reasoning algorithms to provide reliable service tailoring and adaptation for distributed Job Pattern components over a best effort web-based network?
n Normative over Ipsative - sufficient advantages over traditional job profiling systems?

Research Methodology
n Job Analysis for hard skills using web-based electronic survey form to support research project
n Job Analysis for soft skills using web-based technology tools to collate and analyse the data for creating the job patterns
n Profiling and Job Profiling reports generated by the web-based systems that are assessable by employers and job applicants.
n Formalise requirements for Job Patterns by prospective employers to match against the assessment results of job applicants.
n Prototype and test the Profiling and Job Matching system.


Current Progress
n Literature search
u Active readings on assessment and job profiling systems
u Web-based job profiling and web-based environments
u 21st Century Web-based Profiling and Job Matching models and mechanisms
n Integrated web-based component system
u Identified mechanisms for Profiling and Job Matching distribution
u Requirements gathering
F Identified job patterns for job requirements and applications to take advantage of web-based structures
n Data monitoring
u Identified mechanisms for monitoring of Profiling and Job Matching Data in the web and at the Organizations’ level
n Profiling and Job Match tailoring and adaptation
u Identified mechanisms by which Job Analysis metrics can be used for Job Patterns’ configuration

LIMIT OF THE RESEARCH
n The cost involved in the profiling and job matching of all the unemployed graduates in Malaysia is enormous as the website owner is charging RM380.00 per assessment test.
n Only selected GLCs are participating in the research project as some are reluctant to indulge in academic formality.
n Only selected IPTAs are participating in the research project as most of the others are located in locations outside Kuala Lumpur.
n The research is being conducted in the context of the definition of K-Worker in GLCs in Malaysia rather than all Malaysian or other companies.
n The unemployed graduates involved in the research are from IPTAs only instead of including those from IPTSs in Malaysia or those graduated from foreign universities.
n The Job Analysis (Soft Skills) is being pre-designed by the e-Profiling System where it is supposedly designed to suit the biases and prejudices of all nationalities universally.
n The availability of good web-based system with inter-net facilities in computer laboratory environment is not always meet up with the expectations of www.assessmentcompany.com


Conclusion
n Profiling and Job Matching mechanisms
u Best effort web-based network: service tailoring and adaptation for unemployed graduates and their prospective employers
u Controlled web-based network: bandwidth reservation protocols
u Client: POTW (Profiles-On-the-Web) installation
u User controls perception: Real-time interface, sensible assessment reports
n User benefits from web-based systems
u State of network, active path, source routing
n User benefits from web-based services
u Selection of Profiling and Job Matching services, 'on need' transparent delivery through POTWs
n User benefits from web-based computing
u Distributed job profiling tasks in consecutive and/or parallel job patterns
n User benefits from unified Profiling and Job Matching model
u Communication of requirements between web-based services on heterogenous operating systems


Profiling and Job Matching Techniques
n www.assessmentcompany.com
n www.profilesontheweb.com
n www.profilesinternational.com

Research Motivation
n Users of current Job Portal Web-Based systems have little or no control over their job applications as perceived by the prospective employers.
n Many Job Portal Users that have models that collate ONLY
u Hard Skills of Candidates
u User preferences/profile and resource profiles that are ipsative in nature.
n Profiling and Job Matching monitoring technology still an open issue
u Web-based environments offer special advantages to monitoring of job applications by unemployed graduates and job vacancies in the job markets as advertised by employers .

Research Objectives
n TO ESTABLISH THE JOB PATTERN REQUIREMENTS OF THE EMPLOYERS IN THE CONTEXT OF K-ECONOMY AND NORMATIVE PATTERN OF COMPETENCIES.
n TO ASCERTAIN THE SOFT-SKILLS (AND HARD SKILLS) OF THE UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES IN ORDER TO MATCH THE POSITIONS OFFERED BY THE PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYERS AND FUTURE JOB OPENINGS.
n TO SPUR THE GROWTH OF MALAYSIAN K-ECONOMY BY OPTIMIZING THE UNDERUTILIZED RESOURCES COMPRISING THE UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES.
n TO ASSIST THE RELEVANT AUTHORITIES IN CHARTING OUT THE NEXT STRATEGY BY FOCUSING ON THE CRITICAL SKILL SETS OR COMPETENCIES REQUIRED BY THE NATION'S SO AS TO ENABLE THE IPTA, IPTS AND OTHER LEARNING INSTITUTES TO CONCENTRATE ON THE CORE SYLLABUS IN TANDEM WITH THE FUTURE JOBS OR PATTERNS AND SOFT SKILLS REQUIREMENTS OF THE INDUSTRIES AND THE PUBLIC SECTOR.
n TO CREATE JOB OPPORTUNITIES AMONG THE UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES.
n TO ESTABLISH A MORE STRUCTURED FORMAT FOR ACCURATELY COLLATING THE DATA OF UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AMONG THE MALAYSIAN PEOPLE DUE TO THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN.
n TO CREATE THE CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE called by the PM AMONG THE UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES BY ESTABLISHING THE ACTUAL SOFT-SKILLS OF THESE CANDIDATES AND HARNESS ON THEIR STRENGTHS BASED ON THEIR OCCUPATIONAL INTERESTS (IN WHATEVER AREAS OR DISCIPLINES).
n TO PROMOTE THE CULTURE OF FAIR ASSESMENT BY THE EMPLOYERS as called by PM WHEN SELECTING AND HIRIING THE UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES.
n TO ESTABLISH THE NOPIM (NATIONAL OCCUPATIONAL PROFILING INDEX FOR MALAYSIA)
n TO MEET THE ASPIRATIONS OF VISION 2020.
n Investigate the role of Job Portals (e.g. JobStreet.com and JobDB) and in supporting the Ministry of Human Resources in Job Matching the Unemployed Graduates in Malaysia within the context of Job Placements.
n Determine which Profiling and Job Matching Tools are best suited to resolve the Unemployed Graduates in Malaysia.
n Investigate Profiling and Job Matching Tools used to monitor the Occupational Indices for Malaysian employment market.
n Investigate the use of Profiling and Job Matching Data Mining Techniques to construct National Occupational and Profiling Index for Malaysia (NOPIM) for employers and job seekers.

Research Contribution
n Formalisation of a NOPIM (National Occupational and Profiling Index for Malaysia) model suitable for keeping the job database of employers on-the-web to be used by job applicants.
n Specification of a Job Profiling component for analysing jobs and profiling candidates among the unemployed graduates using web-based systems
u Offers a solution in monitoring, service tailoring and adaptation, active path management
u Protocol for communication of available jobs and Job Analysis requirements (hard skills and soft skills)
n Application of new Job Portals to construct optimal job patterns and profiles of applicants for Job Fitting the employment markets in Malaysia more objectively.

Research Hypothesis
n The only reliable method for evaluating “Job Match” is with a properly designed assessment instrument, capable of measuring the essential job-related characteristics particular to each specific job.

Research Hypothesis
n Complex multi-job match applications benefit from distributed processing of job profiles and job patterns across multiple locations and industries on a network with the purpose of establishing Job Fits.
n Such applications need web-based infrastructures capable of linking multiple job data-bases in a network to form a controlled network (controlled resources) under NOPIM.
n Future development of NOPIM will support job data that can monitor job vacancies and job applications.
n Profiling and Job Matching data in a unified NOPIM model can be subjected to Job Patterns data mining techniques to determine optimal Job Fit Requirements of Job Applications that can span multiple Job Vacancies or Opportunities in a web-based network

Research Questions
n What are the requirements & characteristics for a unified Profiling and Job Matching model to satisfy job applicants in a web-based environment?
n How can the specification of a web-based Job Profiling component system be made general enough to apply to wide variety of job recruitment and selection based systems?
n Can normative Job Profiles monitoring, tailoring and adaptation services be adequately deployed as components to be downloaded as required – as opposed to traditional ipsative Job Profiling services or Job Matching processes offered by existing Job Portals?
n What is required by Job Profiles data mining and reasoning algorithms to provide reliable service tailoring and adaptation for distributed Job Pattern components over a best effort web-based network?
n Normative over Ipsative - sufficient advantages over traditional job profiling systems?

Research Methodology
n Job Analysis for hard skills using web-based electronic survey form to support research project
n Job Analysis for soft skills using web-based technology tools to collate and analyse the data for creating the job patterns
n Profiling and Job Profiling reports generated by the web-based systems that are assessable by employers and job applicants.
n Formalise requirements for Job Patterns by prospective employers to match against the assessment results of job applicants.
n Prototype and test the Profiling and Job Matching system.


Current Progress
n Literature search
u Active readings on assessment and job profiling systems
u Web-based job profiling and web-based environments
u 21st Century Web-based Profiling and Job Matching models and mechanisms
n Integrated web-based component system
u Identified mechanisms for Profiling and Job Matching distribution
u Requirements gathering
F Identified job patterns for job requirements and applications to take advantage of web-based structures
n Data monitoring
u Identified mechanisms for monitoring of Profiling and Job Matching Data in the web and at the Organizations’ level
n Profiling and Job Match tailoring and adaptation
u Identified mechanisms by which Job Analysis metrics can be used for Job Patterns’ configuration

LIMIT OF THE RESEARCH
n The cost involved in the profiling and job matching of all the unemployed graduates in Malaysia is enormous as the website owner is charging RM380.00 per assessment test.
n Only selected GLCs are participating in the research project as some are reluctant to indulge in academic formality.
n Only selected IPTAs are participating in the research project as most of the others are located in locations outside Kuala Lumpur.
n The research is being conducted in the context of the definition of K-Worker in GLCs in Malaysia rather than all Malaysian or other companies.
n The unemployed graduates involved in the research are from IPTAs only instead of including those from IPTSs in Malaysia or those graduated from foreign universities.
n The Job Analysis (Soft Skills) is being pre-designed by the e-Profiling System where it is supposedly designed to suit the biases and prejudices of all nationalities universally.
n The availability of good web-based system with inter-net facilities in computer laboratory environment is not always meet up with the expectations of www.assessmentcompany.com


Conclusion
n Profiling and Job Matching mechanisms
u Best effort web-based network: service tailoring and adaptation for unemployed graduates and their prospective employers
u Controlled web-based network: bandwidth reservation protocols
u Client: POTW (Profiles-On-the-Web) installation
u User controls perception: Real-time interface, sensible assessment reports
n User benefits from web-based systems
u State of network, active path, source routing
n User benefits from web-based services
u Selection of Profiling and Job Matching services, 'on need' transparent delivery through POTWs
n User benefits from web-based computing
u Distributed job profiling tasks in consecutive and/or parallel job patterns
n User benefits from unified Profiling and Job Matching model
u Communication of requirements between web-based services on heterogenous operating systems


INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND/RATIONALE
n Why is graduate employability an issue?
u All of us in higher education hope that, when our graduates leave us, they will go on to lead lives which are personally and financially rewarding, which contribute to the common good and use the full range of their talents.
u Helping them achieve this is part of our core mission.
u Perhaps the most crucial element of employability for the graduate is self confidence and a sense of autonomy.
u Graduates who know what they can do and know, and how it is useful to other people, are likely to succeed in the labour market.
u It is important that their experience of higher education gives them this sense of control over their own lives and talents.
u That is a matter for everyone in the institution.

Millions of ringgit was spent in the last few years
n to retrain 10,000 fresh graduates who faced difficulties in finding jobs, and this year the Government has allocated another RM100mil to help some 15,000 unemployed graduates.
n On average, the Government had spent about RM10,000 per unemployed graduate for the reskilling program using the appointed training providers throughout the country.
n With the Job Profiling and Job Matching technology, we may not have to spend so much money on reskilling the jobless graduates BUT to ask instead the employers to come forward with the Job Patterns that are required and expected by them from the fresh graduates.

PROBLEM STATEMENT/RESEARCH STATEMENT/PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
n The issue of unemployment among local university graduates has caught the attention of the nation, making newsdoctoral research project headlines.
n Economically, this is not a trivial issue when we consider the amount of public money poured into local universities, the ears spent by our youth in studying for a degree and the frustration of employers in recruiting graduates to keep the industry running.
n The ultimate cost will be the loss of economic competitiveness at a time when it has become rucial for our country to be globally competitive.
n This doctoral research will address the issue by putting it within the context of the new knowledge-based economy (K-economy), examine some of the alternatives, and put forward a solution that could make unemployable graduates employable.

K-Economy realities or myths?
n The new economy is characterised by rapid advances in technology, which in turn changes the way business is run.
n This change is not a temporary shift that can be overcome with some quick fix; it requires a transformation of the whole business structure and the employment of a new breed of workers called ‘knowledge workers.
n There will be a loss of traditional jobs and a situation will arise where large amounts of vacancies go unfulfilled, whilst unemployment queues keep growing.

Flawed Higher Education System?
n In the news
n The graduate issue has made front-page news. Appearing on the front page of The Star recently was an article entitled “Flawed system? Employers: Graduates can’t find jobs to match their qualification.”
n It read:
u “Flaws in the education system are preventing local graduates from getting jobs which match their qualifications, churning out private sector employees who are oblivious to the requirements of market forces.”

Findings by the Malaysian Employers Federation
n show that graduates found it hard to land the right jobs because they did not know what to expect in the job market.
u Are you a knowledge worker?
n We are reminded constantly that knowledge workers will replace traditional office workers.
n As companies reduce their workforce, the employees that are retained usually possess the characteristics of a knowledge worker.
n There are many questions that need to be answered.
u Is a graduate a knowledge worker?
u Why is knowledge an important resource for businesses? Why the fuss now?
u How are certain jobs threatened by this revolution?

Graduates are not automatically knowledge-workers.
n Nor does being a knowledge worker mean that you must hold a degree.
n Employers, therefore, are looking for graduates who have the ability to learn on their own.
n A degree is merely a testimony that a graduate has undertaken a course of study; it does not testify the person can do the job.
n What differentiates one graduate from another during a job interview is their competencies.
n Competencies can be defined in just one word ?Boleh.
n Graduates who are unsure if they possess certain competencies can ask themselves questions that employers would ask during an interview such as:
u Are you able to maintain our manual payroll systems?
u Or Can you create a company website?
u Or, Can you prepare a full budget proposal?

GOAL/OBJECTIVE OF THE RESEARCH
OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH -SMART
n SPECIFIC
n MEASURABLE/MANAGEABLE
n ATTAINABLE/ACHIEVABLE
n REALISTIC
n TIMEFRAME
GOALS/OBJECTIVES OF JOB MATCHING AND PROFILING RESEARCH PROJECT STUDY FOR THE UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES:
n TO ESTABLISH THE JOB PATTERN REQUIREMENTS OF THE EMPLOYERS IN THE CONTEXT OF K-ECONOMY AND NORMATIVE PATTERN OF COMPETENCIES.
n TO ASCERTAIN THE SOFT-SKILLS (AND HARD SKILLS) OF THE UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES IN ORDER TO MATCH THE POSITIONS OFFERED BY THE PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYERS AND FUTURE JOB OPENINGS.
n TO SPUR THE GROWTH OF MALAYSIAN K-ECONOMY BY OPTIMIZING THE UNDERUTILIZED RESOURCES COMPRISING THE UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES.
n TO ASSIST THE RELEVANT AUTHORITIES IN CHARTING OUT THE NEXT STRATEGY BY FOCUSING ON THE CRITICAL SKILL SETS OR COMPETENCIES REQUIRED BY THE NATION'S SO AS TO ENABLE THE IPTA, IPTS AND OTHER LEARNING INSTITUTES TO CONCENTRATE ON THE CORE SYLLABUS IN TANDEM WITH THE FUTURE JOBS OR PATTERNS AND SOFT SKILLS REQUIREMENTS OF THE INDUSTRIES AND THE PUBLIC SECTOR.
n TO CREATE JOB OPPORTUNITIES AMONG THE UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES.
n TO ESTABLISH A MORE STRUCTURED FORMAT FOR ACCURATELY COLLATING THE DATA OF UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AMONG THE MALAYSIAN PEOPLE DUE TO THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN.
n TO CREATE THE CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE called by the PM AMONG THE UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES BY ESTABLISHING THE ACTUAL SOFT-SKILLS OF THESE CANDIDATES AND HARNESS ON THEIR STRENGTHS BASED ON THEIR OCCUPATIONAL INTERESTS (IN WHATEVER AREAS OR DISCIPLINES).
n TO PROMOTE THE CULTURE OF FAIR ASSESMENT BY THE EMPLOYERS as called by PM WHEN SELECTING AND HIRIING THE UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES.
n TO ESTABLISH THE NOPIM (NATIONAL OCCUPATIONAL PROFILING INDEX FOR MALAYSIA)
n TO MEET THE ASPIRATIONS OF VISION 2020.

The specific objectives are:
n To assist graduates to acquire work experience related to their education and career interests, preferably in growth sectors;
n To assist graduates to become self-employed in growth sectors through support for developing and managing their businesses;
n To assist graduates, through the entrepreneurial component, to create employment opportunities for others;
n To provide a model of successful transition from post-secondary education to related employment.

SCOPE OF THE RESEARCH


GESEP was designed to address the challenges faced by
n post-secondary graduates in the province in making the transition to work, as evidenced by a number of labour market trends:
n Difficulty in finding work related to studies and consequent underemployment of graduates;
n Growing out-migration of graduates unable to find work in the province;
n Less movement of graduates back to their rural home areas following graduation because of lack of work opportunities;
n The emergence of certain sectors that present good opportunity for new jobs and entrepreneurship in which new graduates might have a relative advantage in the labour market (for example information technology).


The objectives of Graduate Employment/Self-Employment Program (GESEP) were:
n To assist graduates to acquire work experience related to their education and career interests, preferably in growth sectors;
n To assist graduates to become self-employed in growth sectors through support for developing and managing their businesses;
n To assist graduates, through the entrepreneurial component, to create employment opportunities for others;
n To provide a model of successful transition from post-secondary education to related employment.

GESEP targeted recent post-secondary graduates in Malaysia who:
n Had graduated, within two years prior to program participation, from a post-secondary program of a minimum one-year duration;
n Were either unemployed, working less than 20 hours per week, or working in a job unrelated to their field of study;
n For the Graduate Employment (GE) component, had been actively seeking employment in their field of study for a minimum of three months or as approved by program administrators;
n For the Self-Employment component (SE), were not eligible for the Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) Self-Employment Assistance Program or could demonstrate that this was not a viable option.

The intent of GE was to provide
n work experience to graduates related to their education and career interests. It was anticipated that the program would stimulate employers to create long term jobs by allowing them to hire individuals on a trial basis with wages subsidized by government. At the same time, there was no onus on employers to retain graduates at the end of the 52-week program. In short, the primary outcome of the program was to be relevant work experience for new graduates.

The evaluation is based on multiple lines of evidence, gathered through the following methods:
n Profiling Survey for Hard Skills of the selected population of Graduate Employment (GE) and Self-Employment (SE) participants;
n Profiling Survey for Soft Skills of a sample of eligible GE and SE applicants;
n Job Analysis Survey of a sample of GE employers;
n Focus groups;
n Key informant interviews;
n Documents and Reports review;
n Literature review;
n Use of administrative data from the Research Doctoral Program, Unemployment/Employment Government data, and data from Human Resources Ministry, and PTPTN data to analyze program activity and outcomes and develop the comparison group.

PROFILING: A POWERFUL TOOL
n Imagine within just a few minutes of interaction being able to accurately predict how someone is likely to:
u  Communicate (Behavioural Trait)
u  Perform on the job (Occupational Interest)
u  Make decisions (Thinking Style)
n These are three of the most valuable pieces of information most people would like to learn about others in almost any professional environment. Assessing this kind of valuable information about someone is called profiling.
n Profiling is the ability to assess a comprehensive amount of information about a person’s personality.

SIGNIFICANCE AND BENEFITS/JUSTIFICATION OF THE RESEARCH
n With the technology, resources, available infrastructure and internal/external expertise that we have in Malaysia, this model project of preparing the profiling of selected group of unemployed graduates as well as to get feedback from employers on the types of positions and candidates they needed for placements.
n This research project study will definitely act as an important component for resolving the critical issues of mismatch of unemployed graduates and the requirements of employers in complying with the definition of K-Worker in our globalized economy.
n To assist the government in collecting back the PTPTN loans disbursed to unemployed graduates while they were studying in IPTAs and IPTSs who had been served with warning letters to pay back their study loans to the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN).
n To reduce further, despite the existence of jobless graduates, Malaysia's unemployment rate was still among the lowest in the world, at between 3.2 and 3.8 per cent.


LIMIT OF THE RESEARCH
n The cost involved in the profiling and job matching of all the unemployed graduates in Malaysia is enormous as the website owner is charging RM380.00 per assessment test.
n Only selected GLCs are participating in the research project as some are reluctant to indulge in academic formality.
n Only selected IPTAs are participating in the research project as most of the others are located in locations outside Kuala Lumpur.
n The research is being conducted in the context of the definition of K-Worker in GLCs in Malaysia rather than all Malaysian or other companies.
n The unemployed graduates involved in the research are from IPTAs only instead of including those from IPTSs in Malaysia or those graduated from foreign universities.
n The Job Analysis (Soft Skills) is being pre-designed by the e-Profiling System where it is supposedly designed to suit the biases and prejudices of all nationalities universally.
n The availability of good web-based system with inter-net facilities in computer laboratory environment is not always meet up with the expectations of www.assessmentcompany.com


Detailed Findings
n To what extent did the project reach the intended target groups?
n Were participants representative of the target groups?
n If not, why not?
n To what extent has GESEP succeeded in removing barriers to employment and training?


To what extent has the project assisted participants to achieve economic self-sufficiency?
n What activities/interventions were most effective? For what type of participants? For completers? For non-completers?
n Did graduates successfully establish small businesses or get long-term jobs related to their studies?
n For what reasons are some participants unemployed and on income support after the project?
n Did the project motivate participants to go on to further training or education?


To what extent has GESEP prepared participants for economic self-sufficiency?
n increased motivation and self-esteem?
n assisted in development of business plan?
n provided relevant work experience?
n provided self-employment/business skills?
n facilitated access to training and business support services?
n provided mentoring/role models?

What are the benefits to society, participants and the government as a result of GESEP?
n What effect did the program have on income support payments and personal finance?
Has the Self-Employment component encouraged the establishment of small businesses (and subsequent creation of jobs) in growth sectors and remote regions?
n How many have succeeded/failed and for what reasons? Are potential employers in growth sectors able to find appropriately skilled employees?
What monitoring mechanisms were put in place to collect information on participants and interventions?
n Was sufficient baseline information collected to support the evaluation strategy that was developed for the project?
Is the pilot project model the best way of achieving project objectives?
n Are there better alternatives of achieving the same objective? How do results compare with the results of other programs with similar objectives?
There are a number of lessons learned from this pilot process for future initiatives. These include the need for:
n appropriate levels of funding;
n clarity of roles;
n empowerment and independence of the working level staff in making decisions on individual approvals;
n performance measures to track progress;
n a mechanism to make changes in approach in a timely way;
n appropriate delivery structure to achieve the innovations being tested;
n continuity in staff resources throughout the pilot.

What lessons can be learned from this project on interventions to assist the target group?
n How and to what extent does it contribute to the development of a policy framework for social security reform? Does the project lead to a more efficient delivery of services? To what extent can this project be successfully expanded or replicated in other areas?

The following sectors identified in the Malaysia’s Strategic Economic Plan as having growth potential:
n Manufacturing and technical industries:
u non-resource-based manufacturing
u innovative technologies
u information industries
u professional services
u environmental industries
n Tourism and culture industries
n The energy sector:
u electricity generation
u petroleum exploration both offshore and onshore
u energy efficiency and alternative energy industries
n Agricultural and Agro-Based Industries


LITERATURE REVIEW – THEORITICAL/CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
LIST OF REFERENCES
n “HIRE WITH YOUR HEAD”, Using Power Hiring (To Build Great Companies), Second Edition,(pp.173 – 175) 2002
n “THE HUMAN CAPITAL EDGE”, Bruce N.Pfau and Ira T.Kay, (pp. 27 – 38) 2002
n “THE HR SCORECARD”, Brian E.Becker, Mark A. Huselid, Dave Ulrich, (pp. 53 – 77) 2001
n “HUMAN RESOURCE CHAMPIONS”, Dave Ulrich, (pp. 1- 21) 1997
n "EMPLOYING THE WHOLE MAN", Peter Drucker makes the case in The Practice of Management. Harper & Row. New York (pp. 262-272) 1982


APPENDICES
In the book entitled THE HUMAN CAPITAL EDGE by Bruce N.Pfau and Ira T.Kay,
n the authors wrote “JOB PROFILING PROCESS ENSURES NEW HIRES ARE READY TO PERFORM THEIR JOB. THE FIRST STEP IS TO CREATE THE JOB PROFILES FOR THE DIFFERENT POSITIONS WITHIN A FUNCTION. ONCE JOB PROFILES ARE DEFINED, APPLICANTS CAN BE SOURCED AND SCREENED BASED IN THE SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED IN A POSITION. IN ADDITION TO CREATING PROFILES AND RECRUITING BASED ON JOB PROFILES, THE STAFFING DEPARTMENT CAN DESIGNED BEHAVIOURAL INTERVIEWING QUESTIONS THAT ASSESS THE SKILL SETS OF EACH PROFILE. THESE PROFILING TOOLS MAKE HIRING MUCH EASIER FOR MANAGERS AND RECRUITERS ALIKE.”


JOB MATCHING OUTRANKS ALL OTHER FACTORS IN MAKING UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES EMPLOYABLE
n A well-documented study, published in Harvard Business Review concludes that "Job Match" is by far the most reliable predictor of effectiveness on the job. The study considered many factors including the age, sex, race, education and experience of approximately 300,000 subjects. It evaluated their job performance and found no significant statistical differences, except in the area of "Job Match."
n The conclusion: "It's not experience that counts or college degrees or other accepted factors; success hinges on a fit with the job."

Research Hypothesis
n The only reliable method for evaluating “Job Match” is with a properly designed assessment instrument, capable of measuring the essential job-related characteristics particular to each specific job.

WHY USE OUR PROFILING SYSTEM AS A BETTER ALTERNATIVE OVER OTHERS IN HIRING AND SELECTING FROM THE POOL OF UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES?
n The author of “HIRE WITH YOUR HEAD USING POWER HIRING” Lou Adler mentioned in his best-seller book that
u “The Profile is a combination of tests designed and published by Profiles International of Waco, Texas where in addition to asking more questions (which offers a higher reliability), The Profile measures what they call “Thinking Style” (a kind of general/cognitive ability). The Profile also adds a measure of occupational interests, WHICH MOST ASSESSMENT TOOLS IGNORE. The personality section is based on dynamic business traits. Because it is MULTIDIMENSIONAL, it stands out as more of a “WHOLE-PERSON” assessment. The Profile test takes about an hour to complete and is worth the added time because it covers so much. It can be administered via booklet, computer, or the Internet (web-based).”

As a pre-employment hiring tool for the unemployed graduates,
n it can do a good job of predicting and confirming behaviour in potential applicants because it covers both cognitive ability and personality style.
n We recommend this test highly for the unemployed graduates seeking jobs because of this powerful combination.
n Another important feature of this profiling tool is the ability to benchmark top performers in a specific job function.
n All current employees take the test to establish the benchmark of performance.
n Applicants for promotion or candidates for succession planning and talent management are then compared to the top performers or models in the current employee group.
n Candidates who have been interviewed and seem strong, but fall out of the top range, are then examined in more depth before an offer is extended.
n Sometimes marginal candidates are also pulled back in because they do surprisingly well on the test.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY/RESEARCH DESIGN
n RESEARCH QUESTIONS, OR
n HYPOTHESIS OR BOTH
n DATA COLLECTION METHOD
u Web-based Electronic Survey Forms:
F Job Analysis (Hard Skills)
F Job Analysis (Soft Skills) for Creating Job Patterns
F Assessment Tests 24/7 Anywhere in Malaysia with availability of internet facilities.


LIST OF REFERENCES
n “HIRE WITH YOUR HEAD”, Using Power Hiring (To Build Great Companies), Second Edition,(pp.173 – 175) 2002
n “THE HUMAN CAPITAL EDGE”, Bruce N.Pfau and Ira T.Kay, (pp. 27 – 38) 2002
n “THE HR SCORECARD”, Brian E.Becker, Mark A. Huselid, Dave Ulrich, (pp. 53 – 77) 2001
n “HUMAN RESOURCE CHAMPIONS”, Dave Ulrich, (pp. 1- 21) 1997
n "EMPLOYING THE WHOLE MAN", Peter Drucker makes the case in The Practice of Management. Harper & Row. New York (pp. 262-272) 1982

REPORTS GENERATED BY JOB ANALYSIS and ASSESSMENT SURVEYS
n JOB FIT TRACKING REPORT ANALYSIS (In Excel)
n CONFIDENTIAL INDIVIDUAL REPORT (In Word)
n Confidential Multi Job Match Report (In Word)
n Confidential Placement Report (In Word)

The Star, TUESDAY 13 MAY, 2003
The National Economic Action Council (NEAC) will conduct a study to arrest the problem of 50,000 unemployed graduates nationwide. NEAC Executive Director, Datuk Mustapha Mohamad said that the study would involve employers, unemployed graduates and the Education Ministry. “We know that the reasons for the high unemployment rate were caused by the sluggish economy in the past three to four years,” Datuk Mustapha said. He added that the study was to prepare a profile of all unemployed graduates as well as to get feedback from employers on the types of graduates they needed and to gauge the effectiveness of government programmes like training and attachments. “We intend to fine-tune the programme to be more effective to ensure that unemployed graduates get jobs within a short period,” he said.

The Star, MONDAY, Dec 20, 2004
Overcome the Problem of Unemployment Among Graduates
PASIR PUTEH, Dec 20 (Bernama) -- The government is drawing up strategies to overcome the problem of unemployment among graduates including to encourage them to venture into the agriculture and small and medium industries (SMIs). Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said that the number of jobless graduates currently was about 60,000 and following the implementation of the strategies, the government was confident that the problem could be dealt with under the Ninth Malaysia Plan. Speaking to reporters at the Pasir Puteh parliamentary constituency's Hari Raya gathering here Sunday, he said that the agriculture and SMIs offer greater job opportunities for them and those who had just sat for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination. He said that they should not depend on the government to offer them jobs but must be prepared to work in the private sector or to stand by themselves and venture into the business sector. Mustapa also said that the government was prepared to be flexible towards unemployed graduates who had been served with warning letters to pay back their study loans to the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) if they appealed. He also said that despite the existence of jobless graduates, Malaysia's unemployment rate was still among the lowest in the world, at between 3.2 and 3.8 per cent.-- BERNAMA
Bernama Dec 20, 2004 wrote:

Normative vs. Ipsative
The Total Person
Utilize All Of Our Resources
Selection Process – Step 1
Selection Process – Step 2
Seeking The Total Person

PROFILING: A POWERFUL TOOL
n Imagine within just a few minutes of interaction being able to accurately predict how someone is likely to:
u Communicate (Behavioural Trait)
u Perform on the job (Occupational Interest)
u Make decisions (Thinking Style)
n These are three of the most valuable pieces of information most people would like to learn about others in almost any professional environment.
n Assessing this kind of valuable information about someone is called profiling.
n Profiling is the ability to assess a comprehensive amount of information about a person’s personality.

Profile XT Measures 20 Job Competencies
1) Learning Index
2) Verbal Skill
3) Verbal Reasoning
4) Numerical Ability
5) Numeric Reasoning
6) Enterprising
7) Financial/Administrative
8) People Service
9) Technical
10) Mechanical

11) Creative
12) Energy Level
13) Assertiveness
14) Sociability
15) Manageability
16) Attitude
17) Decisiveness
18) Accommodating
19) Independence
20) Objective Judgment

The JobMatch™ Pattern
Shaded areas indicate the JobMatch Pattern
The JobMatch patterns show requirements for the jobs in your company
Use these patterns for:
Ø Placement
Ø Retention
Ø Training
Ø Promoting
Ø Managing
Ø Planning

The Profile – Good JobMatch

The Profile – Poor JobMatch
An Accelerated Timeframe to Complete the Research Project

THE RIGHT CANDIDATE FOR THE RIGHT JOB
n Both experienced and novice users of assessment tools will gain valuable insight into what will and will not work for each organization.
n Whether we tailor a norm or use our current validated information to help each organization in hiring and selecting personnel; the organization will be amazed at the “lightning speed” of the results or reports of the assessment of the individual candidates.
n Forget about the "Square Peg in a Round Hole" or finding a perfect fit when hiring the unemployed graduates.

Hiring and selection process of unemployed graduates
n is a complex and difficult task that begins with the company and the position, entwines the manager or interviewer and evolves around the unemployed graduate's experience, educational discipline, goals, attitude, mental skills and personality as it relates to the position.
n Since there is no such thing as a perfect person, e-Profiles prefer to see the company, position and manager (the supervisor) as the circle in which a three dimensional triangle that the applicant or incumbent must be placed in the center for the best possible job fit.


Arts or Religious Studies’ graduates often feel they do not have anything to offer an employer.
n They feel unqualified, in part because they see their peers in nursing or engineering have no trouble identifying organizations that are in their field, or positions for which they can apply.
n As a result arts graduates often feel they do not have employable skills.
n However, arts graduates possess a great many of the skills most in demand by employers.
n Research has identified reasoning, communication, and interpersonal skills, as the top qualities employers are most looking for in new employees.
n Furthermore, the ability to take a great deal of information, synthesize it, and make reasoned, independent decisions is a skill increasingly in demand.
n These skills match very closely with what all liberal arts degrees provide to their recipients.

KNOWLEDGE WORKERS
n MUST MASTER TWO KIND OF SKILLS, ACADEMIC AND WORK RELATED.
u FIRSTLY, ACADEMIC IS THE FOUNDATION SKILLS WHICH INCLUDE:
F BASIC SKILLS- READING- WRITING- SPEAKING- LISTENING THINKING SKILLS- REASONING- MAKING DECISION- SOLVING PROBLEMS- THINKING CREATIVELY RESOURCE SKILLS- IDENTIFYING- ORGANISING- PLANNING- ALLOCATING TIME PERSONAL QUALITIES- RESPONSIBILITY- SELF-ESTEEM- HONESTY INTEGRITY

KNOWLEDGE WORKERS
n SECONDLY, WORK RELATED IS COMPETENCY SKILLS WHICH INCLUDE:
u INFORMATION SKILLS- USING A COMPUTER FOR PROCESSING INFORMATION, ACQUIRING, EVALUATING, ORGANISING AND COMMUNICATION INFORMATION SYSTEM AND PROCESS SKILLS- UNDERSTANDING SYSTEM- CORRECTING PERFORMANCE- IMPROVING DESIGNING SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY UTILISATION SKILLS- SELECTING TECHNOLOGYAPPLYING IT TO A TASK INTERPERSONAL SKILLS- NEGOTIATING- EXERCISING LEADERSHIP- WORKING WITH DIVERSITY- TEACHING OTHERS NEW SKILLS THESE KNOWLEDGE WORKER SKILLS ARE ALSO ONE OF THE SUCCESS FACTOR IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT.



INTERVIEW
n The Problem with the way it's always been done
u “Business Organizations spend an enormous amount of time, energy, and money in a never ending effort to train, coach, or motivate marginal employees to a level of merely adequate performance."
n Why do we hire who we hire?


The Problem with the way it's always been done by employers
n Halo Effect - When an interviewer sees part of themselves in a candidate.
n Unconscious bias- is the opposite of the halo effect. This is when the applicant is unlike the interviewer.
n The "Great At Interview" Candidates- These dynamic, enthusiastic, personable candidates are much like someone who can talk knowledgeably about anything.
n The "Bad at Interview" Candidates-This is when the candidate's appearance is lackluster and undistinguished.
n NORMATIVE Versus IPSATIVE Assessment Tools.
n Employers not looking at the “TOTAL PERSON” perspective objectively.

The Total Person
Utilize All Of Your Resources
Selection Process – Step 1
Selection Process – Step 2
Seeking The Total Person
Job Fit is the Key!
n Cognitive ability is the oldest job success indicator. When abilities are more defined, they can better be applied to exact job requirements. This is what we do!
n Occupational Interest are the second element to Job Fit. If the interest are not a good match, the personal will not do the job very long, and will not bring their full attentions to it.
n Dynamics of an Individual's Behavior are the third element to Job Fit. For someone to perform at a high level, they must have the personality match to achieve Job Fit.


APPROACHES TO ANALYZING JOBS
n There is no one way to study jobs.
n Several models of job analysis now exist, but as we will see shortly, each leaves something to be desired.
n The job analysis formula is a simplified but complete model of obtaining information on work activities.
n The formula consists of
u (1) what the worker does,
u (2) how he or she does it,
u (3) why he or she does it, and
u (4) the skill involved in doing it.
n In fact, providing the what, how, and why of each task and the total job should constitute a functional description of work activities for compensation purposes.

What The Profile Measures
n Can the persondo the job?
n Will the persondo the job?
n How will the persondo the job?

Can The Person Do The Job?
The Learning Index
Will The Person Do The Job?
How The Person Will Do The Job?
Profile XT Measures 20 Job Competencies
1) Learning Index
2) Verbal Skill
3) Verbal Reasoning
4) Numerical Ability
5) Numeric Reasoning
6) Enterprising
7) Financial/Administrative
8) People Service
9) Technical
10) Mechanical

11) Creative
12) Energy Level
13) Assertiveness
14) Sociability
15) Manageability
16) Attitude
17) Decisiveness
18) Accommodating
19) Independence
20) Objective Judgment

Normative vs. Ipsative

Individual Candidate’s Score
The JobMatch™ Pattern
Shaded areas indicate the JobMatch Pattern
The JobMatch patterns show requirements for the jobs in your company
Use these patterns for:
Ø Placement
Ø Retention
Ø Training
Ø Promoting
Ø Managing
Ø Planning
Top Performer JobFit™ Profile
JobFit™ Profile Analysis
JobFit™ Profile Matrix

The individual is compared to a “job pattern”
n (the shaded areas on the sample) specifically for a particular job in the organization.
n This job pattern is derived by giving the Profile to 2-20 of the top performers or 20% of the top performers in the position or, if top performers are lacking, having an immediate supervisor answer a questionnaire regarding the job.


Each position in the organization would have a different job pattern.
n A percentage fit to the pattern is given in each of the critical areas along with a total percentage fit to the job.
n Interview questions are provided in the Hiring Report where the person scores outside of the job pattern.
n In addition, the Profile also contains a distortion scale, ranging 1-10, indicating the candor (forthrightness) in which the person showed when taking the assessment. The higher this score…the better.

The Profile – Good JobMatch
The Profile – Poor JobMatch

DISTORTION SCALE
Indicates how well a candidate fits the job and the level of the candidate’s candor while completing the assessment. Candidates with poor Job Match and/or low Distortion Scale score should be evaluated very closely.

Reporting Overview
n Our reports are written at face value and require no outside interpretation or certification. The design features of our reports include graphical illustrations coupled with bullet highlights. For example, in our placement report illustrated here, a user will find graphs plotting the candidate’s scores, percentage results, interview questions, and bullet statements summarizing the candidate’s results.


Seven Reports
n The Profile XT produces these informative reports:
u Individual Report - A guide for self-understanding
u Placement Report - Selecting the right people through Job Match
u Multi-Job Match Report - Useful for succession planning and reassigning employees to new positions
u Coaching Report - An excellent training and development tool
u Job Profile Summary Report - Used with job descriptions to more accurately define job requirements
u Summary Reports - To give you a "snapshot" of essential information
u Graph Report - For visual analysis of Job Match


The “Express” Performance Cycle
Cost/Time/Productivity Analysis

DISTORTION SCALE
Indicates how well a candidate fits the job and the level of the candidate’s candor while completing the assessment. Candidates with poor Job Match and/or low Distortion Scale score should be evaluated very closely.

Reporting Overview
n Our reports are written at face value and require no outside interpretation or certification.
n The design features of our reports include graphical illustrations coupled with bullet highlights.
n For example, in our placement report illustrated here, a user will find graphs plotting the candidate’s scores, percentage results, interview questions, and bullet statements summarizing the candidate’s results.

Seven Reports
n The Profile XT produces these informative reports:
u Individual Report - A guide for self-understanding
u Placement Report - Selecting the right people through Job Match
u Multi-Job Match Report - Useful for succession planning and reassigning employees to new positions
u Coaching Report - An excellent training and Career Coaching & Development tool
u Job Profile Summary Report - Used with job descriptions to more accurately define job requirements
u Summary Reports - To give you a "snapshot" of essential information
u Graph Report - For visual analysis of Job Match


Research Motivation
n Users of current Job Portal Web-Based systems have little or no control over their job applications as perceived by the prospective employers.
n Many Job Portal Users that have models that collate ONLY
u Hard Skills of Candidates
u User preferences/profile and resource profiles that are ipsative in nature.
n Profiling and Job Matching monitoring technology still an open issue
u Web-based environments offer special advantages to monitoring of job applications by unemployed graduates and job vacancies in the job markets as advertised by employers .

Research Objectives
n TO ESTABLISH THE JOB PATTERN REQUIREMENTS OF THE EMPLOYERS IN THE CONTEXT OF K-ECONOMY AND NORMATIVE PATTERN OF COMPETENCIES.
n TO ASCERTAIN THE SOFT-SKILLS (AND HARD SKILLS) OF THE UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES IN ORDER TO MATCH THE POSITIONS OFFERED BY THE PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYERS AND FUTURE JOB OPENINGS.
n TO SPUR THE GROWTH OF MALAYSIAN K-ECONOMY BY OPTIMIZING THE UNDERUTILIZED RESOURCES COMPRISING THE UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES.
n TO ASSIST THE RELEVANT AUTHORITIES IN CHARTING OUT THE NEXT STRATEGY BY FOCUSING ON THE CRITICAL SKILL SETS OR COMPETENCIES REQUIRED BY THE NATION'S SO AS TO ENABLE THE IPTA, IPTS AND OTHER LEARNING INSTITUTES TO CONCENTRATE ON THE CORE SYLLABUS IN TANDEM WITH THE FUTURE JOBS OR PATTERNS AND SOFT SKILLS REQUIREMENTS OF THE INDUSTRIES AND THE PUBLIC SECTOR.
n TO CREATE JOB OPPORTUNITIES AMONG THE UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES.
n TO ESTABLISH A MORE STRUCTURED FORMAT FOR ACCURATELY COLLATING THE DATA OF UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AMONG THE MALAYSIAN PEOPLE DUE TO THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN.
n TO CREATE THE CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE called by the PM AMONG THE UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES BY ESTABLISHING THE ACTUAL SOFT-SKILLS OF THESE CANDIDATES AND HARNESS ON THEIR STRENGTHS BASED ON THEIR OCCUPATIONAL INTERESTS (IN WHATEVER AREAS OR DISCIPLINES).
n TO PROMOTE THE CULTURE OF FAIR ASSESMENT BY THE EMPLOYERS as called by PM WHEN SELECTING AND HIRIING THE UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES.
n TO ESTABLISH THE NOPIM (NATIONAL OCCUPATIONAL PROFILING INDEX FOR MALAYSIA)
n TO MEET THE ASPIRATIONS OF VISION 2020.
n Investigate the role of Job Portals (e.g. JobStreet.com and JobDB) and in supporting the Ministry of Human Resources in Job Matching the Unemployed Graduates in Malaysia within the context of Job Placements.
n Determine which Profiling and Job Matching Tools are best suited to resolve the Unemployed Graduates in Malaysia.
n Investigate Profiling and Job Matching Tools used to monitor the Occupational Indices for Malaysian employment market.
n Investigate the use of Profiling and Job Matching Data Mining Techniques to construct National Occupational and Profiling Index for Malaysia (NOPIM) for employers and job seekers.

Research Contribution
n Formalisation of a NOPIM (National Occupational and Profiling Index for Malaysia) model suitable for keeping the job database of employers on-the-web to be used by job applicants.
n Specification of a Job Profiling component for analysing jobs and profiling candidates among the unemployed graduates using web-based systems
u Offers a solution in monitoring, service tailoring and adaptation, active path management
u Protocol for communication of available jobs and Job Analysis requirements (hard skills and soft skills)
n Application of new Job Portals to construct optimal job patterns and profiles of applicants for Job Fitting the employment markets in Malaysia more objectively.

Research Hypothesis
n Complex multi-job match applications benefit from distributed processing of job profiles and job patterns across multiple locations and industries on a network with the purpose of establishing Job Fits.
n Such applications need web-based infrastructures capable of linking multiple job data-bases in a network to form a controlled network (controlled resources) under NOPIM.
n Future development of NOPIM will support job data that can monitor job vacancies and job applications.
n Profiling and Job Matching data in a unified NOPIM model can be subjected to Job Patterns data mining techniques to determine optimal Job Fit Requirements of Job Applications that can span multiple Job Vacancies or Opportunities in a web-based network

Research Questions
n What are the requirements & characteristics for a unified Profiling and Job Matching model to satisfy job applicants in a web-based environment?
n How can the specification of a web-based Job Profiling component system be made general enough to apply to wide variety of job recruitment and selection based systems?
n Can normative Job Profiles monitoring, tailoring and adaptation services be adequately deployed as components to be downloaded as required – as opposed to traditional ipsative Job Profiling services or Job Matching processes offered by existing Job Portals?
n What is required by Job Profiles data mining and reasoning algorithms to provide reliable service tailoring and adaptation for distributed Job Pattern components over a best effort web-based network?
n Normative over Ipsative - sufficient advantages over traditional job profiling systems?

Research Methodology
n Job Analysis for hard skills using web-based electronic survey form to support research project
n Job Analysis for soft skills using web-based technology tools to collate and analyse the data for creating the job patterns
n Profiling and Job Profiling reports generated by the web-based systems that are assessable by employers and job applicants.
n Formalise requirements for Job Patterns by prospective employers to match against the assessment results of job applicants.
n Prototype and test the Profiling and Job Matching system.

Current Progress
n Literature search
u Active readings on assessment and job profiling systems
u Web-based job profiling and web-based environments
u 21st Century Web-based Profiling and Job Matching models and mechanisms
n Integrated web-based component system
u Identified mechanisms for Profiling and Job Matching distribution
u Requirements gathering
F Identified job patterns for job requirements and applications to take advantage of web-based structures
n Data monitoring
u Identified mechanisms for monitoring of Profiling and Job Matching Data in the web and at the Organizations’ level
n Profiling and Job Match tailoring and adaptation
u Identified mechanisms by which Job Analysis metrics can be used for Job Patterns’ configuration

Conclusion
n Profiling and Job Matching mechanisms
u Best effort web-based network: service tailoring and adaptation for unemployed graduates and their prospective employers
u Controlled web-based network: bandwidth reservation protocols
u Client: POTW (Profiles-On-the-Web) installation
u User controls perception: Real-time interface, sensible assessment reports
n User benefits from web-based systems
u State of network, active path, source routing
n User benefits from web-based services
u Selection of Profiling and Job Matching services, 'on need' transparent delivery through POTWs
n User benefits from web-based computing
u Distributed job profiling tasks in consecutive and/or parallel job patterns
n User benefits from unified Profiling and Job Matching model
u Communication of requirements between web-based services on heterogenous operating systems

Employee Assessment Testing is the Answer

Unfortunately if the wrong person is hired,
n the next opportunity to effect performance cost considerably more because it’s after the individual is inside the company. Managers and supervisors must spend valuable time providing extra training to marginal employees, instead of investing their time in top performers, who generate most of the company’s profits. Often outside consultant are retained, in hopes that the situation can be improved. Too many times, these efforts prove unsatisfactory and only end up consuming yet, more time and money.
n Occasionally, elaborate incentive plans or bonuses are established, aimed at motivating employees. Typically, these efforts are much more successful increasing the performance of top people, rather than stimulating marginal employees. If these internal solutions fail to generate the desired results, the business is left with the last alternative and indeed the most costly- that of exiting the employee from the business or department. Now, all of that time, energy, and money invested in that individual leaves with them and the process to replace them must start over.
n W. Edwards Deming said, "if a person is not performing as expected, it is probably because they are miscast for the job". Deming‘s statement focuses the spotlight squarely on the selection process as being the most critical opportunity to take charge of the companies performance.


YOU DON’T HAVE TO GAMBLE IN HIRING PEOPLE
Businesses have two kinds of problems,
n systems problems and people problems. Systems problems are easy to identify and fix. People problems are not. Soon you will discover innovative break troughs in understanding and developing people, and why they do what they do.
n Everyday in countless businesses, businesses very much like yours, sales managers discover sales people who can not sell. Customer Service departments discover representatives that frustrate customers.
n Quality programs discover people who cannot produce quality products. Senior executives discover managers who can not manage, and empowered work teams discover team members incapable of team work.

The tragedy is many businesses come to believe that
n such things are normal. They shake there heads and say that’s the nature of our industry. Perhaps it’s time for a different insight into the problem.

Why Job Fit
n Businesses have three opportunities to impact the performance of their people. The first is during the selection process, if non performers can be screened out, the savings are dramatic in comparison to the minimal cost involved.
JOB FIT

What is Job Fit and How Assessment Testing Works?
n Did you ever have an employee who, knowing the importance of Customer Service, repeatedly frustrated customers? That’s Job Fit. Did you ever have a sales person who worked hard and never sold very much? That’s Job Fit. Did you ever worked beside someone who wasn’t interested in being there? That’s Job Fit.
n The challenge to businesses is that Job Fit can only be determined through the use of Assessment instruments and, until recently, the majority of those available were woefully inadequate. The information provided, while interesting, often tended to be generalized and lacked qualified, objective, and accurate data for serious decision making.
n We have developed an assessment, designed specifically for business, meeting all legal requirements and guidelines. In fact, consistent use of our assessment program can assist in documenting objective and non discriminatory hiring practices. Our tools are multicultural and validated for today’s diverse workforce. Additionally, our assessments are validated to be effective with English as a second language, and are also available in numerous dialects.
We have developed an assessment, designed specifically for
n business, meeting all legal requirements and guidelines. In fact, consistent use of our assessment program can assist in documenting objective and non discriminatory hiring practices. Our tools are multicultural and validated for today’s diverse workforce. Additionally, our assessments are validated to be effective with English as a second language, and are also available in numerous dialects.

The system allows companies to benchmark positions suitable for fresh graduates
n and to develop patterns defining the core competencies necessary for selecting fresh graduates.
n And what does the assessment system actually measure?
u Expected learning success, reasoning and problem solving potential. endurance and capacity for a fast pace, taking charge of people and situations, people-oriented, manageability, following policies, work within the rules, positive attitude, making decisions, cooperative and agreeable, team person, self-reliant, self-directed, persuasive, organized, creative thinking, and much more.
n The system can be easily incorporated into current operations of any organizations.

REPORTS GENERATED
Employee Assessment Reporting for Hiring & Selection
n We offer our clients a full range of reporting features. Each report is designed for a specific use-- hiring, promoting, coaching, training, or succession planning--reports are always just a click away.
n Our reports are written at face value and require no outside interpretation or certification. The design features of our reports include graphical illustrations coupled with bullet highlights. For example, in our placement report illustrated here, a user will find graphs plotting the candidate’s scores, percentage results, interview questions, and bullet statements summarizing the candidate’s results.
e-ASSESSMENT CENTRE
Online Employee Assessment & Testing Centers
n Your virtual online Assessment Center can be set-up and implemented in no time at all. Because it is a web-based system, there is no software to install or hardware to buy. You can log on 24/7 from work, home, hotels, or anywhere there is Internet connectivity. The Assessment Center has the ability to network your entire organization, which makes administering assessments and getting results easier than you ever thought possible. Scheduling a candidate or employee for an assessment is simple--log in—entering brief candidate or employee information--and your Virtual Assessment Center does the rest!

What we do:
n Profiles International services include: Assessment, Employee, Hiring, Employee Selection, Job Fit, JobFit, Assessments, Employee Testing, Applicant Assessments, Employee Assessments, Testing, Profiling, Assessment Tools, Psychological Testing, Employment Test, Employee Selection, Employment Test Assessment, Profiles International is leading provider worldwide.
HIRING REPORT
n used to put the right person in the right job. It gives employers assessments of job candidates’ thinking style, behavioral traits, and occupational interests, giving the candidate’s percentage match to the company’s top performers. The report also suggests questions interviewers can ask to help determine a candidate’s suitability for the position being filled.
INDIVIDUAL REPORT
n is used for personal growth and development. It describes a person’s attributes and gives insights to improve job performance and productivity.

CANDIDATE MATCHING REPORT
n is helpful for narrowing your search as you seek to fill a position. It compares the attributes of several candidates to your Job Match Pattern and, at a glance, shows you which of them have the highest Job Match Percentage. Then, by closer examination of the top candidates’ Placement Reports, you can easily determine which of them you want to interview and graduate to the next steps in your hiring process.

JOB PROFILE SUMMARY REPORT
n describes in great detail, the type of person who has the right qualities and characteristics to fit a particular job. This report complements a standard job description that details the skills and duties the job requires. Used together, they contain a Total person approach to explaining the requirements of a particular position.

Appendix A - ABLE
n IBM's Agent Building and Learning Environment (ABLE) toolkit
n Build agents from Java Bean components
n ABLE component library
u Data beans - data access and manipulation
u Learning beans - lightweight data mining
u Rule beans - formal set of reasoning algorithms
n Function specific AbleAgents
u Genetic search agent
u Neural classifier, clustering and prediction agents
u Script agent, JavaScript agent

Appendix B - Service Tailoring
n Service Tailoring
u Figure out feasible schemes for the delivery of RTP flows through the grid
u Encapsulate data access, reasoning and data mining algorithms
u Input: task description, heuristic policies, QoS metrics (profiles)
u Output:
F Feasible task descriptions for grid nodes
F Nodes could reserve resources in the task descriptions
n Critical component for optimal multimedia in grid
u Collocation with large grid state database
u Database must be kept up to date
F Serendipitous grid state data (from node requests)
F Purposeful polling within immediate cluster/LAN

Like a square pegstuck in a Round hole
n THE UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES: They don't belong thereand they can't get outof there!!

The Qualitative Evolution of Assessment Tools

The Learning Index
Top Performer JobFit™ Profile
JobFit™ Profile Analysis
JobFit™ Profile Matrix



Synopsis
n Find the right candidate for the job every timeAdler's insightful new POWER hiring methods enable managers to attract, assess, and recruit the best candidates through the integration of online tools and offline behavior modifications.
The Conclusion:
n Stop hammering a square peg in a round hole!!
n “It's not experience that counts or university/college degrees or other accepted factors; success hinges on a fit with the job.”