Careers:TOPICS

Behavioural consistency Biodata, a relatively new system of screening job applications, was recommended at the Standing Conference of Employers of Graduates (SCOEG) held in Cambridge. In a joint paper, Adrian Savage and Stephanie Craig, of PA Personnel Services Group, explained the methods and advantages of the system to an audience of graduate recruiters. It is a form of testing which takes as its central axiom the assumption that the best available indication of how a person will behave in the future is the way he or she has behaved in the past. The system standardises the collection and collation of extensive historical information and personal achievements, and replaces the subjective judgement of the interviewer with a clear scoring and categorisation system. This system is specifically tailored to the requirements of the position to be filled, based on information obtained concerning previous holders and possible future requirements.