PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE - 2025/6

Module Overview

Assessment in the workplace is carried out for a variety of purposes, for example recruitment and selection, performance management and diagnosis of training and development needs. This module covers foundations of psychological assessment (reliability, validity, and fairness), core theories of individual differences (e.g. personality, cognitive ability, emotions) and their application in organizational practice. The main emphasis in the coverage of practice is recruitment and selection.

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

WOODS Steve (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• 
  Foundations of assessment (reliability, validity, fairness)


• 
  Theories of individual differences


• 
  Assessment in HRM context


• 
  Job and competency analysis


• 
  Recruitment and selection process models


• 
  Selection assessment methodology


• 
  Selection decision making

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

As an alternative to the Group Assignment: Individual Presentation and slide deck submission

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate

Practical and technical skills relevant to assessment in the workplace.

Critical and conceptual perspectives on assessment, individual differences, recruitment and selection

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• A group assignment comprising a presentation showing the process of designing a short personality scale. Student must submit their slide deck with detailed notes) one day before the presentation.


• An essay-based individual assignment

Module aims

• Introduce and provide frameworks of technical concepts in assessment in the workplace (reliability, validity and fairness)
• Develop students' critical analysis of theories and models of individual differences.
• Provide an evidence-based, systematic and strategic appreciation of recruitment and selection in the workplace.
• Enable students to develop practical transferable skills in scale development and competency modelling.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to enable students to develop a practical and critical theoretical perspective on assessment methodology, and recruitment and selection.


The learning and teaching methods include:

• Lectures


• Class activities


• Group work (scale design activity)

• Supplementary guided learning reading materials at SurreyLearn

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MANM360

Other information

Employability

This module helps students to understand the application of theoretical and practical concepts of recruitment and selection, particularly, in personality assessment which provided them with a better understanding and application of practical and technical skills relevant to assessment in the workplace and how to present them accordingly. Further, the transferable skills gained through this module such as critical thinking, team-working, and report presentation and writing will enhance their employability potential.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.