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

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

2. THE QNI PROBLEM • Yabulu Expansion Project (YEP) • Aim: to increase nickel production at QNI’s 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. STAGE THREE • Shortlisted candidates invited to complete OPQ online • Invited to attend assessment centres in Townsville

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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’