Several widely used tools require that staff meet certain qualifications, he added. Individuals must be certified to administer and interpret the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator personality test. The Career Occupational Preference System Interest Inventory is easy to administer and doesn't require a lot of training, but staff should be trained in test interpretation. The Self Directed Search job match and interest tool is another simple test to administer, but interpreters should have a background in counseling, education or psychology, Gantzarow added. Best Practices Workforce development staff can find out the exact requirements for the administration of more than 2,000 tests through the Mental Measurements Yearbook from the University of Nebraska's Buros Institute.
Local staff can likely find it in the reference area of their local libraries.
Indeed, telling clients incorrectly that they did not perform well enough or failed can have a real impact on their getting a job or changing careers. Confidentiality and the need for customer privacy is also an issue. Sharing or releasing information without a client's consent can leave staff open to lawsuits. Customer interviews, for example, should not take place in resource areas or waiting rooms, but in rooms that offer privacy. Staff at a center's welcome desk or reception area should steer clients to private rooms.