Validity

Glossary of HR Terms What is Validity

What is Validity?

Validity refers to the degree to which an assessment, test, or measurement tool accurately measures what it is intended to measure. In HR and I-O psychology, validity ensures that pre-employment assessments and performance evaluations are predictive of actual job performance.

Why it matters

Valid assessments help organizations make fair and effective hiring and promotion decisions. Low validity leads to poor predictions, wasted resources, and potential legal risks if hiring practices are challenged.

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How it affects HR

Validity directly influences the effectiveness of HR tools and practices. For recruitment, it ensures that pre-employment assessments and interview methods accurately predict job performance, leading to better hires. In performance management, validity guarantees that evaluation criteria measure what they claim to, actual job-related outcomes, thus reducing unfairness. HR also relies on validity evidence for compliance, as legally defensible assessments require proof of predictive accuracy. By prioritizing valid tools, HR not only improves quality-of-hire but also strengthens trust in its processes, increases fairness, and safeguards the organization from potential legal challenges.

Common use cases/Examples

  • Testing whether a cognitive ability test predicts job performance.
  • Validating interview questions against role competencies.
  • Using criterion validity to link assessments with job outcomes.
  • Conducting content validity studies to confirm test relevance.
  • Ensuring promotion criteria align with future leadership performance.

FAQ

Content validity, construct validity, and criterion-related validity (predictive and concurrent).

It ensures that hiring tools actually predict performance, reducing bias and increasing quality-of-hire.

Through statistical analyses comparing assessment results with job outcomes or expert reviews of test content.

Yes. A test can consistently measure something (reliable) but not measure what it is supposed to (invalid).

Yes. U.S. guidelines like the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures (UGESP) require evidence of validity for employment tests.