Validity of behavioral assessment for predicting military recruiter performance.

Determined the validity of an assessment center designed to help select US Army recruiters. 16 experienced recruiters assessed 57 soldiers entering the Army's recruiter school, and assessment ratings were correlated with subsequent performance in training. A composite of assessment ratings yielded corrected validities of near .50. In contrast, first-impression evaluations, ratings based on a structured interview, and scores on a test developed to predict success in military recruiting correlated near zero with performance in training. Results confirm that valid assessment does not require behavioral scientists as assessors, and analyses suggest that statistical composites of assessment ratings on individual exercises may be slightly more valid than clinical consensus judgments made after discussion of assessment performance.