To provide testing and assessment expertise throughout the City of Lakeland, and use that information to select and promote the most qualified job applicants using legally defensible, valid, and expedient measures in the most cost-effective manner. Testing and assessment is conducted to support the City of Lakeland City Ordinance Article 1, section 13, “the civil service board shall provide for examinations in accordance with such rules and regulations so adopted, and shall at all times maintain a preferred and regular list of persons eligible for employment under the civil service of said city.”

Assessment: The act of appraisal or evaluation; to set or determine an amount (Webster’s II, 1994)

The general approach taken toward applicant assessment by the City of Lakeland Department of Civil Service & Retirement is one emphasizing the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics required to be successful within each position (e.g., Firefighter, Police Officer, Lineman Apprentice, Meter Reader, etc.). Assessment Services, a specialized unit operating within the Department of Civil Service, coordinates and supports these activities throughout the city.

The success of the assessment process is due in no small part to the support of various departmental personnel and managers who recognize that the measurement of abilities, traits and skills is the most appropriate means of selecting, training and promoting personnel. Assessment Services works hand-in-hand with managers and employees to ensure job relevant information is applied to the development of employment tests. This forms the basis for the selection of the most qualified job applicants.

Assessment Services assists with the development of policies and procedures, city-wide surveys and data analyses, crafting job descriptions, advising managers and supervisors conducting assessment-related activities, and initiating assessment-related research.

Assessment Services uses its combined expertise in Human Resources, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Counseling Psychology, and psychometric theory to construct tests (e.g., written, performance, video, interviews) that validly measure job knowledge, skills, and abilities. Information on testing, good test taking tips, and examination topics can be found below to enable optimal preparedness.


Examinations for Positions with the City of Lakeland
Many city positions, especially entry-level jobs, require applicants to take written examinations. Written tests are one of the most useful tools to hire qualified people for public service jobs because they allow candidates to demonstrate their abilities and knowledge as they relate to the essential functions of the position. As a result, different types of tests are given for different types of jobs. Most entry-level tests are untimed “paper and pencil” examinations. For a list of areas commonly tested scroll down.

A test date is assigned once education and experience requirements are met and satisfied.

Get a good night’s sleep and eat a good meal prior to the test – this will ensure mental alertness.

Dress comfortably (Bring a sweater or jacket).

During testing, cotton balls or ear plugs may help muffle sounds which may be distracting.

Please arrive at the scheduled testing site at least 15 minutes prior to testing.

Bring appropriate photo identification (e.g., driver’s license, state I.D.) to the testing.

Whether the exam is timed or not timed, schedule an appropriate amount of time to complete the examination (most exams are not timed, but take approximately 2 hours to complete).

Review the job description to gain a better understanding of the required knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) necessary to perform the job. Also, become familiar with terminology that is specific to the job. The job description provides a context for the type of work, identifies the KSAs which will, subsequently identify the test content.

Assessment Services will provide all necessary materials for test completion (e.g., pencils, calculators, etc). PLEASE DO NOT BRING OUTSIDE MATERIALS AS THEY WILL NOT BE ALLOWED.

Entry level positions typically consist of one round of testing, whereas supervisory positions consist of what is referred to as a “multiple hurdle” approach. In a multiple hurdle approach, an applicant generally completes a set of tests that determines if he or she meets the minimum qualifications for the job. If the candidate successfully completes this first hurdle, they are invited back for a second (and sometimes third) round of testing. However, there are certain skills and abilities that every City of Lakeland employee should possess regardless of position (i.e., supervisory or entry level). Below is a list of certain general knowledge areas for review prior to testing.

ENGLISH USAGE - Review and study English usage, sentence composition, punctuation, grammar, pronouns, and sentence structure. Remember that written English is sometimes different than spoken English. It is very important to avoid common errors that can appear insignificant, but be very obvious to those who read and write many reports. An English handbook may be obtained from the local library.

Example: 1. The new copy machine prints __________ than the old one.
A. more slow
B. slow
C. slower
D. slowest

   61
 + 24

The City of Lakeland has been utilizing the "Assessment Center" process for promotional decisions since 1990. The term assessment center can be misleading. It refers to a process rather than a place that brings together a variety of selection techniques and methods. These various techniques and methods are put together in the form of exercises. The exercises are specifically designed and tailored for the position for which candidates are being assessed.

The Assessment Services staff implements various techniques to obtain the essential knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics required for successful performance on the job for which the assessment center is being conducted. This is done in a series of steps, beginning with meetings between the Assessment Services staff, the hiring authority, and subject matter experts (employees who are currently performing the job). During these meetings exact expectations, duties and responsibilities of the position for which the assessment center is being developed are discussed. In addition, observations are made of employees performing their job duties and interviews are conducted with current job holders. Ultimately, a job analysis is performed for the job which allows for the development and design of assessment center exercises that are specific to the necessary qualities and attributes required for the position.

Specific exercises can be developed to suit any given job based on the purpose of the assessment center and the nature of the job that is being assessed. Depending on the particular situation, one exercise may be more appropriate than another. Below is information on the various assessment center exercises.

In-Basket Exercise -- measures the ability to handle typical day-to-day problems associated with a given job’s paperwork. The candidates assume the role of a supervisor/manager in a fictitious organization. This type of exercise is designed to measure one's attention to detail, delegation skills, problem solving, decision-making, sensitivity, initiative, planning and organizing, prioritizing, etc.

Interpersonal Skills Exercise -- requires each candidate to respond individually to job-related "people" situations. This type of exercise uses either live role-play scenarios or video, while the candidate's response is videotaped. The candidate's demonstrated behaviors of communication skills, empathy, conflict resolution, coaching skills, employee development, etc., are observed and rated by a team of extensively trained assessors who do not personally know the candidates.

Behavior Based Interview -- requires each candidate to respond to how they have handled specific work related situations in the past or how they would currently handle a situation. This interview is conducted by a team of current managers/supervisors. The candidates are assessed on their demonstrated behaviors compared to pre-determined criteria.

Oral Presentation Exercise -- requires each candidate to present a job-related topic to an audience. This exercise is usually conducted with the assessors role-playing the selected audience. The candidates are assessed on their oral communication skills, presentation skills (i.e., the ability to hold the audience's attention), effective use of visual aids, organization skills, etc.

Problem Analysis Exercise -- requires candidates to analyze presented job relevant information and to draw conclusions or make recommendations based upon this information. The candidates are assessed on their judgment, decisiveness, attention to detail, etc.

Candidates are evaluated on their performance on the various exercises that make up an assessment center by a team of assessors. Assessors rate the effectiveness of the candidate's performance using a sophisticated process designed to minimize any potential assessor bias.

Depending on the purpose of the assessment center, the assessors may be looking for different qualities and will collect different types of data. For example, if the assessment center is being used to make a hiring decision, the assessors will be comparing performance during the exercises to select the best candidate for the specific job. When the assessment center is being used for broader purposes, such as succession planning, assessors will be looking more carefully at individual performance during the exercises to identify each participant's strengths, weaknesses, and potential.

Managers or department heads can expect to collect information about jobs and people that will assist them in making personnel hiring or promotional decisions. The process provides more concrete data than is generally available through application/resume reviews and interviews and can reduce the uncertainty involved in making personnel decisions. In a broader sense, an assessment center can assist managers and department heads in addressing long-term staffing patterns and the most effective and productive uses of existing personnel.

While there may be other ways to analyze job requirements and assess employee abilities, the assessment center approach provides a systematic, controlled, and focused method for matching employee skills, interest, and potential with identified job requirements and organizational expectations. This reduces the potential biases involved with a manager's "gut feeling" about a job candidate's skills and potential.