How the BQO & PQO have helped our clients

Pre-selecting trainees for a leading international IT company using the Biographical Questionnaire Online (BQO)

One of the most popular employers in Germany, the German office of a leading international IT company, receives between 3,000 and 10,000 applications for around approximately 300 trainee positions offered per year. Manually sifting through the applications used to be a time-consuming and costly endeavor in the past.

The company therefore looked for ways to streamline the applicant screening process while increasing the quality of new hires. With the Biographical Questionnaire Online (BQO), an internet-based, scientifically based pre-selection instrument was implemented, allowing the company to simplify the pre-selection process as applications are processed online in a completely paperless manner. The Biographical Questionnaire Online (BQO) was implemented in 2002 and has been used successfully ever since.

A scientific study evaluating the hiring process revealed substantial savings in time and cost through implementation of the BQO. At the same time, the quality of new hires increased substantially. Supervisor ratings of trainees increased by 2/3 of a standard deviation since the BQO was implemented.

The Biographical Questionnaire Online has become an integral part in the leading IT company’s groundbreaking hiring strategy. As a technology leader, the company has teamed up with us to successfully pioneer an e-recruiting strategy fit for the future.

Selecting trainees for a leading technology company using a combination of the Biographical Questionnaire Online (BQO) and a high end Assessment Center

A leading technology company manufacturing high tech opto-digital and medical devices selected us to redesign their trainee selection process. For each job opening, they receive between 100 and 300 applications, creating a huge workload for the company’s HR specialists.

In a joint project, a two-stage selection process was designed and implemented. In stage 1 of the process, applicants complete the Biographical Questionnaire Online (BQO). The top applicants in the Biographical Questionnaire Online (BQO) participate in a subsequent 1-day state of the art Assessment Center. The top candidates in the Assessment Center are offered a position in the company.

Through the combination of an internet-based pre-selection instrument geared at processing high volumes of applications efficiently and an in-depth Assessment Center geared at taking a close look at the most promising applicants, the company manages to pick the very best applicants out of a large pool of applicants using a highly efficient, streamlined selection process.

Selecting project managers for an global engineering company using a combination of the Personality Questionnaire Online (PQO) and an in-depth hiring interview

An engineering company specialized in customized automation machines approached us for help with the selection of experienced project managers. A two-stage selection process was implemented comprised of the Personality Questionnaire Online (PQO) and an in-depth hiring interview.

All applicants complete the Personality Questionnaire Online (PQO) in a first step. The most promising candidates are then invited to an in-depth hiring interview. The Personality Questionnaire Online and the hiring interview are highly intertwined – the competencies and questions used in the interview are based on the results of the Personality Questionnaire Online (PQO), making it possible to respond to each applicant individually in order to make an accurate hiring decision.

The implementation of the selection process described above has led to considerable savings in time and money while greatly improving the quality of the new hires.

Developing talent for an international automotive supplier using the Leadership Potential Center (LPC)

An international automotive supplier created a talent development program aimed at systematically developing high potentials in the company into tomorrow’s leaders and top specialists.

The Leadership Development Center (LPC) is employed as a central building block in the talent development program. All participants in the program go through the Leadership Development Center as a first step of the talent development program. In the Leadership Potential Center, participants are confronted with realistic, challenging tasks such as a computer-simulated business game, a conversation with an employee, or a conflict meeting with a colleague. The behavior of participants in these tasks is recorded and assessed by several trained observers on a set of pre-defined competencies. At the end of the Leadership Potential Center, participants receive detailed feedback on their strengths and areas of improvement in the Leadership Potential Center. This feedback is recorded in a detailed report. The report provides the basis for individual development measures such as seminars, projects, or rotations for each participant.

The Leadership Potential Center (LPC) enables the customer to individually develop tomorrow’s talents based on a detailed and accurate analysis of each participant’s strengths and weaknesses. It has been established as a central building block in the company’s efforts to develop talent systematically.

Training project teams in teamwork and decision making in a Swiss-based pharmaceutical company

Project teams in the pharmaceutical industry are usually comprised of multiple experts from various fields such as biology, chemistry, IT, business, etc. Running a project in the pharmaceutical industry places high demands on the team members. Projects usually run for a long time period, with project team members being distributed across different locations or even countries. Differences in mental models as well as a lack of face to face interaction make it difficult for project teams to succeed, as cultural and personal barriers hamper communication and cooperation.

In order to improve teamwork and decision making, we designed a unique training for a Swiss-based pharmaceutical company. In the training, project teams are given the task of managing a computer-simulated cosmetics company. The computer-simulated company is divided into three different departments which are physically separated. Each department receives only a fraction of the total information and may decide only on a subset of the issues at hand. Thus, the departments can operate autonomously. In order to succeed, however, the business game requires close coordination between the three departments.

Through the course of the training, participants rotate between the different departments, experiencing how the business evolves from the perspective of R&D, marketing, and production / HR. In between playing stages, reflection stages are scheduled in which participants reflect on their experiences in the business game. Transfer sessions are used to discuss implications of the training for the everyday work of participants.

The simulation-based training has proven a highly unique, highly effective measure for team building and training of multidisciplinary project teams. The training is conducted on a regular basis since 2001.


Home Advanced Hiring System Leadership Potential Center Case Studies Scientific Background The Company Downloads & Publications Please contact us at: 100 Lincoln Way East Suite 180 Massillon, Ohio 44646 Phone: 330.880.4888 Fax: 330.880.5029 info@scitrain.com	How the BQO & PQO have helped our clients Pre-selecting trainees for a leading international IT company using the Biographical Questionnaire Online (BQO) One of the most popular employers in Germany, the German office of a leading international IT company, receives between 3,000 and 10,000 applications for around approximately 300 trainee positions offered per year. Manually sifting through the applications used to be a time-consuming and costly endeavor in the past. The company therefore looked for ways to streamline the applicant screening process while increasing the quality of new hires. With the Biographical Questionnaire Online (BQO), an internet-based, scientifically based pre-selection instrument was implemented, allowing the company to simplify the pre-selection process as applications are processed online in a completely paperless manner. The Biographical Questionnaire Online (BQO) was implemented in 2002 and has been used successfully ever since. A scientific study evaluating the hiring process revealed substantial savings in time and cost through implementation of the BQO. At the same time, the quality of new hires increased substantially. Supervisor ratings of trainees increased by 2/3 of a standard deviation since the BQO was implemented. The Biographical Questionnaire Online has become an integral part in the leading IT company’s groundbreaking hiring strategy. As a technology leader, the company has teamed up with us to successfully pioneer an e-recruiting strategy fit for the future. Selecting trainees for a leading technology company using a combination of the Biographical Questionnaire Online (BQO) and a high end Assessment Center A leading technology company manufacturing high tech opto-digital and medical devices selected us to redesign their trainee selection process. For each job opening, they receive between 100 and 300 applications, creating a huge workload for the company’s HR specialists. In a joint project, a two-stage selection process was designed and implemented. In stage 1 of the process, applicants complete the Biographical Questionnaire Online (BQO). The top applicants in the Biographical Questionnaire Online (BQO) participate in a subsequent 1-day state of the art Assessment Center. The top candidates in the Assessment Center are offered a position in the company. Through the combination of an internet-based pre-selection instrument geared at processing high volumes of applications efficiently and an in-depth Assessment Center geared at taking a close look at the most promising applicants, the company manages to pick the very best applicants out of a large pool of applicants using a highly efficient, streamlined selection process. Selecting project managers for an global engineering company using a combination of the Personality Questionnaire Online (PQO) and an in-depth hiring interview An engineering company specialized in customized automation machines approached us for help with the selection of experienced project managers. A two-stage selection process was implemented comprised of the Personality Questionnaire Online (PQO) and an in-depth hiring interview. All applicants complete the Personality Questionnaire Online (PQO) in a first step. The most promising candidates are then invited to an in-depth hiring interview. The Personality Questionnaire Online and the hiring interview are highly intertwined – the competencies and questions used in the interview are based on the results of the Personality Questionnaire Online (PQO), making it possible to respond to each applicant individually in order to make an accurate hiring decision. The implementation of the selection process described above has led to considerable savings in time and money while greatly improving the quality of the new hires. Developing talent for an international automotive supplier using the Leadership Potential Center (LPC) An international automotive supplier created a talent development program aimed at systematically developing high potentials in the company into tomorrow’s leaders and top specialists. The Leadership Development Center (LPC) is employed as a central building block in the talent development program. All participants in the program go through the Leadership Development Center as a first step of the talent development program. In the Leadership Potential Center, participants are confronted with realistic, challenging tasks such as a computer-simulated business game, a conversation with an employee, or a conflict meeting with a colleague. The behavior of participants in these tasks is recorded and assessed by several trained observers on a set of pre-defined competencies. At the end of the Leadership Potential Center, participants receive detailed feedback on their strengths and areas of improvement in the Leadership Potential Center. This feedback is recorded in a detailed report. The report provides the basis for individual development measures such as seminars, projects, or rotations for each participant. The Leadership Potential Center (LPC) enables the customer to individually develop tomorrow’s talents based on a detailed and accurate analysis of each participant’s strengths and weaknesses. It has been established as a central building block in the company’s efforts to develop talent systematically. Training project teams in teamwork and decision making in a Swiss-based pharmaceutical company Project teams in the pharmaceutical industry are usually comprised of multiple experts from various fields such as biology, chemistry, IT, business, etc. Running a project in the pharmaceutical industry places high demands on the team members. Projects usually run for a long time period, with project team members being distributed across different locations or even countries. Differences in mental models as well as a lack of face to face interaction make it difficult for project teams to succeed, as cultural and personal barriers hamper communication and cooperation. In order to improve teamwork and decision making, we designed a unique training for a Swiss-based pharmaceutical company. In the training, project teams are given the task of managing a computer-simulated cosmetics company. The computer-simulated company is divided into three different departments which are physically separated. Each department receives only a fraction of the total information and may decide only on a subset of the issues at hand. Thus, the departments can operate autonomously. In order to succeed, however, the business game requires close coordination between the three departments. Through the course of the training, participants rotate between the different departments, experiencing how the business evolves from the perspective of R&D, marketing, and production / HR. In between playing stages, reflection stages are scheduled in which participants reflect on their experiences in the business game. Transfer sessions are used to discuss implications of the training for the everyday work of participants. The simulation-based training has proven a highly unique, highly effective measure for team building and training of multidisciplinary project teams. The training is conducted on a regular basis since 2001.