Shifting assessment practices in the age of COVID-19

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on the world of work, and we see a corresponding shift in the talent management and assessment spheres. This commentary reflects on the impact the pandemic has had on organisations’ human resource (HR) practices in general and on assessment practices in particular. Informed by insights drawn from a series of in-depth interviews with representatives of organisations in South Africa and on the broader African continent, we consider recent trends in unproctored internet testing (UIT) and virtual or video interviewing technologies that appear central to how organisations have adapted their assessment practices in a COVID-19 world. We also consider the role of various assessment practices in retrenchment and restructuring applications. Finally, potential implications for organisations and their assessment practices when moving towards a post-COVID-19 world are discussed.