Evalex’s AI-driven virtual assessor (EVA) to debut on the global stage at the 2023 SIOP Conference
The 38th annual global SIOP Conference will take place in Boston, Massachusetts in the USA at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center from 19 to 22 April – and Evalex will be presenting!
The Society for Industrial and Organisational Psychology (SIOP) is the premier global professional association for the science and practice of industrial and organisational psychology. Abstract submissions for the conference undergo a highly rigorous and thorough peer-review process with internationally recognised psychologists, who have given Evalex Talent Solutions’ research and product development efforts international recognition.
“We are thrilled to have been invited to present our cutting-edge artificial intelligence solutions in the assessment of leadership behaviour and potential at the global SIOP conference this year,” says Evalex founder and CEO, Adjunct Professor Pieter Bronkhorst. “During the 90-minute time slot, Evalex will present on the development of our AI-driven virtual assessor, EVA, that can derive psychological meaning from what leaders think, say and write.”
Pieter says a wide range of talent assessment instruments can be found within the staff selection value chain, “… all with varying degrees of validity and reliability.
“With the progressive evolution of artificial intelligence, AI solutions (called artificial neurological networks) have made strides into certain parts of the value chain, notably in processing applicant CVs, and asynchronous video interviews. But largely unexplored is the domain of the assessment centre, which usually includes several simulated leadership exercises. Some of the simulations produce verbal outputs that can be interpreted, such as presentations and role-plays, but a large proportion is text-based, such as in-baskets, case studies and project plans.”
There are very few solutions in the market that allow you to observe, decode and transform these interpretations into competence scores, and there is also a general lack of published research.
“The key questions to ask of these AI solutions would firstly be their equivalence to a human assessor’s conclusion and, secondly, how well they correlate with other criterion scores,” says Pieter. “Leaders reveal a lot about themselves when dealing with business issues and problems. They unconsciously project their thought processes, ideas, levels of creativity, emotional maturity, management style and more.
“We only realise a leader’s level of competence and impact by interpreting what they emit to us via their communication, what they think, say, and write. Without language, we cannot lead, as this is the only medium through which we can transmit our thoughts, ideas, actions, values, and personalities,” says Pieter.
What is revolutionary about EVA is her ability to listen, read, observe, and interpret the expressed language of a leader to derive psychological meaning.
“There are just south of 50 unique psychological constructs that EVA can report on given a sample of language expressed by a leader. These 50-odd constructs range from thought processes, leadership competencies, business acumen, values, approaches, and management styles,” he adds.
EVA is the AI “nuclear reactor” that drives the Evalex Leadership Evolution and Acceleration Programme (Elea), acting as a virtual coach, assisting young leaders in accelerating their careers by gradually morphing into and emulating the dynamics that research has proven to drive high-impact corporate leadership and career success.
“We look forward to presenting our research to the international community at the SIOP conference and building further synergy and collaboration with our international colleagues,” concludes Pieter.