Sample
The study included 139 employee-supervisor dyads recruited from multiple organizations in the United States. Employees’ ages ranged from 19 to 69 (M = 39.21, SD = 11.66), and 53% were male. Ethnic representation included 89 White, 25 Black, 12 Mixed, 11 Asian, and 2 Other. Supervisory experience with the employee varied: more than 2 years (41%), 1–2 years (23%), 6–12 months (19%), 3–6 months (9%), and less than 3 months (7%).
Instruments
The Adaptability test is a situational judgment test (SJT) designed to assess how individuals evaluate and respond to changing circumstances, new information, and unexpected challenges in the workplace. Each item presents a realistic work scenario followed by multiple response options, and participants are asked to identify the most effective behavioral response. Scores reflect the degree to which a participant’s choices align with expert-derived judgments about effective adaptive behavior.
Supervisor-rated job performance outcomes were collected using Likert-type scales covering overall performance, quality of work, ability to understand complex information, adaptability, learning speed, hire-again recommendations, and promotion potential. Personality characteristics such as openness to experience were also measured through supervisor ratings in order to examine convergent validity.
Study
Employees completed the Adaptability situational judgment test and HiPeople’s Big Five scale online. After finishing the assessment, they provided supervisors with a link to complete performance ratings. Supervisors were blinded to employee scores. Only dyads with verified supervisor responses were included. Statistical analyses were conducted in Python.
Results
Criterion validity was evaluated by examining correlations between Adaptability test scores and supervisor-rated performance outcomes. The Adaptability test demonstrated meaningful relationships with several job-relevant behaviors. Correlations ranged from r = 0.227 to r = 0.350, with the strongest associations observed for learning speed (r = 0.350), quality of work (r = 0.347), adaptability (r = 0.339), and overall job performance (r = 0.304). The test also demonstrated a substantial correlation with openness to experience (r = 0.510), which is theoretically consistent with adaptability-oriented traits. Ceiling and floor effects were minimal at 3.8% and 1.1%, respectively, indicating that scores were well distributed and that the test effectively differentiates between lower- and higher-performing individuals.
Limitations: Several validity correlations were small and should be interpreted cautiously. The score distribution also suggests slight clustering around the midpoint, which may limit sensitivity at the extremes. Future revisions will focus on refining item quality and expanding the item bank to improve reliability and discriminatory power.