The EMET (Culturally Fair Testing) Program was established by JDC-Israel-TEVET in 2010 following reports by employers on the difficulties of hiring Ethiopian-Israelis for positions dependent on successful employment testing. The main goals were to reduce the employment barriers for Ethiopian-Israelis and broaden their employment horizons by encouraging employers to use screening tools that are culturally appropriate for minority populations. The program was accompanied by a comprehensive study conducted by the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute in two stages.
The main goals of the first stage of the study were to review the methods for reducing the gaps between different groups in employment screening according to the professional literature, and to examine whether the existing tools prevent the hiring of Ethiopian-Israeli candidates. This stage of the study had four components: 1. A review of the international literature; 2. A comparison of the performance of Ethiopian-Israeli candidates with other Israeli candidates on existing screening tools used by the Adam Milo Institute, a leading Israeli assessment center; 3. In-depth interviews with Israeli employers interested in promoting employment diversity; 4. Personal interviews with some Ethiopian-Israeli candidates after a day of employment testing. Some of the findings were summarized in 2013 in Culturally Fair Testing: A Review of the International Literature on Employment Screening Methods and an Examination of its Implications for Israel’, and were presented before human-resource personnel, researchers, professionals and field staff working with Ethiopian-Israelis.
After reviewing the findings from the first stage of the study, TEVET, with the help of a multidisciplinary team of professionals, developed eight new culturally appropriate employment screening tools that assess mathematical, verbal, interpersonal and other skills. At the request of TEVET and in partnership with the Adam Milo Institute, we conducted a validation study in order to identify the tools that are most effective at both predicting job performance and reducing the gaps between the groups. Thirteen organizations helped recruit 144 participants working at these organizations. These participants included 69 Ethiopian-Israelis, 32 Arab Israelis and 43 Israelis from the majority group. All of the participants were tested with the new screening tools and with existing tools. In addition, we received job performance evaluations from the managers of the participants.
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Several new tools were found to predict job performance well. The gaps they showed were far smaller than those found with existing tests of mental ability that are widely used in Israel.
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The new tools may help employers increase employment diversity while selecting talented candidates.
This study is the first of its kind in Israel. The findings may have important implications for expanding the employment options of minority groups and for encouraging employment diversity.
The study was initiated by JDC-TEVET and the UJA-Federation of New York which assisted with its funding.
Citing suggestion: Fischman, N., & Semani, T. (2015). EMET – Culturally Fair Testing: Summary Report. RR-699-15. Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute. (Hebrew)