Provision of Pre-employment Cognitive and Behavioural / Personality Assessment Services

Statement of Requirements

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) is seeking the supply of psychological services, in the form of pre-employment psychological assessment of candidates being considered for career firefighter positions.

Psychological assessment is a critical element of the selection process and is used to ensure prospective firefighters meet the psychological requirements of the role, from a cognitive, emotional intelligence and personality perspective. Valid and reliable psychological assessments are used to predict a candidate’s job performance and therefore, it is essential that these services are delivered for DFES to meet its recruitment requirements.

Psychological data is considered in conjunction with other evidence collected on each candidate as part of the overall selection process to determine suitability for the role and to identify potential risks. To provide context of where the psychological assessment sits within the overall selection process, please refer to Appendix 1 – Firefighter Recruitment Candidate Information Pack 2025.

The required psychological assessments include cognitive aptitude, emotional intelligence as well as personality assessment. The cognitive aptitude, emotional intelligence and personality assessments will be used in the initial stages (Stage 2) of the selection process, to screen out candidates. It is expected that in excess of 600 candidates will undertake the assessments at a time.

The cognitive aptitude assessment must assess the following:

• Verbal reasoning

• Numerical ability

• Mechanical reasoning

• Diagrammatic awareness

• Spatial awareness

• Error checking

Assessments must have proven validity and reliability.

Candidates will also undertake emotional intelligence and a personality assessment during this stage. The personality assessment is used to determine a candidate’s behavioural strengths aligned to the capabilities outlined in the Firefighter Success Profile. These behavioural strengths are:

• Adapts to the team

• Builds relationships and establishes rapport

• Achieves goals and work tasks

• Demonstrates integrity

• Copes with pressure and setbacks

• Adapts to change

• Follows directions and procedures

• Development focus

• Innovation

Results from the cognitive aptitude, emotional intelligence and personality assessments will be evaluated in conjunction as a measure of overall aptitude and will be used to determine the candidates who progress to the next stage of the recruitment process.

A comprehensive individual personality assessment report (non-clinical) will be required for each candidate who progresses to panel interview. The individual report needs to include potential areas for the panel to investigate further, to guide the interview and to assist in determining suitability for the job role.

The Contractor will be required to provide psychological assessment in relation to all candidates who meet the requirements to progress to the cognitive and personality assessment stage of the selection process. This will include:

• Provision of the psychological assessment materials/methodology;

• Scoring and analysis of results;

• Provision of individual assessment outcomes to allow DFES to identify candidates who are not suitable for the role and those who will progress for further assessment. DFES will be required to have capacity and flexibility to determine the criteria for candidates that are progressed for further assessment; and

• Where requested by DFES, compile results in the form of an individual (non-clinical) report for further exploration at interview.

The methodology adopted should ensure assessments are culturally appropriate and guard against unfair exclusions based on cultural factors.

Whilst the Contractor is to propose the most appropriate selection of assessments to be used, the Contractor should ensure the proposed assessment is able to identify areas of cognitive and behavioural indicators as per the following:

Essential

(a) Assess cognitive ability as outlined in Schedule 2 – Specification / Statement of Requirements, 1. Statement of Requirements.

(b) Provide an indication of candidate strengths and areas of development in relation to Behavioural Competencies outlined in Appendix 2 – Firefighter Success Profile 2024 (specifically in relation to behavioural descriptors and personality descriptors) to determine suitability to undertake the role.

The Contractor is to ensure the assessments proposed have reliability and validity within the emergency services community as a robust pre-employment tool. The Contractor should explain how each of the proposed assessments are to contribute to this outcome, and all nominated personnel providing the services are expected to be accredited and have experience in using the nominated assessment battery. It should be noted that psychological assessment outcomes are non-clinical in nature and are used for employment selection. It is important that consideration be given to ensuring the individual (non-clinical) report for each candidate is able to be interpreted and explored further by someone who is not a registered psychologist