Listening

The majority of the best performers in companies are those who listen. Most individuals spend 70% of the day communicating, and 45% of that time is spent listening. Good listening skills can improve productivity and increase both employee and client satisfaction.

The Listening portion of the WorkKeys Listening and Writing test measures the skill that people use when they receive verbal information in the workplace and relay it to another person. The test is administered via an audiotape that contains all directions and messages. Examinees are asked to listen to the audiotaped messages and then compose written messages based on what they have heard. The examinee is placed in the role of an employee who receives information from customers, co-workers, or suppliers, and must then write down the information to communicate it to someone else. This context is provided to help examinees understand that they should include all of the information in their response.

The taped messages reflect various workplace settings, but no prior knowledge of the occupations is necessary. The messages are delivered by both male and female speakers of differing ages and with various accents. Each message is given twice, and examinees are encouraged to take notes. After the message is given the second time, examinees have a specified amount of time to write out the message before the next message is given. Examinees are given 40 minutes to complete six messages, and they may return to work on previous messages at any time during the test.

Initially, the messages contain about six pieces of information given by one speaker; by the end of the test, messages are given by two speakers and contain approximately seventeen pieces of information. As the test progresses and the messages grow longer and more complex, the time allotted to write the messages increases from two minutes to six minutes.

Scoring is based on the accuracy and completeness of the information in the examinee's written messages. It is not based on mechanics or writing style (see the scoring guide). Two or more raters read each message and assign it a level score from 0 to 5. Scores are then calculated to indicate the particular level of skill for each examinee. Thus, the examinee's performance is measured against work-related criteria and not against the performance of other examinees.

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Characteristics/Skills

There are 5 levels of difficulty. Level 1 is the least complex and Level 5 is the most complex. At each new level, individuals need to demonstrate more competency than at previous levels. For example, at Level 1, individuals need to write down a few pieces of straightforward information. As the individuals' skills move toward Level 5, the messages they relay will include:

• Primary information, so the person who receives the message can act on it.
• Supporting information that further explains the message.
• The correct relationships among the pieces of information.

In all cases, examinees listen to audio messages and then write down the information they have heard in order to convey it to someone else. While writing style and mechanics do not affect the Listening score, examinees with limited writing skills may be unable to express themselves well enough in writing to receive a valid Listening score.