GLENDALE, Calif., Dec. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The past year continued to bring challenges and changes to the way we work and live. Like all organizations, PSI adapted and took these challenges as an opportunity to learn, evaluate, and scale to help organizations and individuals adapt to a new world of work.
PSI saw acquisitions across all its divisions in 2021. Within its Talent Management division, PSI's acquisition strategy was focused on expanding geographically into regions with a previously small footprint which strengthened its leadership position in the global talent solutions market. The eight acquisitions were Propel International (UAE), OPRA Psychology Group (Australia, New Zealand, Singapore), Human Systems Technology (Americas), Human Scope (Hong Kong/Greater China), and Ottmann Global Partners (Germany), as well as the conversion of Caliper Singapore, Caliper Australia, and Caliper Canada into wholly owned entities.
In the Credentialing division, PSI expanded ownership of proprietary content with a credential in a key market with the acquisition of the HiSET® Program, a high school equivalency (HSE) testing program. As a leading United States and global testing provider, PSI helps individuals advance their opportunities through delivery of both state licensure and high-stakes certification programs across the entire United States. Adding the HiSET exam will bring a new and exciting dimension to PSI's activities and added benefits for test takers.
PSI was honored to be recognized for multiple prestigious awards in the talent management and technology spaces. PSI Talent Management was shortlisted for Best HR/L&D Consultancy in the CIPD People Management Awards for its work developing leaders in the UK's National Health Service and was named a finalist in the Association of British Psychology's Excellence in Inclusive Assessment Experiences for its work with BT in the UK and Ireland.
PSI was also awarded a 2021 Tech Cares Award from TrustRadius, a crowdsourced business technology review site. The award recognized PSI for going above and beyond to provide strong Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by making several new initiatives and solutions available to its communities, customers, and employees with the goal of helping individuals and organizations preserve continuity and resilience through these challenging times.
Most recently, PSI Talent Management was honored to have won a coveted 2021 Brandon Hall Group Excellence in Technology Silver Award for Best Advance in Unique Talent Management Technology. The award recognizes Capture, a highly visual assessment often used at the start of the hiring process to evaluate how well candidates' values align to the values of an organization. Once completed, participants get instant feedback that enables those who feel they may not be a fit to opt out before committing to the hiring process, saving time for the candidate and HR teams alike. Applicants were evaluated on the product's breakthrough innovation, unique differentiators, value proposition, and measurable results.
Adapting to a Changing World of Work
To help organizations adapt and succeed in a post-pandemic world of work, PSI Talent Management evaluated existing data and conducted its own research early in 2021 to predict the core skills that are needed for success in the future of work, which are:
In the Credentialing testing space, multi-modal testing became the new normal for licensure and certification exams. PSI successfully transitioned the majority of its high-volume customers to multi-modal or online proctoring, providing additional flexibility to their testing population and minimizing barriers to career advancement for test takers across industries.
With the influx of testing, PSI saw that the test taker experience is increasingly critical to organizations. To scale up and ensure all test takers have a smooth and stress-free testing experience, PSI Credentialing launched a new test taker portal with direct access to schedule tests. When surveyed, 84% of test takers said PSI's online proctoring system was easy to use, and 95% rated the experience as Excellent or Good.
Another key takeaway from the switch to online testing during the pandemic is that issues experienced by test takers could be prevented with improved communication to help test takers prepare and adapt. In response, PSI supported its clients by preparing resources to help test takers adjust to online proctoring.
Following the testing trends, PSI saw that the construction, real estate, retail, healthcare, and manufacturing industries were changing drastically as they returned from pandemic lockdowns.
As the world experienced these shifting labor trends, PSI Talent Management saw an increase not only in clients' need to recruit, but also an increased need to assess and develop existing employees. This was particularly a result of the skills shortage that came with The Great Resignation. In addition to focusing on improving workplace wellness and employee engagement, PSI recognized the importance of investing and developing existing employees, and that a solution could be found in bridging the gap between employee selection and development.
With today's workplace in mind, PSI's organizational psychologists developed a solution to bridge this gap: the AIM Learning System. The evidence-based blended learning solution enhances and accelerates training initiatives by focusing on the specific, underlying job competencies that make people more effective in their roles. From individual contributors to senior leaders, the program is designed to support professional development through bite-sized and distance microlearning and help individuals and organizations achieve success in the new hybrid workplace.
We also saw that 2021 continued to be a challenging year for both leaders and employees alike. In its international study on leading in the future of work, PSI experts surveyed nearly 2000 employees and leaders across 32 countries. The study found that only 24% of employees surveyed felt their leaders were very or fully prepared to deal with future leadership challenges, in comparison to just over a third of leaders who felt they were very or fully prepared themselves (37%). The biggest challenge is attracting and retaining employees over the next five years, as voted by 56% of employees and 57% of surveyed leaders. The report provides powerful insights into critical leadership themes and an understanding of the most important changes and opportunities brought on by the pandemic, helping to shape future solutions and prepare organizations for success in today's world of work.
As a result of the strategic growth and lessons learned in 2021, PSI's experts are better equipped to serve clients in all industries as they face anticipated challenges, workplace changes, and future needs.
"This past year has been pivotal to the evolution of PSI," said Steve Tapp, CEO of PSI Services. "With plans for strategic investment in technology supporting continued growth, we look forward to transformative new strides in 2022."
About PSI
PSI Services LLC (PSI) is a global workforce solutions provider that designs robust solutions for our clients by blending best-in-class assessment content, leading-edge technology, and deep consulting expertise across the entire career life cycle. PSI has over 70 years of experience providing worldwide testing solutions to a wide variety of customers across public and private sector industries, ranging from small businesses to global enterprises, leading academic institutions, and government organizations. PSI offers a comprehensive solutions approach from test development to delivery and results processing, including pre-hire employment selection, managerial assessments, licensing and certification tests, distance learning testing, and other specialized services. Through its work with over 2,000 experts across 160 countries delivering over 15 million tests and assessments per year globally, PSI exists to empower people in their careers and drive organizational success. More information is available at www.psionline.com.
