An Inventory Battery to Predict Navy and Marine Corps Recruiter Performance: Development and Validation

The objective of this study was to develop paper-and-pencil predictors of Navy and Marine recruiter performance and evaluate their validity. Accordingly, several measures of personality, vocational interests, and background were prepared or selected and administered to a geographically representative sample totaling 329 Navy and 118 Marine Corps recruiters. Scores on the predictor batterys items and scales were correlated with performance scores developed from supervisory, peer, and self ratings and from production data i.e., numbers of recruits enlisted. Estimated cross-validities for predictor composites were significantly different from zero for four of the five performance criteria in the Navy sample. They range from .17 to .31. Corresponding validity estimates for the Marine Corps sample ranged from .22 to .38 p less than .01 for three criteria, p less than .05 for two criteria. Recommendations from the study included 1 examine the predictive validity of the predictor composites developed in this project 2 assess the potential fakability of the predictor composites and 3 develop additional paper-and- pencil measures of constructs that this study suggests are valid indicators of Navy and Marine Corps recruiter success.