Reliability and validity of the oral interview board in police promotions: A research note

In recent years the validity of personnel systems has come to be more closely examined. This study focuses on one component of the police promotion system, the oral interview board. It examines the oral interview boards of a state police agency in which 161 state police troopers were aspiring for the rank of sergeant. Reliability and validity of the process are evaluated. The findings indicate that although the reliability coefficients were acceptable, significant differences in the ratings of similar types of raters across boards existed. Several statistical procedures were also used to investigate the validity of the procedure, but validity could not be established for this particular case. Several recommendations for improving the procedure are made.