05/01/2016

Assessing Your Clients’ Work Values: Another Way to Hone in on Occupational Matches

By Jennifer Greene and Melissa Messer

 

Work values reflect specific preferences for work environments that are important to a person’s satisfaction with his or her job. They are one of many important factors that can determine how well one is suited to different occupations. By helping clients understand their work values, the career counselor can explore with clients how jobs may be a good fit for them. This includes jobs that they would enjoy and jobs at which they are likely to excel. Work values are often assessed using work values inventories, examples of which are described below.

Theoretical Underpinnings

Many work values inventories are based on the Theory of Work Adjustment, first proposed by Dawis, England, Lofquist, and Weiss in 1964 and in their 1984 book, Psychological Theory of Work Adjustment: An Individual Differences Model and its Applications. This work came to be known as the Theory of Work Adjustment. Further work by Rounds, Henly, Dawis, Lofquist, and Weiss (1981) expanded the theory and outlined 20 vocational needs along with six underlying values: Achievement, Comfort, Status, Altruism, Safety, and Autonomy.

Today’s Work Values and O*NET

The Department of Labor’s Occupational Information Network (O*NET, http://www.onetonline.org/) provides an occupational classification system and a database of occupational information available to the public in an easy-to-use, searchable, online format. The O*NET provides information for more than 1,100 occupations in an easily searchable Web-based format. The information provided by the O*NET is organized into six broad domains, represented by the O*NET Content Model framework (https://www.onetcenter.org/content.html). Three of these domains are worker oriented (i.e., worker characteristics, worker requirements, and experience requirements) and three domains are job oriented (i.e., occupational requirements, workforce characteristics, and occupation-specific information).

Within the worker characteristics domain are four descriptors: abilities, occupational interests, work styles, and work values (O*NET, 2016). The Theory of Work Adjustment was used in the O*NET classification to develop work value characteristics. The current work values model used by O*NET includes six constructs:

There are many work values inventories available, most of which are based on the Theory of Work Adjustment and/or the O*NET Content Model. Below is a list of some available work values inventories. Work values assessment can and should be used in conjunction with other measures of workplace interests and personality, which are also listed below. Please note these lists are not exhaustive, but intended to give you an overview of the areas discussed.

Work Values Inventories

Inventory

Year Published

Work Values Inventory (WVI)

2016

Work Motivation Scale (WMS)

2008

Career Values Scale (CVS)

2005

Work Importance Profiler/Locator (WIP/WIL)

1999

Career Orientation Placement and Evaluation Survey (COPES)

1995

Values Scale (VS)

1986

Career Motivation Profile (CAMOP)

Unknown

Kuder Work Values Assessment (KWVA)

Unknown

Career Values Assessment

Unknown

 

Work Styles Inventories

Inventory

Year Published

Working Styles Assessment (WSA)

2014

Workplace Personality Inventory II

2013

Personal Work Style Survey (PWSS)

2007

Work Personality Index (WPI)

2004

Workplace Personality Profile (WPP)

2003

Hilson Personnel Profile/Success Quotient (HPP/SQ)

1988

 

Career Interests Inventories

Inventory

Year Published

Self-Directed Search (SDS), 5th Edition

2013

Strong Interest Inventory-Revised Edition (Strong)

2005

Interest Profiler

2000

Campbell Interest & Skills Survey (CISS)

1992

Kuder Career Interests Assessment (KCIA)

Unknown

 

Selecting Appropriate Measures

Given the number of career inventories available, it is important to examine several aspects of an instrument when selecting it for use with your clients. Below are some tips for making an informed decision. For more information about selecting appropriate measures, see Dr. Janet Wall’s article about the Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education at http://www.ncda.org/aws/NCDA/pt/sd/news_article/5036/_self/CC_layout_details/false.

Practical Applications

The results of a work values inventory are most beneficial when used in combination with other career inventories, O*NET, other career resources, client interviews and professional judgement. For example, we recommend using a work values inventory in conjunction with a career interest inventory and a work styles inventory when assessing a new client, in order to gain a more complete picture of their workplace values, interests and personality. Use of these inventories can be helpful in generating a list of potential occupations to explore or in confirming career possibilities. Moreover, the O*NET and other career resources can be used to learn more about these identified jobs. It is important to keep in mind that no single resource or assessments can provide your client with one “right” choice, but using appropriate career inventories can help them focus on some of the more likely possibilities.

 

 


 

Jennifer Greene, MSPH is a Senior Research Assistant at Psychological Assessment Resources (PAR), which is a leading publisher of psychological assessment materials. She earned the Master of Science in Public Health at the University of South Florida in 2012. She is currently pursuing the PhD in Educational Measurement and Evaluation at the University of South Florida. She co-authored the Work Values Inventory (WVI), which will be published later this year. She also co-authored the Veterans and Military Occupations Finder (VMOF) and the Leisure Activities Finder (LAF), both of which are supplements to the Self-Directed Search (SDS), a top career counseling tool published by PAR. You may contact her at 813-449-4011 or e-mail: jgreene@parinc.com.

 

Melissa Messer, MHS is a Senior Project Director at Psychological Assessment Resources (PAR), Editor of NCDA Career Developments magazine, and a member of the NCDA Veterans Committee. She earned the MHS in Rehabilitation Counseling at the University of Florida. Then she joined PAR’s Research and Development team. For the past 14 years, she has been developing assessments, including the 5th Edition of John Holland’s Self-Directed Search, the Working Styles Assessment and the Work Values Inventory, which will be published later this year. You may contact her at 813-449-4011 or e-mail: mmesser@parinc.com.

 

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