FAQ
At what stage should we administer the PEP program?
Some departments will administer the PEP at the same time as their written/entrance exam and use it to help rank their applicants. Typically the department will administer the PEP at the point in their process that will help save them the most time and money. It should always be administered before the background investigation and often before other expensive processes (such as a panel interview or polygraph examination).
Why Should We Use The PEP – We Already Perform A Polygraph/CVSA?
We do not pretend that the PEP is a replacement for a polygraph. We DO recommend using the PEP earlier in the hiring process in order to identify high-risk applicants before spending a lot of money on other more costly screening procedures. The PEP has been shown to reduce backgrounding payroll hours and identify 1/3 more disqualifying criteria.
Our budget is incredibly tight. How can I justify the expense of the PEP to my command staff?
The PEP is only $20 per person. The PEP is typically one of the least expensive parts of your process. Using the PEP can help you avoid other high costs (reduced panel interviewing time, total reduction in backgrounding hours, avoiding unnecessary polygraph testing, medical exams, psychological evaluations, etc.) The savings to your department can be tremendous.
Can I use this on civilian and sworn hires?
Absolutely! You might have higher standards for certain positions within the organization, but the areas measured by the PEP are applicable to any job. All of your hires have the same potential to be a "bad" employee due to integrity concerns, poor dependability, poor customer service traits, illegal drug concerns, poor work ethic, etc. We recommend using the PEP on all hires, regardless of position, full time/part time status, or job duties.
Should We Establish A Rejection Standard Based On The PEP?
Yes, it can be used as a specific “Pass/Fail” instrument, but we recommend using the PEP as a measure to rank the applicants for the backgrounding process. Many agencies use the PEP to help rank which applicants they would like to take into the backgrounding phase first. Having a lower score on the PEP does not necessarily preclude you from moving forward with that candidate, but other candidates that have higher scores may become more desirable. Departments will also use it alongside their cognitive or aptitude test to establish ranking criteria.
We already do polygraphs/CVSA; why would we need to use the PEP?
The PEP is not a replacement for the polygraph. The polygraph is a great screening tool and should be used when possible, but the polygraph typically measures the applicant's truthfulness regarding their past behavior. The PEP does measure some past behavior, but primarily gives a measurement of their current value system. Many polygraph examiners will use the PEP results to enhance their polygraph examination. The PEP is a pre-conditional offer, pre-background tool. (As opposed to the polygraph which is often administered POST-conditional offer.) By using the PEP further up in your process, you can dramatically shorten the man-hours involved with your background. It allows you to identify high-risk applicants faster, thereby saving your department potentially thousands of dollars in unnecessary additional screening: lengthy background investigations, polygraph tests, medical examinations, psychological exams, etc.
Is the PEP a replacement for our PHQ?
NO. The PEP will cross-identify omissions or discrepancies in an applicant's answers when comparing the PEP results to your completed PHQ. In fact, the PEP often identifies concerns that are not addressed in the PHQ.
Will this slow down my hiring process?
No. In fact, it should make your entire hiring process more efficient! The PEP is very easy to administer. It should be administered in a proctored environment. Once the applicant is finished with the PEP, results will be available immediately. It's very easy and fast for both you and the applicant.
Does the PEP work with large applicant pools or mass hiring?
Yes. Our delayed scoring option is ideal in situations where there is a large applicant pool or the need to hire many. Please call 888-734-2727 to speak with our friendly staff. We can tailor a solution to your unique hiring situation.
Is the PEP EEOC and ADa compliant?
Yes. The PEP undergoes continual validation studies and is in compliance with EEOC/ADA guidelines. It is available in both English and Spanish.
What are your hours? When can I score a PEP?
Profiles will score automatically through our computer system 24/7, but we staff our office during standard business hours (8:00 am - 5:30 pm, Monday - Friday). Even if you are doing a process in the evening or on the weekends, you will still be able to get your written result immediately. Verbal interpretation is available during standard business hours.
What is a 'Verbal'?
We refer to the verbal interpretation of the PEP results as Verbals. After a profile has been scored, an entry is placed in a queue in our system that prompts us to call the client. These calls are made by highly trained staff with backgrounds in polygraph testing and/or law enforcement. Typically this call will go to command staff, the head of the backgrounding department, or the actual background investigator, but we can set them up with whomever you prefer within your department. We will go over the results, pointing out critical red flags and areas of concern in that applicant's answers. We will also provide suggested follow up questions and advice for pursuing these areas in other stages of the hiring process. Verbal interpretation is included at no extra charge. Clients really get hooked on the Verbal, largely because they like having a completely independent and objective viewpoint from a highly skilled interviewing professional.
What sets you apart from your competition?
The biggest factors are the number of areas that we are assessing, inclusion of distortion (or falsification) scales, and the automatic Verbal interpretation.
Do I need to order in bulk?
No. We operate on a pay-as-you-go system, meaning that we bill in arrears for any tests scored during the previous month. You do not have to commit to any minimum number of tests used, billing amount, or length of service. Invoices are broken out by date of test and applicant's name, allowing for good internal accounting controls.
Has the PEP been validated?
Yes. The PEP was developed in accordance with EEOC & ADA Guidelines. Age, race, and gender studies conducted on the PEP have shown that proper use of the PEP does NOT result in adverse impact on any protected class. The PEP undergoes continual validation studies. It has been used on over 1 million applicants.
We are using [ABC Company] for our entrance exam. Why do we need the PEP?
An entrance exam typically handles more of the cognitive evaluation and technical industry knowledge for your applicant. The PEP is evaluating their general character and value system.
If you could not find the answer to your question(s), please call 888-734-2727 and speak to one of our friendly staff.