Abstract:
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had an unprecedented impact
on the world of work, and we see a corresponding shift in the talent management and
assessment spheres. This commentary reflects on the impact the pandemic has had on
organisations’ human resource (HR) practices in general and on assessment practices in
particular. Informed by insights drawn from a series of in-depth interviews with
representatives of organisations in South Africa and on the broader African continent,
we consider recent trends in unproctored internet testing (UIT) and virtual or video
interviewing technologies that appear central to how organisations have adapted
their assessment practices in a COVID-19 world. We also consider the role of various
assessment practices in retrenchment and restructuring applications. Finally, potential
implications for organisations and their assessment practices when moving towards a post-
COVID-19 world are discussed.
