Performance Evaluation and Promotion Recommendation: Best Practices for Selection Boards Phase II

In collaboration with the Navy Talent Management Center of Excellence, we developed and tested two prototype displays of a fictional Performance Summary Record (PSR) that can be used at Selection Boards. We randomly assigned two groups of NPS students to view each display, answer a knowledge check on the candidate evaluation shown on the display, and finally complete a user experience survey. We found few significant differences in responses to the knowledge check between the two groups. While NPS participants assigned to the Horizontal prototype were more favorable to their display, both groups assigned nearidentical promotion scores to the fictional candidate. Testing of subjects at Navy Personnel Command at Millington also found similar results—few significant differences in knowledge check across the two groups. However, the Millington subjects were less positively inclined to the Horizontal display. Since a large share of the Horizontal group at Millington was higher-ranked Navy officers with extensive Board experience, their experience likely biased their opinions of the different layout of the PSR in the Horizontal display. Participants in both locations identified visual cues as useful design features along with the specific performance metrics of comparative assessment and relative value. As the Navy continues to refine and test future prototypes, we recommend incorporating the visual cues into future PSRs to reduce the cognitive burden for Selection Board members.