This is an industry-validated and video-delivered soft skills assessment program. WSS measures the competencies required by employers of a wide range of good-paying, pre-supervisory jobs - these are often called high-wage, high skill positions. The program identifies both the current competencies and the developmental needs of individuals. When skill development is suggested, strategies are identified to support the attainment of those skills. Because of its validity, WSS is used in support of hiring and promotion decisions.

WSS high-performance, pre-supervisory skill sets measured include:

• Motivating and encouraging others in a group to participate and perform
• Actively guiding the actions of others
• Taking action to insure the quality of work being performed
• Taking action to meet or exceed the performance expectations of others
• Exercising good judgment in determining courses of action to pursue
• Understanding factual and implied information
• Absorbing and applying new information
• Organizing work to facilitate accomplishments
• Interpreting information presented in graph or chart formats

Module 1

Interacting With Others

• Actively acknowledge and recognize the positive work efforts and accomplishments of others
• Help resolve differences of opinion that arise
• Interact with hostile or angry individuals in a calm and non-defensive manner
• Encourage others to contribute ideas and suggestions

Influencing Others

• Suggest alternative ways to solve problems; promote 'team effectiveness'
• Provide others with feedback
• Persist with ideas and recommendations despite resistance from others
• Assist others in clarifying roles, responsibilities and accountabilities regarding assigned task.

Problem-Solving

• Adhere to established policies and procedures
• Recommend specific actions for dealing with operating and system problems. Prioritize conflicting work demands
• Identify work methods and procedures that inhibit best work performance

Commitment to Quality

• Encourage others to apply high work standards when completing their work
• Set high work standards for one's own work activities
• Initiate action to correct operating problems or inefficiencies, rather than accepting them
• Demonstrate a concern for providing quality services and products

Customer Service Orientation

• Offer assistance to co-workers who are experiencing problems
• Demonstrate ownership for the timely completion of assigned work
• Work cooperatively with individuals from other functional areas to resolve problems of mutual concern
• Respond in a positive and constructive manner to problems/concerns raised by others

Module 2 Listening skills

• Recognize information most relevant and important to a situation
• Recognize ambiguous or inconsistent statements: hear between the lines
• Accurately recall factual information from performance development strategies

Module 3 Trainability

• Has the skills to learn new information

Module 4 Structuring work activities

• Has the skills to organize information to get work done

Module 5 Interpreting charts and graphs

• Can extract and understand information presented in graphs or charts

Competencies Measured

WSS measures competencies that employers have identified and validated. These include:

Interacting with Others

• Help resolve differences of opinion or interpersonal conflicts (e.g., take action to stop bickering, encourages cooperation)
• Interact with others in a polite and effective manner (e.g., encourage cooperation, respond to others in a non-defensive manner, avoid personal criticisms)
• Assist those with less experience (e.g., help people learn new tasks)
• Encourage others to maintain good work habits (e.g., comply with safe work practices, come to work on time, work productively)
• Deal effectively with angry or demanding people (e.g., avoid becoming angry, act as a concerned peacekeeper, keep disagreements on a constructive level)
• Demonstrate a concern about problems and issues voiced by others (e.g., avoid an 'it's not my job' position, encourage others to provide feedback on their own performance and/or ways they could improve)
• Initiate action on problems: doesn't wait for someone else to do something
• Provide colleagues with constructive guidance (e.g., offer others suggestions about how to improve quality or productivity)
• Acknowledge the positive work efforts and accomplishments of others (e.g., thank others for help or assistance given, notice and mention jobs done well by others)
• Encourage others to do high quality work (e.g., set high personal standards, discuss the importance of quality with others, encourage taking the time to do the job right the first time)
• Ask others for their views and opinions (e.g., attempt to involve others in problem-solving activities, bounces ideas off of people and asks for feedback)
• Identify problems and means of dealing with them (e.g., offer good suggestions for ways to improve quality, productivity and how to handle unexpected problems)

Listening

• Clearly understand and recall oral instructions (e.g., understand instructions, implied meanings; remember prior conversations accurately)

Structuring Work Activities

• Determine priorities (e.g., recognize conflicting priorities, determine best way to schedule activities)
• Recognize issues that s/he should handle versus those to be dealt with by supervisors
• Structure one's own work (e.g., can determine best way to structure and plan a task for completion)

Trainability

• Learn new skills and knowledge (e.g., learn new work procedures quickly, take on additional responsibilities with minimal training)

Graphs and Charts

• Interpret and apply information found in a chart or table format

WSS Content Information

WSS assessment modules are comprised of: Interacting with Others is 70 minutes of video during which the viewer responds to 50 work-related questions; Listening is 37 minutes of video and 22 questions; Structuring Work is 12 minutes of video and 9 items; Trainability is 23 minutes and 15 questions; and, Charts and Graphs is 29 minutes and 24 questions. WSS tapes are recorded in English and Spanish; open-caption in English is available.

For additional information about WSS click here:

• For a sample WSS Applicant Feedback Report
• For a sample WSS Incumbent Feedback Report
• For a sample WSS Group Report
• For a sample WSS Interview Guide
• For a comparison of WSS to SCANS competencies

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