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Lessons from peace corps selection and training

Lessons from peace corps selection and training Peace Corps Selection Lessons from and Training EDWIN R. HENRY’ Only about 3 or 4% of the 4,000 Peace Corps volunteers who have served their two years and are already home have turned out to be selection mistakes. By comparison, it has been estimated that about 30% of the people sent overseas by American companies are mis- takes. What can business learn from the way the Corps picks and trains its volunteers? We might first consider the Peace Corps techniques, beginning with the Selection Division. The evidence that the screeners have to work with is of four kinds: (1) the application form, and there’s nothing unusual about it except its length; it is so detailed that completing it is almost a test of motivation and interest in itself; (2) the placement test, which includes a 30-minute intelligence test and a language aptitude test; (3) college transcripts; and (4) refer- ences. The Peace Corps reference forms leave more than the usual blank space for “Comments”, and it’s remarkable how this space is really used. Every person giving a reference seems to take the view that the individual he’s being asked about will be his personal repre- sentative abroad. This suggests http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Thunderbird International Business Review Wiley

Lessons from peace corps selection and training

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Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
Copyright © 1966 Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company
ISSN
1096-4762
eISSN
1520-6874
DOI
10.1002/tie.5060080105
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Peace Corps Selection Lessons from and Training EDWIN R. HENRY’ Only about 3 or 4% of the 4,000 Peace Corps volunteers who have served their two years and are already home have turned out to be selection mistakes. By comparison, it has been estimated that about 30% of the people sent overseas by American companies are mis- takes. What can business learn from the way the Corps picks and trains its volunteers? We might first consider the Peace Corps techniques, beginning with the Selection Division. The evidence that the screeners have to work with is of four kinds: (1) the application form, and there’s nothing unusual about it except its length; it is so detailed that completing it is almost a test of motivation and interest in itself; (2) the placement test, which includes a 30-minute intelligence test and a language aptitude test; (3) college transcripts; and (4) refer- ences. The Peace Corps reference forms leave more than the usual blank space for “Comments”, and it’s remarkable how this space is really used. Every person giving a reference seems to take the view that the individual he’s being asked about will be his personal repre- sentative abroad. This suggests

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Thunderbird International Business Review – Wiley

Published: Dec 1, 1966

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