Industrial-Organizational Psychologist Andrew Barsa Joins Shaker as Analyst on Insights Team

Barsa Brings Consulting Experience to Enhance Shaker's Assessment Technology


CLEVELAND, OH--(Marketwired - Jun 30, 2016) - Shaker, the market leader in engaging, realistic job previews and custom simulations for pre-employment testing, today announced the addition of Andrew Barsa as an analyst to the company's Insights team. In this role, he is responsible for the ongoing refinement of Shaker's Virtual Job Tryout® assessments, conducting quality of hire business impact analysis and documenting return on investment for Shaker's clients.

"Our clients are truly seeing the value of big data practices and talent analytics with candidate data from the Virtual Job Tryout," said Joseph P. Murphy, executive vice president of Shaker. "By welcoming Andrew to Shaker's Insights team, we have extended our analytical bench strength and enhanced our statistical modeling capabilities. As a result, we can continue meeting customer expectations and ensure maximum benefit from their investment in Virtual Job Tryout technology."

Barsa joins Shaker following his work with consulting firm Barrett and Associates conducting extensive legal and industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology research to document assessment fairness. He previously worked for TimkenSteel Corporation, where he provided assessment support, conducted research and statistical analyses and created a number of resources designed to aid leadership training, organizational information sharing and new-hire development.

Barsa is currently a Ph.D. candidate in I-O psychology at The University of Akron, where he expects to complete his degree later this year. He earned a master's degree in I-O psychology from The University of Akron and a bachelor's degree in psychology from John Carroll University.

"The University of Akron offers incredible exposure to business for students pursuing an advanced degree in I-O psychology," said Michael J. Hudy, vice president, Selection Science at Shaker. "Andrew has accumulated a distinctive array of selection science and organizational change experiences early in his career. His skills in predictive analytics, assessment development and business impact analysis make him ideally suited for stepping into our Insights team."

"My interest in working with Shaker stems from my extensive experience with scientific research, statistics and technology in psychology over the course of my academic and professional careers," said Barsa. "After further exploring the products the company creates, it became clear to me that this was an organization that not only worked in all of my areas of interest but also afforded its employees opportunities to adapt, reinvent and grow to meet the rapidly changing demands of the current selection world. As a Cleveland native, I can't think of a better fit for me as I take the next step in my professional career than with a company I truly believe in."

ABOUT SHAKER
Shaker's Virtual Job Tryout® (VJT) technology enables recruiters to combine the best of predictive analytics and human judgment. Recruiters identify best-fit candidates with more precision, increase new-hire retention and improve quality of hire. VJT technology delivers pre-employment assessments as day-in-the-life experiences that educate and engage while obtaining a work sample that predicts job fit and competencies critical for success. VJT technology is available in Standard and Enterprise (custom) configurations. It has been deployed in most industries for entry-level to mid-management positions. More information can be found at shakercg.com.

Andrew Barsa, analyst for Shaker's Insights team