Operator Selection Tool for UAS
Operator selection has been an issue for sometime, who makes the best operators/pilots and why?
A newly developed selection tool can find you the “real” answer for your organisations.
Operator
TRacked
Unmanned systems
Selection
Tool
Operator TRUST is a selection, assessment and enhanced training tool, which uses a multi-disciplinary approach. TRUST can 
be adjusted to suit any output standard required from an organisation, be it an assessment against the final output standard or the next phase of training. The methods used by TRUST ensure accurate, objective measurement of an individual’s personality, behaviour and ability. Operator TRUST combines self report and interview with impartial scores of actual performance. Candidates are expected to perform dual activities that involve concurrent thinking and doing, similar to those expected in an operational environment.
Operator TRUST is unique in that it takes the personality profile generated and combines it with the skill orientation and abilities of the individual to provide a predictive output of how the candidate may perform when tasked with a specific syllabus in a specific organisational or training culture.
Operator TRUST is a five staged tool that builds up to create a well rounded and naturalistic view of the candidate. This produces measurements of candidates’ performances at four levels:
- Physical skills
- Cognitive skills
- Impact of personality and behaviour on performance
- Effect of environment and situation on performance
Operator TRUST uses a mixture of objective data taken from telemetry outputs from a simulator, reaction times and responses to a set of aptitude tests and four-way observations ranging from self report to observed behaviour under four different environmental conditions.
Operator TRUST has shown that it can elicit behaviour that better informs the organisation about how the candidate will react when exposed to the entire training pipeline. It has been able to predict where candidates may excel and also where they may struggle and are at risk of failing, not through lack of overall ability but through personality and self management causations.
Operator TRUST does not fail or pass candidates; this is the responsibility of the organisation. TRUST is able to offer a detailed breakdown of candidates, who are not clear cut on selection, and their suitability for the training pipeline. Often candidates, who perform well on the physical skill tests due to experience, may appear to be better suited than an individual who is less experienced. However, the less experienced candidate may prove to have a higher trainability score and will respond well to the training experience to which they are about to be subjected. TRUST is able to identify and select out prior experience bias, educational bias and learning style bias.
Operator TRUST can be adjusted to meet any selection requirements, from Ab-Initio selection through TRI/TRE positions and streaming to role disposal in military pilot selection. It has been shown to produce mentally tough and robust individuals, whilst at the same time providing enhancements to instructing personnel performance. TRUST can be administered by non-psychologists and, if required, non-pilot instructors. Training can be provided to customer personnel for collection of the data, which is completed in a manner that removes subjectivity and assessor biases.
Operator TRUST, from its very concept, was designed to have a mechanism by which it understands the personality, role and organisation requirements, which are underpinned by ability measurements and behavioural impacts. Therefore, TRUST is currently doing more than the elements described within this article. Also, TRUST provides a road map for performance enhancement within Unmanned Systems specific groups.
This article only provides an apetiser of what lies behind Operator Trust. More information can be provided:
Mick Davidson: davidson_mick@hotmail.com
+44(0) 7703772514
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