Evaluating employability in contexts of change: validation of a scale

Pilar González-Navarro; Ana Isabel Córdoba-Iñesta; Ana María Casino-García; Lucía Inmaculada Llinares-Insa

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1150008

Evaluating employability in contexts of change: validation of a scale

Front Psychol. 2023 Aug 1:14:1150008. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1150008. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Pilar González-Navarro¹, Ana Isabel Córdoba-Iñesta², Ana María Casino-García³, Lucía Inmaculada Llinares-Insa⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Social Psychology, IDOCAL, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain.
² Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain.
³ Department of Inclusive Education and Social-Community Development, Universidad Católica de Valencia San Vicente Mártir, Valencia, Spain.
⁴ Department of Social Psychology, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain.

Abstract

Introduction: Employability is a crucial factor in managing to emerge and changing job demands. This study validates an expanded version of the Employability Appraisal Scale: EAS-60, as an instrument to identify and improve competencies for employability.

Method: The EAS-60 was tested in a cross-sectional study in a Spanish population. An exploratory study was carried out using a sample of 188 workers, and the scale's structure was analyzed and confirmed in two Confirmatory Factor Analyses using a sample of 527 workers. Finally, reliability and validity were evaluated.

Results: Exploratory and confirmatory analyses provide evidence supporting the multi-dimensional structure. The scale presents good psychometric properties and criteria for interpreting the scores.

Discussion: The EAS-60 is a reliable and valid instrument. It allows Human Resource Managers to offer career plans at work that include specific actions of job socialization, training, improvement of specific skills, etc. Furthermore, employees can increase their employability and develop their professional careers.

Keywords: employability; employment; human resource management; labor competences; scale development; soft skills.