Resumes aren’t the sole source of information to determine that a candidate is a good fit for the position and company. Indeed the majority of employers think that applicants frequently misrepresent themselves in their resumes and applications for jobs. To reduce the risk of being with hiring a poor candidate employers are charged with developing innovative and sensible methods of determining whether the applicant is the ideal fit for the specific job and/or the business.
PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTS
Pre-employment tests are a set of assessment tools for candidates to assess whether a candidate is a good person for a particular job. Through the use of pre-employment assessments, employers are able to gather pertinent data about the candidate and take an objective hiring decision. The goal of this article is to tell you about the types of pre-employment tests you could take.
LOOK AT DIFFERENT TYPES OF PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTS
You may take tests to determine whether the applicant is the ideal fit for the position. According to some studies that the test administered prior to employment could increase a hiring manager’s satisfaction by 36 percent.
- Tests for knowledge of the job
- Tests for integrity
- Tests of cognitive ability
- Tests for personality
- Emotional intelligence tests
- Tests for the assessment of skills
- Physical test of physical ability
- JOB KNOWLEDGE TESTS
Employers conduct job-related tests to assess the knowledge of applicants of a specific job or job description. When you hire a writer, for instance, you may want to conduct a job test to measure the candidate’s English Grammar and writing skills. A test for job knowledge could include any of the following types of tests that can be included in one test.
- Technical
- Cognitive
- Job-simulation
- Language & Communication
- Personality
- Business Domain Knowledge
- INTEGRITY TESTS
Integrity tests are among the more objective assessments that an employer can conduct to determine potential candidates’ inclination toward ethical conduct such as cheating, stealing, or using alcohol and other drugs. The problem with these tests is it’s easy to falsify the answers. It’s difficult to determine whether the test taker has made up the answers or is truthful.
- COGNITIVE ABILITY TESTS
Cognitive tests are designed to measure general intelligence. It gives an indication of the candidate’s thinking processes, problem-solving skills, and verbal abilities. Cognitive tests such as the General Aptitude Test (GAT) measure applicants’ ability to apply cognitive skills to solve problems, such as verbal reasoning, logical reasoning, and numerical reasoning. A study conducted by Hunter & Hunter showed that cognitive tests are more reliable in predicting the performance of a job as opposed to conventional selection criteria, such as interviewing and experience.
- PERSONALITY TESTS
Tests for personality are among the most frequently used kinds of tests for pre-employment. An estimated 70% of employers in the U.S. use personality tests to determine if the applicant is the right fit for the job. The most frequently used personality tests are:
- Myers-Briggs Personality Type
- DISC Personality Assessment
- The Caliper Profile
- SHL Occupational Personality Questionnaire
- Hogan Personality Inventory
- Big Five Personality Theory
- EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE TESTS
Emotional intelligence tests analyze a candidate’s relationship-building skills and their understanding of emotions (both their own and others’). Research conducted by Stanford as well as Harvard has revealed that between 8 and 85 percent of the success of an individual is due to soft skills such as interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence tests can help determine the personality of an individual in various aspects, including self-awareness and empathy and managing emotions, responding to challenges and conflict as well as handling stressful situations, and working with teams of different members.
Similar to integrity tests, people can’t always make up their minds when it comes to tests of emotional intelligence.
- SKILLS ASSESSMENT TEST
The fraudulent use of resumes accounts for around $600 billion of losses to employers. Testing for skills helps assess the ability of a candidate to use the skills they possess, whether it is soft (e.g. focus on details) or hard abilities (e.g. computer literacy) when doing a particular task. It can be assessed by presenting different scenarios to the applicants and then evaluating their responses to the situations. For instance, a candidate could be required to take the English Grammar and Writing test to test their English abilities.
- PHYSICAL ABILITY TEST
Tests of the physical ability test a person’s stamina, endurance, and strength. Physical ability tests will also determine if the applicant can be capable of performing in roles that require physical exertion such as a police officer or firefighter. Some examples of physical abilities tests include:
- Balance Test
- Flexibility Test
- Cardiovascular Endurance Test
- Muscular Tension Test
If you’re interested in learning more about the Pre-employment test or would like to have tests for Pre-employment conducted you can contact PCP Works.
