Pre-Employment Tests

Question: What’s the easiest, cheapest and fastest way to build a productive, dependable and trustworthy workforce?

Answer: Hire productive, dependable and trustworthy people.  

Given this bottom-line reality, the key goal for screening job candidates is to predict applicants’ job performance before you put them on the payroll. Companies use three methods to make these predictions -- interviews, reference checks and pre-employment tests.

ACCURACY OF METHODS

Large-scale research has measured each method’s ability to accurately predict job performance. Findings indicate that most interviewers’ predictions are about as good as flipping a coin. Worse yet, reference checks often prove as useful as simultaneously flipping a coin and rubbing a rabbit’s foot. Isn’t that frightening? The two most widely used methods -- interviews and reference checks -- often produce woefully inaccurate predictions. Fortunately, research has found that two types of pre-employment tests do quite well at predicting job performance.  

THE TWO BEST TESTS  

Two main types of tests have been shown to make on-target predictions: mental abilities tests and behavior tests. A variant of behavior tests -- called character tests -- also are useful. Candidates who take these paper-and-pencil tests usually need between 15 minutes and one hour to complete them. The company obtains test results either by computer scoring or hand scoring. Mental abilities tests can help you avoid costly hiring blunders. Abilities predicted by these questionnaires often include the following:  

·         Problem solving or reasoning

·         Accuracy and speed in handling small details

·         Arithmetic

·         Vocabulary and grammar, including spelling and correct word usage 

Every job requires some or all of these abilities.

Behavior tests, the second most widely used instrument, are composed of multiple-choice questions used to determine how an applicant may act on the job. These tests usually examine three crucial aspects of work behavior: 

·         Interpersonal skills such as friendliness, teamwork and assertiveness

·       Personality traits such as rule-following tendencies and “can do” attitudes

·       Motivation, such as the importance of money and customer service   orientation 

Be sure to use only behavior tests that contain scales that can detect when applicants “fake out” results, that is, when they try to come across as better than they really are. “Personality” questionnaires often used in training or teambuilding sessions do not contain these scales. In contrast, behavior tests specifically designed for pre-employment usage include scales that can spot “fake” results. Character tests -- an often used variant of behavior tests -- are designed to predict work-related trustworthiness, potential for stealing, work ethics and substance abuse attitudes among job candidates. 

LEGAL RULES  

Legally permitted screening methods -- interviews, reference checks and tests -- should possess four qualities: job-relatedness; nondiscriminatory usage; validity (produce accurate results) and reliability (produce dependable results).  

All screening methods naturally must be job-related and used in a nondiscriminatory manner, but few companies conduct research to prove that their interviews or reference checks make valid and reliable predictions about applicants. Fortunately, well-developed tests have years of research to establish validity and reliability. As such, tests have data for possible defense, subjective interviews and reference checks seldom do.  

MICHAEL W. MERCER, Ph.D., is a business psychologist, lecturer and pre-employment testing expert with The Mercer Group Inc, Barrington, Ill. This article is excerpted from the AMA-COM book “Hire the Best and Avoid the Rest.” Copyright 1994 Michael W. Mercer. All rights reserved by Michael W. Mercer.

Synopsis
Everybody wants to hire super performers, but people don't come with a guarantee. So how do you know which prospective employees will perform most successfully on the job? Michael Mercer's pragmatic guide removes much of the uncertainty and inefficiency from the hiring process, showing how to make the most of three key tools: interviewing, testing, and reference checking.

Assessments for Success LLC is authorized to deliver testing products developed by Mercer Systems, Inc.  

TO HIRE THE BEST, Use Pre-Employment Tests