Recruitment tests aim to provide insights into candidates and how well they may perform in a role. There are typically three main types of tests: personality tests that assess characteristics like motivation and fit with company culture, aptitude tests that evaluate intellectual abilities relevant to the job, and skills tests that measure qualifications like computer proficiency. The document discusses how different companies use various tests targeting things like sales skills, management potential, and leadership qualities to identify the best candidates for specific roles. It emphasizes that test results should always be considered alongside other aspects of the application and hiring process.
2. If you are currently applying for a job then the chances are that you
will need to sit a recruitment and selection test as part of the process.
These tests aim to provide a potential employer with an insight into
how well you work with other people, how well you handle stress,
and whether you will be able to cope with the intellectual demands of
the job.
Recruitment and selection tests are only part of the selection process
and you will still be asked to complete an application form, send in a
copy of your resume and attend at least one interview. All of these
things will tell the employer something about you and help them to
choose the most appropriate candidate for the vacancy. Recruitment
and selection tests can be split into personality
tests and aptitude/ability tests.
The principle behind personality tests is that it is possible to
quantify your personality characteristics by asking you about your
feelings, thoughts and behaviour. Personality has a significant role to
play in deciding whether you have the enthusiasm and
motivation that the employer is looking for and whether you going to
fit in to the organization, in terms of
your personality, attitude and general work style? Personality tests
can be applied in a straightforward way at the early stages of selection
to screen-out candidates who are likely to be unsuitable for the job.
Aptitude and ability tests are designed to assess your intellectual
performance. These types of test can be broadly classified onto the
groups shown and you may be asked to sit a test which consists only
of ‘numerical’ questions or these may form part of a test which
consists of questions of different types.
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5. Your test score is then compared with the results of a control
group which has taken the tests in the past. This control group
could consist of other graduates, current job holders or a
sample of the population as a whole. Your reasoning skills
can then be assessed in relation to this control group and
judgments made about your ability.
Remember, recruitment and selection tests are only part of the
overall assessment procedure. Employers will use them
alongside interviews, application forms, academic results and
other selection methods, so your your test result won't be the
only information looked at.
6. Different tests depend on the job and company
Generally to determine the applicant’s ability, aptitude and
personality
Ability tests ( how well an individual can perform tasks related
to the job -eg typist)
Aptitude tests ( helps determine a person’s potential to learn in
a given area – eg GMAT))
Interest tests –(people are likely to succeed in jobs they like -
Strong Interest Inventory (SII))
Projective tests (interpretation/writing a story etc on ambiguous
pictures-motives, frustrations, aspirations can be known –eg ink
blot )
Intelligence tests-mental ability test - IQ
Achievement tests –(measure effects of learning –Standford
Test of Academic Skills, California Achievement Tests)
Personality test- to assess personality, to
measure a prospective employee’s motivation to
function in a particular working environment
( 16 PF ,MBTI , Big 5 etc)
7. personality Test:
Personalities Are The Greatest Contributors To Individuality -
Although Appearance May Change Throughout Ones Lives,
Personality Usually Doesn't. Everybody Has Certain Identifiable
Personality Traits That Characterize His/Her Individuality.
Understanding Your Candidate's True Personality Will Allow
You To Understand Your Candidates Better And Identify
Whose Personality Is Better Suited For Your Requirement.
Research Shows That Different Personality Types Behave
Differently, Interact With Others Differently And Have
Different Preferences.
Personality Test Evaluates Various Typical Areas Of A Person’s
Individual Characteristics And Personality Traits And Helps
You To Find Out What Your Candidate's Personality Type Is
And Find Out How Suitable He/She Is For Your Job.
Computer Skills Tests:
In This Highly Technological Age, Computer Skills And
Computer Knowledge Are Undeniably Important. As
Technology Advances, More Developed Computer Skills Are
Required To Accelerate The Results And Production In Day To
Day Business Environment.
Thus It Has Become Very Important For Employers And HR
Persons To Hire Employees Who Have Ample Knowledge Of
Computer Skills So As To Offer Speed, Accuracy And
Efficiency In His/Her Areas Of Responsibilities.
Computer IQ Helps To Understand Your Candidate's Level Of
Computer Knowledge. Scorelogix Computer Skill Test Is
Measured On The Following Sub-Dimensions:
8. Knowledge Of Software Applications
Knowledge Of Operating Systems
Knowledge Of Information Storing And Processing
Knowledge Of Computer Hardware
Knowledge Of Internet Tools
Knowledge Of Wireless Access And Devices.
Sales Aptitude Test:
All Sales Jobs Are Unique. This Is Why A Sales Person Can Be
A Great Success In One Job And A Miserable Failure In
Another. Some Jobs Need Assertive And Independent Types;
Others Need Helpful, Service-Oriented Types. Some Need A
Strong Technical Orientation While Others Are More
Consultative. Some Have Long-Selling Cycles, While Others
Are Shorter. The Key To A Successful And Productive Sales
Force Is To Correctly Match The Person To The Job.
Test For Sales Aptitude, Guarantees A Perfect Match. This Is A
Combination Of Intelligence And Communication Tests.
Managers Test:
To Assess An Individuals Behavioural And Personality
Characteristics That Is Important For Success In Sales
Occupations.
In Today's Economy, Hiring Goal Achievers Is An Economic
Necessity. No Longer Can Managers Afford To Hire Sales
People Who Perform Below Expectations.
Gives A Solution For This In The Form Of A Sales Manager
Test Package. The Sales Manager Test Is Not Just A Personality
Test Or An Ordinary Sales Test. It Is A Package That Predicts
9. • Assertiveness
• Motivation
• Self-Confidence
• Patience
• Customer Service Characteristics
Leadership Talent Test:
Changing Organizational Structures And Greater Workforce
Diversity Has Drastically Changed Our Comprehension Of
Leadership. Leadership Is Now Seen As A Relationship
Between Leaders And Those Being Lead. We Now Know That
Leadership Is Revealed In Many Behavioral And Personality
Styles, From Charismatic Visionaries To Quiet Team Players.
Leadership Can Be Measured In Numerous Dimensions, With
Leaders And Followers Interchanging Roles As The Situation
Demands
The Recipe For A Successful Business Includes Leadership That
Fosters Strong Connections Between Peers And Across
Organizational Functions And Levels.
Tests With DoLBe Theory. This Checks How The Person Is
Originally And How Much The Person Learns And How Much
He Puts Into Process What He Learns. This Also Gives Insight
About The Managerial Skills Of The Individual.
10. THEY'RE ABOUT DISCOVERING WHO YOU ARE
"When people talk about psychometric tests, they sometimes mean
questionnaires,"says Mark Parkinson, a business psychologist who puts
together both for organisations. "A test is something with a right or wrong
answer, which might be usedto measure numeracy or literacy, for example,
while a questionnaire would be used to find out about someone's
personality." Employers may use one or both of these in the recruitment
process.
The questionnaire is supposed to discover what kind of person you are in
ways that you wouldn't necessarily admit to in an interview, with questions
designed to expose how you behave and what motivates you. A good test
will be set up to pick up on any inconsistencies and make it difficult for you
to put on an act – there is a built-in "lie scale". An aptitude test is supposed
to show how good you are at tasks required in the job and may measure
how quickly you get to the right answer. The employer may have a
minimum score you have to achieve, or be looking for the candidate with
the best score, says Parkinson.
THEY NEED TO BE PART OF A PROCESS
"If you're recruiting for senior people these days, you will usually do
something called an assessment centre – this will involve an interview, a
work sampling and a psychometric test," says Cary Cooper, professor of
organisational psychology and health at Lancaster University. "An
interview on its own is a very poor predicter of ultimate success."
So too are the other elements, when taken alone. For example, looking at
the quality of someone's work, without knowing how they cope with
decision-making, makes it hard to know if they will be able to work in an
environment where speed is of the essence.
Parkinson says the results shouldalways be validated at an interview. If
someone comes across as sociable, they shouldbe askedto give an example.
11. THEY ONLY WORK IF THE EMPLOYERKNOWS WHAT THEY WANT
Parkinson says they are only any good if the recruiter knows what they are
trying to measure and why. "Where they often fail is when people try to use
them to assess things that you can't measure, such as creativity or
leadership," he says. The recruiter needs to decide what kind of traits they
think make a good leader and look for those.
YOU CAN'T PASS OR FAIL A PERSONALITY TEST
"You can't actually 'ace' a psychometric test – the recruiter is using it to see
what your strengths and weaknesses are, and how they match up with the
job requirements," says Cooper. He points out that while for some roles,
scoring highly for sociability would be in your favour, if you were applying
for a job auditing sensitive accounts or running a remote lighthouse, it
might count against you.
However, while the otherelements of the recruitment process shouldbe
taken into account, it could be that the employer is looking for particular
results in the test, and rejects candidates who don't fit the bill. You won't
have failed the test as such, but you won't get the job.
THEY HAVE A DARK SIDE
Some questionnaires now try and establish the "dark side" of your
personality and how traits might be displayed if things go wrong and you
find yourself underpressure. Arguably, Co-op Bank's recruiters should have
used this one.