Finding a Good Fit:
Pre-Employment Tests That Measure Who You
Are, Not What You Know
Nan Knight
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Scenario 1
Thomas graduated summa cum laude with a degree
in chemistry and biology. He's always taken his
scientific work very seriously and thinks he'd
be a real asset to a local genetic research startup
company. After applying for a position, he's called
in for pre-employment testing. He has all the
right skills but finds out that the results of
his personality assessment test have made the
company decide not to hire him. What could possibly
have gone wrong? And what's wrong with Thomas?
Scenario 2
Hannah understands that one part of applying for
the job she wants as a pharmaceutical quality
assurance manager will be pre-employment testing.
She aces the skills test and does well at what
her employer calls an "integrity" test.
She balks, however, at a third test in which she
is asked to answer very personal questions, such
as "What time do you usually go to bed at
night?" and "Besides your ears, are
any other parts of your body pierced?" Where
can she-or should she-draw the line? Is it legal
for her prospective employer to ask such questions?
Scenario 3
Tabitha has applied for a job as a bench chemist
with a large corporation. She has a new degree
in chemistry and excellent qualifications. After
a battery of pre-employment tests, she is called
in for an interview. To her surprise, the company
offers her a much higher-level job, managing and
coordinating the activities of a team of chemists.
How did this happen? How can pre-employment testing
information help Tabitha decide whether or not
to accept this unexpected responsibility?
Tests and More Tests
You have good training, excellent credentials,
and glowing references-what more could a prospective
employer want to know? A lot, apparently, given
the number and
types of pre-employment screening tests currently
in use. At least 10 broad types of assessment
tests are available to employers who want to know
as much about potential employees as possible
before making costly investments in hiring.
In the news for the past few years have been
tests that measure, literally, what you're made
of: medical assessments that include physical
ability tests, drug and alcohol tests, general
medical examinations, and most recently, the controversial
possibility of genetic screening.
Other types of "tests" measure your
accomplishments: mental quizzes, educational and
experience requirements, achievement tests, specific
skills tests, and recommendations and reference
checks.
For many years, employers relied on the face-to-face
interview to assess intangible personality traits
and interpersonal skills that do not appear on
a medical report or a resume. Some interviewers
are quite skilled at eliciting the kind of information
that can forecast whether an individual will be
a good fit with their company. Others are not
so capable, and almost all would admit that the
subjective elements of interviewing make them
uncomfortable. "Did I dislike this applicant
because she reminded me of my 10th-grade English
teacher?" "Did I give this applicant
low marks because his socks didn't match?"
Many employers have turned to tightly structured
interview formats to comply with the hiring requirements
of the Americans
with Disabilities Act and with laws that protect
the civil rights of applicants. Although these
formats increase the objectivity of interviews,
they often mean that it's even more difficult
to find out who a prospective employee really
is and whether or not he or she is a good fit
for the job being offered. Businesses and other
organizations are turning increasingly to personality
assessments to supply the answers. More than 40%
of Fortune 500 companies and an estimated 50%
of medium-sized and large corporations currently
use some form of personality assessments for some
or all of their employees.
Personality Assessment
"Most companies, especially in the sciences,
do a good job of identifying whether or not an
applicant has the basic skills necessary to do
the job," says Nancy Haller, PhD, founder
and director of Applied
Psychometrics, a San Diego firm that offers
a wide range of employee selection and retention
tools and services. "But these same companies
then need a way to identify less tangible characteristics
like good judgment, personal poise, or leadership
capabilities. That's where the right kind of pre-employment
testing can yield information that will ultimately
be useful to both the employer and the employee."
Haller emphasizes that good pre-employment personality
assessments are about inclusion, not exclusion.
"It's about identifying the assets an employee
can bring to the company," she says. Applied
Psychometrics works with its client corporations
and organizations to develop job analyses that
highlight the characteristics most needed both
for specific jobs and for fitting into the general
atmosphere of a company. "We then recommend
specific tests from a wide range of instruments
that are available," says Haller. "The
results help companies go beyond the basics of
skills and work experience to make matches with
employees who will be able to share in the 'style'
of the work and the goals of the company."
A small biotechnology firm trying to take breakthrough
technology to the mass market on a shoestring
may look for entrepreneurship, risk-taking, and
a willingness to go above and beyond traditional
9-to-5 workplace requirements. The job also may
require the interpersonal skills necessary to
work in small quarters on tight deadlines with
diverse coworkers. "These are all traits
that can be identified," says Haller. She
emphasizes, however, that if an applicant does
not score well on these specific points, that
does not mean that he or she will not be highly
valued in another type of work setting. "Every
company has different requirements," she
says. "The same traits the entrepreneurial
environment values may not be as important to
a large corporation, where loyalty, cooperation,
and carefully considered decision making may count
for more."
Sidebar:
Background Screening: The Test That Gets Taken
Without You
How Does Personality Assessment Work?
You are most likely to encounter a personality
assessment test before you even get to the interview
stage in the hiring process. Many companies use
these tests as second-level screening after resumes
have been reviewed. Tests are offered either in
the Human Resources department of the company
or in a special testing and assessment center
that has contracted to perform this service.
The way in which assessments are administered
varies by the type of test. The majority are still
pen-and-pencil multiple-choice instruments, but
increasing numbers of tests are being administered
at computer workstations. A few testing services
administer the test online. You can get a feel
for such tests by taking a sample multiple-choice
assessment from The
Computer Psychologist, an Atlanta company
specializing in Web-based personality and cognitive
assessments. The Computer Psychologist customizes
its tests to identify potential employees with
the traits the employer finds the most desirable.
America's Career InfoNet is an informative
site with links to free online assessments and
tests.
A few tests allow room for open-ended responses.
Testing for professional or managerial positions
often involves situational tests, including "in-basket"
exercises (where you sort through items determining
priorities and solving problems), group problem
solving (where your leadership and team-building
qualities are assessed), and role-playing (where
your ability to deal with other employees or customers
is judged).
The good news is that, regardless of the type
of test you are required to take, you won't need
to study. "This is not a pass/fail scenario,"
says Kevin Sessions, Director of Sales and Business
Development for The Computer Psychologist. Like
Haller, he agrees that these tests are about measuring
what you're good at and finding the right fit
between employer and employee.
The bad news, however, is that this type of testing
often constitutes a blind spot for employees.
You don't know what to expect when you go in to
the test. You can't know for sure what the employer
is looking for. Even if you did, the best tests
are designed with "lie-scales" and repeated
questions that make "fooling" the test
difficult. And later, if you don't get a callback
for an interview, you have no way of knowing why
or even whether some aspect of your test results
denied you the job. Prospective employers are
under no obligation to share the results of the
test with you. Experts advise that you put your
best and most truthful self forward in taking
the assessments.
A Note About Honesty
A number of "honesty" or "integrity"
tests are marketed to employers who are concerned
about possible theft or other illegalities on
the job. Such tests usually take one or more of
three forms: direct questions about whether you
have engaged in illegal or dishonest behaviors,
more indirect questions about your attitudes toward
dishonesty, and polygraph examinations. A host
of state laws govern the content and use of honesty
and integrity measures, and the 1988
Employee Polygraph Protection Act places significant
restrictions on the use of so-called lie detectors.
Experts contacted for this feature, however,
noted that honesty and integrity tests tend to
be much more useful for entry-level positions,
such as convenience store clerk or security guard.
"If you're smart enough to have an advanced
degree, you're probably smart enough to know what
the right answers are on most of the written integrity
tests," said one test developer. Few scientists
are asked to take such tests as part of pre-employment
assessment. Once on the job, however, a polygraph
is sometimes part of clearance for assignment
to secure or classified operations. If you are
asked to take a polygraph, experts advise, you
should consult an employment attorney who can
counsel you about your rights in the testing environment,
use of results, and retesting.
Benefits for All
When pre-employment personality assessment tests
match the right employee with the right employer,
everyone gains. Not only does the company know
that it has hired someone with a broad range of
desired skills and capabilities, but the employee
starts out on the job with a useful tool for further
development. "These tests go into HR files,"
says Haller. "If the employer chooses to
share these, the employee can identify strengths
and pinpoint areas for further development."
Sessions agrees, "You get additional insights
about yourself-and about what the company values-from
these tests." Moreover, you're likely to
benefit from the work atmosphere that results
when your coworkers have been selected with these
tests as part of the criteria. "We even see
this as a marketing tool for companies, both for
prospective hires and potential clients,"
says Sessions. "It allows companies to show
that they're looking to replicate strengths in
their employees-and that those employees have
the interpersonal and other skills to get along
and do well in the workplace."
Personality assessment doesn't stop at the point
of hire. "We encourage ongoing testing,"
says Haller, who advises companies on using assessments
to identify leaders, as guides for restructuring,
and in decisions about advancement. "This
helps companies increase retention rates and increase
worker satisfaction. It's a win-win situation."
Like Your Mother Said
This is one of those times when the best advice
is to be yourself. If you're in the market for
a new job, then, the news that you need to be
tested shouldn't make you cringe. First, it's
an indication that your prospective employer is
interested. Second, if the test is a well normed
and proven assessment, it's likely to provide
a pretty good prognosis about your well being
in the job. Finally, once you have the job, the
test may give you-and your employer-helpful pointers
about future career strengths and directions.
How did our
candidates measure up?
Nan Knight is a freelance science writer and
editor whose credits include Smithsonian exhibits,
Discovery Channel Web sites, and a wide range
of publications on radiation in medicine.
Related Reading
Donald J. Spero of the Florida Mediation Group
has written an excellent summary of the legal
ins and outs of employment testing.
Should a psychologist determine your professional
future? Read what Fortune magazine has to say
about the changing
executive hiring process.
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