The pre-employment test is an essential part of the modern recruitment process. In fact, more than 50 percent of U.S. employers issue these exams to assess candidates, according to The Wall Street Journal. For the most part, pre-employment tests serve a real purpose, separating truly talented professionals from pretenders. Plus, they offer potential cost savings by eliminating the expenses that normally accompany salaried trial periods.
"The incentives to screen before hiring have increased over time, while the costs have declined," Steven Davis, an economist for the University of Chicago, told the newspaper. "Both those things are encouraging employers to move away from what was essentially a trial employment situation to just screening people out in advance."
However, others believe pre-employment tests – specifically those designed to assess personality traits – can have damaging consequences. Employees at all levels experience myriad emotions throughout the day, depending on the events that unfold.
As a result, the momentary emotional snapshots captured in personality-based pre-employment tests may not tell the whole story. This could lead to accidental hiring discrimination, which, if discovered, could damage the reputation of your organization and cost you thousands in legal fees and penalties.
Fortunately, there are testing strategies that can allow you to accurately assess prospective C-level leaders. Job hunters who have had negative experiences with pre-employment tests normally cite disrespectful treatment as their primary problem, PBS News Hour reported.
Most can recall times when organizations failed to mention pre-employment tests in job posts, provide reasoning for such exams or offer feedback on results. These behaviors leave candidates feeling disrespected and less confident about prospective employers. With this in mind, treat test takers with respect. Warn them about exams ahead of time, explain your rationale and, most importantly, provide feedback when it's all said and done.
Of course, before you can dole out your new-and-improved pre-employment tests, you need viable candidates waiting in reception. YES Partners can help. Our highly-trained executive search consultants can connect you with talented C-level contributors with the executive experience required to facilitate change and move your organization forward.
To see some of the roles we have already successfully placed, click here.
Finding people is easy, but finding the RIGHT people is not. YES Partners helps companies FIND the right people for all company functions, across many industries.
