';

Do pre-employment personality tests work?

Today, businesses in almost every sector see the value of skills-based tests and other pre-employment evaluations. However, many are still divided over one particular assessment: the personality test. Such examinations are designed to give employers hard psychological data to use when assessing candidates.

An estimated 22 percent of U.S. employers incorporate personality tests into their hiring processes, according to survey data from the Society for Human Resource Management. These companies believe personality-based assessments accurately identify candidate character traits, giving hiring managers a peek into how prospective employees might function in the workplace.

This is an especially serious concern when hiring for C-level staff, as leaders are expected to tap into their natural instincts when making key business decisions. Proponents say these tests also benefit job hunters, eliminating the need for trial periods and other costly hiring practices, The Wall Street Journal reported.

"Twenty-two percent of U.S. employers incorporate personality tests into their hiring processes."

However, some in the HR space still aren't sold on personality tests. Why? Bias.

Opponents feel these assessments unfairly rule out talented candidates with insignificant yet quantifiable psychological quirks. Additionally, since the evaluation's quality directly impacts the results' accuracy, organizations must spend considerable time vetting available assessments. Sadly, many simply go with the cheapest option rather than the more accurate one.

With these risks in mind, businesses looking to adopt personality tests should carefully define their needs and seek out strong evaluations that test for psychological traits pertinent to organizational success, according to Inc. Most importantly, it's best not to rely solely on results from these tests when determining candidates' cultural fit. Employers should perform holistic candidate surveys in which personality is only one variable.

Are you looking for talented C-level staff with the personality and executive experience to move your business forward? Contact YES Partners today. Our highly trained executive search consultants can put you in contact with bottom line-bolstering talent fit to take on any examination you throw at them.

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.

Recommend
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google Plus
  • LinkedIN
  • Pinterest
Share
Tagged in
Leave a reply

© 2017 YES Partners, Inc.