Advertisements
Job seekers today have so much experience packaging themselves, with tailored r�sum�s and rehearsed answers, that companies turn to tests to find out more about what makes them tick. A 2009 survey by research firm IOMA found that 26% of companies conducted personality, psychological or integrity tests on applicants. Job seekers may also be asked to take a test to quantify their creativity. What's more, insurance companies are pushing businesses to screen for traits like risk-taking, a quality the underwriter would not appreciate in, say, an applicant for a forklift-driver position.
But testing does have its problems. Mr. Rucci says that the most important indicator of future success on the job is past performance. Counter to that, HR managers sometimes distance themselves from the hiring process by relying on tests rather than performance appraisals. "There was a time when someone would say, 'This is the best-qualified candidate, based on their record'," says Mr. Maltby. "Now it's tests, and no one takes responsibility for the decision."
