A recent study reported that “76% of organizations with over 100 employees rely on assessment tools such as aptitude and personality tests for external hiring”.
This news can be unnerving for job candidates, but they can learn how to better prepare and answer these assessments.
There are tips that one can follow to help them better prepare and answer the questions they will encounter.
This blog provides three useful tips to help you better handle hiring assessments.
The July 2015 Harvard Business Review magazine had an interesting article “Managing Yourself – Ace The Assessment” by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, the CEO of Hogan Assessment Systems. In the article Tomas help job candidates understand why organizations use assessment tools and how to best showcase themselves without trying to game the system.
Hiring assessments are tools that organizations use to help them make better hires. These tests help standardize the hiring process and assist in reducing bias, the amount of time spent in the selection process. The assessment tools, according to Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic, seek to measure the following “three critical elements of success on the job”.
Competence
Tests in this area are looking to measure cognitive skills, IQ, basic reasoning. Employers use these tess, often in conjunction with personality tests, to see if you have the basic reasoning and learning skills to perform the job.
Work Ethic
Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic writes that “most companies seek employees who are ambitious, reliable and trustworthy. These elements of work ethic determine not only whether people will get things done but also whether they will fit in with the organization’s culture and collaborate well.” The assessment tools used to measure work ethic are mainly self-reported personality test that look for predicted patterns of behavior.
Emotional Intelligence
Many companies have been evaluating for emotional intelligence because of its importance in leadership, team building and overall job performance. Emotional intelligence (EQ programs) involve either structured interviews or a self reported assessment test.
So how does a job candidate perform well on these important assessments?
Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic provides the following three tips:
Practice
There are practice assessment tests readily available on the internet. Take the time to go thru several and monitor your performance. Do not be concerned with matching up to the exact version of the assessment tool that you will be encountering in the future. With so many tools available it is impossible to cover all of the bases.
The important reason for practicing is:
- You will reduce your test taking anxiety because your practice will make you more familiar and confident.
- You will be able to strengthen your test taking skills.
- Repeated testing will help you develop brain training ability to detect patterns and gain increased focus.
Attend to Logistics
Research on test taking shows that “personality, circadian rhythms and stimulants interact to affect performance”. Knowing this you should be aware of your caffeine intake and the time of day when you perform at your best. This will dictate when it would be the optimal time to interview and take your assessment test.
Be Yourself, Within Reason
The most important advice on taking personality and psychological assessments is not to lie. The tests are professionally engineered so that they can identify when an applicant is not be open and honest. You will also give a false impression of yourself that may lead to you being matched up with a position that is not a good fit.
If you are in the job market for a mid to senior level position you will most likely be asked to complete one or more than one assessment tests. Follow the great advice provided by Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic and you will be able to take them with confidence.
If you are in the job market for a mid to senior level position you will most likely be asked to complete one or more than one assessment tests. Follow the great advice provided by Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic and you will be able to take them with confidence.
