- Selecting or screening high potential talent for specific positions
- Career and skill development planning
Tests used for selection and screening:
Performance Assessment tests
Performance-based assessment testing is a process to find out if applicants can do the job for which they are applying. It is done through tests, which are directly administered and judged by HR Managers who will be supervising the potential hire. Performance assessments can be used as a pre-screening tool to test applied knowledge, skills-job match and commitment of the applicant towards the job position.
The tests are usually designed to reflect real business tasks and challenges that candidates have to perform, should they be selected for the role. The tests are often open ended, but time limited, business related questions which applicants need to respond to in order to demonstrate their abilities.
The most important question that performance testing, seeks to answer is: How would you solve this problem? The results allow managers of the respective departments to select the candidates most suited for the role, thus making the process efficient for the company.
Personality tests
Personality tests may also be useful in personnel selection. Of the well-known “Big Five” personality traits, only conscientiousness correlates substantially with traditional measures of job performance, and that correlation is strong enough to be predictive. However, other factors of personality can correlate substantially with non-traditional aspects of job performance, such as leadership and effectiveness in a team environment.
Cognitive Ability tests
Tests of cognitive ability can assess general intelligence and correlate very highly with overall job performance.Individuals with higher levels of cognitive ability perform better on their jobs. This is especially true in for jobs that are more complex.
Job-knowledge tests
Employers administer job-knowledge tests when applicants must already possess a body of knowledge before being hired.Job-knowledge tests are particularly useful when applicants must have specialized or technical knowledge that can only be acquired through extensive experience or training. Job-knowledge tests are commonly used in fields such as computer programming, law, and financial management.
Licensing exams and certification programs are also types of job-knowledge tests. Passing such exams indicates competence in the exam’s subject area. Tests must be representative of the tested field, otherwise litigation can be brought against the test-giver.
Situational judgment tests
Situational judgment tests are commonly used as employee-selection and employee-screening tools and have been developed to predict employment success. These tests present realistic hypothetical scenarios in a multiple-choice format. Applicants are asked to state what they would do in a difficult job-related situation. Responses are scored according to the level of effectiveness, rather than as right or wrong.
Situational judgment tests measure the suitability of job applicants by assessing attributes such as problem solving, service orientation, and striving for achievement.These tests screen for candidates with key attributes and assess their capabilities to perform and respond to job-related situations. Therefore, results from situational judgment tests provide more indicative and job-specific information concerning an applicant’s competencies, which may not be initially apparent in their resume or during an interview. Situational judgment tests are becoming increasingly popular for selection for customer-facing positions in fields such as sales, retail and hospitality.
