Assessment tests, which measure an employee’s ability, aptitude, and personality, can help companies better understand the skills and personalities of applicants. There’s no denying that they can be helpful – but they’re not without controversy. If you’re not careful, you could be discriminating against a good portion of your applicant pool.
Here’s what you need to know about assessment tests in the workplace.
There is no one-size-fits-all
There are, in fact, several types of assessment tests that employers can use during the hiring process, including:
- Aptitude tests, which look at how well an employee might grow into their new job by measuring how fast they pick up new skills
- Achievement tests, which assess skills in specific areas
- Personality tests, which look at how well a person fits in and to what extent they’re able to reach compromises, resolve conflicts, and work as part of a team
According to Psychometrics Canada, which develops assessment tools for companies, personality tests can measure up to 30 different types of personality traits. Most commonly, though, they look at characteristics like collaboration and teamwork, ambition and leadership, work style (detail-oriented and dependable), flexibility and ability to adapt to change, stress tolerance and emotional resilience, problem-solving, and analytical thinking.
You need to tread carefully
Questions that probe personality, aptitude, and adaptability to change can sometimes take on, or appear to take on, a personal attack, which could be discriminatory.
In the U.S., for instance, there are court cases where applicants have brought potential employers to court for asking personal information that is then used to omit candidates. [continue reading]
For more on assessment tests, read the full article here: The pros and cons of assessment tests in the workplace
