HOW PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTS BOOST HIRING ACCURACY AND RESULTS

There are only two possible mistakes we can make when hiring. 1. Hiring the wrong person (a false positive), or 2. Not hiring the right person (a false negative).

Simple enough.

All we need to do is avoid hiring someone who can’t do the job and be certain to hire someone who can. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done. We know the type of employee we want and what the job entails. We have a clear vision for how the job can evolve and what successful performance looks like. Yet, our hiring scorecard is often marred by mistakes and regrets.

Hiring is not a pure science, so we can’t expect our scorecard to be perfect. But there is a way to significantly boost our hiring accuracy and limit expensive mistakes:

Pre-employment testing.

In this post, I’ll highlight key reasons to consider using pre-employment tests, when to use them, and understanding common misconceptions.

Why Use Pre-Employment Tests?

Increase Confidence

We’ve all made hiring mistakes. Whether it’s an employee with a bad attitude, someone who can never show up on time, or a new hire that requires constant oversight. Let’s face it, there’s no guarantee that the person who shines in an interview will be an ace performer once they have the job. That’s why, after a hiring decision has been made, we often feel a sense of hope tinged with uncertainty.

To reduce uncertainty and increase our confidence we’ve made the right choice, an objective pre-employment test significantly improves both fairness and predictive accuracy.

Personalize Hiring

Applicants face a similar Am I making the right choice? decision as employers. And those decisions are very personal. Employers who take a personal approach to hiring recognize the importance of pre-employment testing in giving candidates insight into the new role and responsibilities. Assessments such as work samples and job simulations take it a step further by allowing candidates to immerse themselves in the demands of the job and experience first-hand both the rewards and challenges. Candidates with realistic expectations about the work can make more informed employment decisions and they are more likely to stay engaged and grow in the job.

The value of pre-employment tests is not only to help employers decide if the applicant is right for the job, but also to help applicants decide if the job is right for them.

Streamline and Standardize Processes

From a logistical and practical perspective, pre-employment tests help facilitate efficiency and scalability. In many organizations, the time, sequence, and steps in the hiring process are not consistent. The staff involved may be well trained, or they may not. They may use the same criteria in evaluating candidates or rely on their own systems and approach. Inconsistencies can crop up anywhere. Whether obvious or discrete, inconsistencies derail precision, leading to both false positive and false negative hiring errors.

A well-designed pre-employment test provides a standard measure across all applicants, regardless of when, where, and how often the test is administered.

Offset Human Differences and Bias

Learning how to interview and hire is often self-taught. We all like to think we’re a good judge of character and that our decisions are fair and unbiased. However, research does not back up this optimism. “It’s important to realize that everyone carries implicit biases, and these biases impact recruiting and hiring,” states Roy Maurer writing for SHRM. As humans, we have emotions, and those emotions affect our thoughts, perceptions, and decisions. Past experiences, whether positive or negative, influence how we react and can allow biases to cloud our judgment.

Pre-employment tests are designed to minimize bias. The best tests include documented validation and fairness analyses, supporting the proper use and application of the assessment.

When to use pre-employment Tests

Filter Applicant Pool

Whether your recruiting challenge is finding enough qualified candidates, or efficiently sorting through a sea of applicants, pre-employment tests save time and money by objectively filtering out candidates who do not match your basic requirements, so you can quickly focus your time on the most qualified candidates for the position.

Increase Objectivity

Tools like resumes and interviews are subjective by nature. Applicants often report what they believe you want to hear, and the outcome is dependent on human judgment. If all the steps in your process include human judgment, then the risk of hiring mistakes is high. Pre-employment tests are a smart way to add objectively to the process and reduce the risk of bias and mistakes.

Measure Specific Skills and Abilities

Each job requires the ability to perform specific tasks. If a job requires a particular set of skills and performance standards, then it’s the ideal time to add pre-employment testing to your process. Numerous skills tests are available to determine if candidates possess the minimum standards to perform at a reasonable level in the job. These tests minimize awkward moments where candidates want to do a good job but lack the right blend of skills.

UNDERSTANDING COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS

No discussion of pre-employment testing would be complete without addressing these four common misconceptions often associated with testing.

X  All Tests Are the Same

There are many types of pre-employment tests that serve a variety of goals. They don’t all work the same. And they don’t all predict the same. Three essential elements of a high-quality pre-employment test are: job-relevancy (reflects the key aspects of the job), reliability (delivers consistent results), and validity (proven to be an accurate and fair predictor). In selecting a test, it’s important to understand the content of the test, what it measures, how it was validated, and how candidates react. The more the test reflects the key elements of the job, the more favorable candidates will react and the more accurate the test will be in predicting job success.

X  Employment Tests are Too Expensive

The simple fact is that pre-employment testing is one of the best HR investments an organization can make. Well-designed pre-employment tests typically pay for themselves in turnover cost savings alone. When you add to performance gains, improved customer satisfaction, and increased revenue, the ROI of pre-employment testing is unparalleled. For example our assessments consistently deliver to our clients a ROI of 3X or higher.

X  Testing Impedes Hiring

Recruiters and hiring managers are often tasked with the urgent need to fill open positions as quickly as possible. Any additional step can be viewed negatively. “I had the perfect applicant, and the test wouldn’t let me hire them.” Those words are not uncommon, and often expedience blocks the effective use of testing. It doesn’t take long to realize, however, that one good hire represents significant time and cost savings and helps close the revolving door of turnover.

X  Tests Are Hard to Implement

Another misconception is that employment testing software is hard to implement and use. While other types of business platforms may take months of training and implementation, most pre-employment tests are relatively easy to add to your current process and typically require minimal staff resources.

A well-designed pre-employment test is a powerful tool for improving the accuracy and effectiveness of the hiring process. By minimizing bias, increasing objectivity, and measuring the specific skills required for a job, employers can make more confident and informed hiring decisions. The long-term benefits of reduced turnover and increased job performance make pre-employment testing a valuable investment for any organization.

IS PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTING RIGHT FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION?

If you have specific hiring challenges or want a new way to hire great people, fast – see if pre-employment testing may be the solution you’re looking for! Contact us here for a free consultation or call 888.332.0648.