Should You Fear the Pre-Employment Testing?

Faced with growing applicant pools, recruiters need to use tools other than resume screening and interviewing to find the best candidates. As a result, many companies now require applicants to take personality tests and other pre-employment tests before having the opportunity to meet with hiring managers.

There are technically no right or wrong answers on the personality tests used to assess job applicants. However, employers rate answers according to a predetermined scale. How your answer is rated depends on the intent of the employer. For example, a question about whether you are still friends with classmates from high school may be interpreted in two ways. Some employers want to see if you are able to maintain lasting friendships, while others are trying to determine if you are outgoing enough to pursue new relationships.

Some applicants have a tendency to try to outsmart personality tests and other pre-employment tests. Don't give in to the urge. Well-designed tests have questions built in to test the validity of your answers. If you alter your answers based on what you think an employer wants to hear, the employer is likely to find out. Being exposed as a dishonest person is a lot worse than giving a few wrong answers, especially if you are applying for jobs that require a great deal of trust.

The personality tests that are used to assess job applicants are usually quite lengthy. Instead of being annoyed that you have to take these personality tests, go into each test with a positive attitude. If you are taking the test in an employer's office instead of on your computer at home, put a smile on your face and treat the test proctor kindly. While it's annoying to have to spend 30 minutes or more on a test when you might not even get the job, it is a step you have to take if you want the hiring manager to consider you.

One of the factors affecting the validity of personality tests is how they are scored. If a hiring manager does the scoring based on an arbitrary scale, the results are not as valid as they would be if a scoring company scores the personality tests. There's not much you can do to influence how a potential employer scores these tests. All you can do is read each question carefully and give a truthful answer.

Personality tests are more common than ever, so be prepared to take one every time you apply for a job. Give honest answers, and try to approach each test with a positive attitude. The results from these tests are only one of the factors that companies use to determine if you are a suitable candidate.

Photo courtesy of Alberto G. at Flickr.com