Facing the challenge of finding the right job candidate, more employers are using pre-hire tests, thanks in part to the Internet making distribution cheaper and easier.
About 70% of entry and mid level jobs at large companies now include testing, says Scott Erker, a senior vice president at Development Dimensions International, a Bridgeville, PA, human resources consultancy.
However, researchers such as Dr. Richard Griffith, a psychology professor at Florida Institute of Technology, say it's too easy to lie on some of these tests, because applicants try to predict the "right" answer, which can vary depending on the job. Applicants can also research employment tests on the Web and ask friends who have taken them previously.
About 30% of respondents change their answers to achieve significantly higher scores. Faking "substantially harms the ability of the test to predict" people's performance, Dr. Griffith says. Despite the tests' flaws, Dr. Griffith says pre-employment tests are generally more reliable predictors of performance than an interview alone. But he says they could be more accurate.
Every employer wants to hire a good employee versus a good actor during the pre-employment testing and interview process.
To learn more about pre-employment testing, visit a directory of self assessments at www.SelfAssessmentCenter.com Also, be sure to check the reputation of the assessment tool publisher before purchasing pre-employment assessments for your company.
Source: The Wall Street Journal, November 6, 2006