Posted by EmployTest - on Wed, May 20, 2009 @ 04:17 PM
What finally pushed you over the edge and caused you to consider pre-employment testing for your company, business, or division?
Was it the new hire who couldn't spell "spellcheck"?
Was it the employee who lasted six months (although it seemed like six years) and needed help with every computer related task?
Was it the newcomer that continually was rude and abrasive with not only co-workers but also clients?
Was it the new hire with zero (and I mean zero) attention to detail?
Or was it the person that didn't quite fit into the corporate culture (or lack thereof)?
Were you just tired of the "surprises" that came with each new hire? (usually these surprises are not good)
Other reasons? They are valid, one and all, and are reflective of how challenging it is to determine an applicant's true talent during an interview.
Posted by EmployTest - on Wed, Apr 29, 2009 @ 03:16 PM
If you look into the corners of the Internet these days, you'll see much discussion among job applicants about pre-employment testing. Which companies are using which tests? What types of tests are being administered? And invariably the question is asked, "what is a good score?" Funny how applicants can spend so much time worry about such things when they would be better served to brush up on their skill set.
Similar questions, yet from a different viewpoint, come from our clients. "What is a good score on a computer skills test?" Or the dreaded, "Should I hire this person, based on their test score? Is 80% good enough, or is 50% too bad?"
First, hiring decisions should never be made solely on pre-employment test scores.
And the truth is, we don't know what should be considered a good (or bad) score. There is no universal answer that applies to each company's situation. Good scores or bad scores are dependent on many factors, including the job description and the company. A 75% score on an Excel skills test with Company A will provide acceptable candidates but that same score at Company B would not come close to the skill level needed.
So what is a manager to do? The best strategy to create such cut scores is by testing current employees to see where they stand. Develop scoring ranges based on their skill levels on each test topic. Test both star performers and underachievers (you'll need both to get a good range). But won't that cost extra time (and money)? Perhaps it will, but compare it to a new hire with the wrong skills set.