Are you consistent with your pre-employment skills testing rules?
Posted by EmployTest - on Fri, Oct 30, 2009 @ 11:18 AM
Consistency can be a good or bad thing, especially in HR. Consistently late, consistenly underachieving, consistently negative attitude. Not good areas to be consistent in. On the other hand, consistently meet one's objectives and consistently contributing to the team are good examples of consistency.
One area to always be consistent in is your pre-employment testing program. You and your staff must be consistently screening and testing all applicants for a given position. Not just those that you don't know. Not just those that you don't like. All applicants must be taken through the exact same procedure.
Not only should all applicants be consistently screened, but they should also be consistently given the same pre-employment skills tests. If Applicant A is given a Microsoft Office test, then Applicant B should be given the exact same Microsoft Office test under the exact same conditions. The employment tests given should reflect the needs of the job description, not the skill level of the applicant (ie a less-skilled applicant shouldn't be given an easier version of the test).
Consistently give the same amount of help (coaching) to each applicant. Administer the tests in the same conditions. If Applicant A is allowed to test in the quiet conference room, continue that procedure with all applicants. Consistently interpret test results for a given position. Acceptable scores should not vary between job applicants.
Consistency. The EEOC requires it and it's part of using fair and equitable hiring practices to select the best employees to help meet your organization's goals.
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