4 Things To Look For In Job Fit Assessments
Violin (77/365) by Rocky Lubbers – used under CC BY 2.0 / re-sized from original
Looking to bring assessments to your team? Read this first!
For companies that are looking to make changes to their hiring process, many are looking towards job-fit or pre-hire assessments. But what exactly makes a good assessment? Here are 4 things you should ask before you onboard this hiring tool.
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Is it a “real” test?
You may think, that since there are questions and room for answers, it must be a real test. While those are important features a test must contain, that’s not the full picture. Imagine taking a math test where the question is ‘2+2’ and the correct response insisted by the answer key is ‘5’; you still get a question and the answer. This is where the importance of validity falls into play. In the math example, it is easy to pick out the issue with the incorrect answer key, because we’ve been taught better, but, what about pre-hire assessments? How can you tell if the “answer key” is not based on personal opinions of the publisher? The simple answer is to ask for the technical manual. Any assessment worth considering, would have been peer reviewed by Psychometricians and Occupational Psychologists to ensure its validity. The technical manual shows details on how the test was developed, the rationale, and how the assessment is meant to be implemented.
Just like science, because that’s exactly what it is.
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What type of test is it?
Just as there are math tests and history tests in grade school, assessments also come in all shapes and sizes. Not every test is the same! Which one would better fit your business? Would a test measuring learning-speed work better, or a personality based assessment? While there are many single category tests that do a good job, why stick with one when there are options for a multi-angle approach? For a more complete picture, look for an assessment that measures more than one aspect. Given proper training, more usable data from the candidate is always better than less.
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What are the candidates being compared to?
As an extension of the previous point, assessment results are only useful if it is being compared to something. Having information about a candidate and no point of comparison would be no different than just reading someone’s cover letter and finding that they have “determination, passion and great work ethic”. For an assessment to be effective, check to make sure the assessment you are considering is being matched against benchmarks of specific roles you are looking to hire.
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Is there proper training and support?
Even with the rarest Stradivarius, you don’t get true value unless you know how to play the violin. It’s the same thing for pre-employment assessments. You could have the best assessment at your fingertips, but unless there is training on how to read the report or how to use it effectively, the assessment results are just words on a page. That’s why it is so important to find a company that not only provides a valid and reliable assessment, but also, one that is willing to train and support your hiring. We’ve all been on “hold” for one reason or another and have received unhelpful answers. Don’t duplicate that same experience; especially when you want to reach out to the best candidates quickly. Do your research and pick a company that is easily accessible.
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