Personality Tests – Revolutionizing the Recruitment Process

Employees are arguably the most important component of a business organization. An organization can function properly only if the employees are hard-working and have the necessary skills to excel at their given jobs. The success or failure of an enterprise depends upon the employees who perform various jobs at various positions. All these positions must be filled by talented individuals who have the grit and zeal to perform work successfully. However, searching and recruiting a potential candidate for a job is not always an easy task.

HR departments are usually inundated with resumes from candidates for a single job position on an ongoing basis. Proofreading and interviewing each and every candidate is impossible for most recruiters. Therefore, businesses have started using the services of third-party companies who help in the selection process.

Businesses have started to use pre-employment tests as a method of selecting candidates for job positions. These pre-employment tests help the organization to judge and analyze the candidates on the basis of several criteria and characteristics which an individual possesses or should possess.

One has to go through a series of tests which can be as follows:

1. Psychometric tests
2. Personality tests
3. Aptitude tests
4. Skill tests

An organization can use all or any combination of whichever tests fulfill its purpose. Out of all these tests, personality tests for recruitment are considered to be the most important. Personality tests help in identifying the skills and personality characteristics of an individual. They help the organization to find the perfect candidate whose personality traits match the responsibilities of the particular job position. An organization can determine whether a candidate with a particular set of traits will be able to excel on the job or not.

Many businesses are now outsourcing this process to online websites that are run by service providers. Tests are conducted on the computer and results are matched with a particular set of defined principles. Thousands of candidates can be tested at the same time which speeds up the recruitment process.

Personality tests include one of the following tests which are used by online websites:

1. Myers Briggs

This method assesses a candidate on the basis of several criteria like extroversion or introversion, thinker or doer etc. After the assessment is complete, a candidate is placed on a scale consisting of 16 traits which in turn decide his/her suitability for the job.

2. Occupational interest method

Under this method of personality testing, a candidate is assessed on the basis of his/her inclination and interest in performing various tasks in an organization. This, in turn, reveals certain characteristics regarding a candidate like his/her agreeableness to take up tasks different from the job position.

3. Situational Tests

Under this method, candidates are given case studies or put under real-life job situations in order to identify his/her ability to take up challenging tasks. The organization can even assess the candidate’s ability to perform the tasks which must be faced on a daily basis. Moreover, the candidate’s customer handling power is also identified easily.

There are various benefits of using personality tests as a method of recruitment. Some are listed below:

1. Cost-saving

Selecting the perfect candidate with the right attitude and traits ensures success for the organization. Moreover, the employee, if selected, also feels happy with the amount of work assigned and the job position. This reduces employee turnover which in turn reduces the cost of re-selecting an employee and going through the testing and selection process again.

2. Saves the time of the organization and the candidates

Using personality tests as a method of recruitment saves valuable time for the organization by eradicating the need for screening all the resumes and interviewing every candidate for the job. Moreover, candidates can also save time as the results of the tests are declared instantaneously. Their success or failure in getting selected is revealed quickly. Candidates can also identify whether the job or the company is suitable for them or not. Moreover, they can improve upon their personality and try to imbibe the traits and behavior which are required for getting a prestigious position in a business organization.

3. Selects Best Candidates

The selection of the best candidate is possible through personality tests that can fit within the working environment and organizational culture. Specific traits are revealed regarding a prospective candidate which otherwise would have been impossible through interviews and other pen and paper tests.

4. Team building

Personality tests also reveal the candidate’s attitude towards other fellow workmates and his/her ability to work well with others. They show whether an employee can perform tasks or work in a team and handle group tasks or not. A candidate who has excellent communication skills and can easily socialize with others would be selected. Such a candidate can be identified through personality tests.

5. Ensures equality and removes bias in the selection

Personal characteristics may be difficult to identify through interviews. Personality tests provide more detailed and in-depth information regarding an employee’s traits and his/her suitability for the job. This, in turn, ensures equal opportunity is given to every prospective candidate and removes any kind of bias during the selection process.

These benefits make personality tests an important component of the whole hiring process. However, an organization must not use personality tests alone for recruitment purposes. An enterprise should combine the results from personality tests with the results of various other methods like interviews, group discussions, and screening of resumes. This increases the overall success rate of hiring the most suitable candidate who can fill the job position perfectly.

Personality tests as a method of evaluation can be altered to suit a particular organization. An organization can even create its own personality tests which can be incorporated into its daily work for continued better performance from the employees. The results of the tests can be discussed with the employees for improved performance in the future.

Getting every bit of information about a candidate’s personality is like cracking a code that is now possible through various personality tests. It has totally changed the way organizations hire personnel for various positions.

For more great business and career advice, check out the other blogs on Career Geek.