The Key to Tests

The key with any test, be they aptitudinal, attitudinal or technical is that you have some experience with it and the results don’t stand alone. A test is not only a useful way to gain a different perspective on a person but also as a management tool once the person is in the job. A strong caveat of a test is that they should never be used as a reason to (or not to) hire. We advocate that a test is best used either before the final interview or pre reference check - this way if any concerns or indeed strengths are identified in the test, you can drill down on these further.

Psychometric profiling (also known as attitudinal or Personality Tests)

Simply stated, these are tests which will do their best to tell you what an individual’s personality is like. They can also predict how an individual will behave in a set of circumstances based on posing a range of situational based questions.

e.g.: I prefer the company of people: (please circle)

Rarely      sometimes      I don’t mind      often      always

The answers are then fed into a software program which will predict how the person will react to situations in future (or at least that’s the idea!).

There are over 500 tests available in New Zealand... and when you include the internet, well count the stars in the Milky Way and you start to get an idea of the range! The worthwhile tests vary in price from $75 to over $3000. What you’ll find is that the higher priced tests will include a full (and hopefully trained) psychologists report. This will allow taking certain climatic considerations into account and relating the suitability of person back to the role. They'll also include role profiling which then compares the candidate's results to the ideal identified by the profile. A measure to be aware of is that more expensive does not necessarily mean better, but certainly it means more expensive. We of course have a testing tool available, so if interested please contact us to find out more.

Aptitudinal / Intelligence Tests

These are tests that involve a combination of verbal and numerical reasoning and are frequently multi-choice. They are usually time restricted and it's likely the use of a calculator will be restricted. Some of the more advanced tests will then provide an indicator of the candidate's IQ level although the accuracy of that result varies widely.

Technical Tests

For roles of a ‘technical’ nature, i.e. software development, mechanical engineer and so on, these are of value to get a comparative idea of the candidate's ability. There are a range of tests available online but, as specific technical environments have their own idiosyncrasies, they are limited in assessing the person's ability to be effective in your environment. So the best thing to do is have a senior employee create a test with escalating difficulty and then ask candidates to complete.

Which test to use?

The ideal scenario is to find a reasonably priced test that suits your need and then request the vendor allow you to test three people from your current team. The test subjects should be an i) over-performer, ii)a solid employee and iii) someone who the company can do without. At The Foundation we have our own customised testing tool.