Pre-employment testing: what is important to know about it

Understanding whether a given candidate is suitable for this position or not is not so easy. When assessing a candidate, it is very important to objectively highlight all its advantages and disadvantages. Psychological tests can help the HR manager with this. How exactly, see further in our video.

When selecting personnel, the most effective is a set of tests that are aimed at determining the abilities, interests and character of the individual. It is thanks to testing that one can consider the applicant’s potential, the flexibility of his thinking, the ability to adapt to a particular situation, his endurance, and emotional state. This means that it is more likely to predict what awaits the candidate in a new position: success or failure.

You can either create psychological tests yourself, based on the characteristics of your company, or use ready-made questionnaires and questionnaires.

Job interview tests

Let's look at the types of tests during a job interview:

1. Professional - tests that include a list of questions on knowledge and skills specialized for a particular job.
2. IQ is a test that reflects the intelligence quotient, as well as the development of a person’s abstract thinking.
3. Tests to determine general and special abilities - reflect important qualities of an employee: logic, memory, attentiveness, hearing or vision.
4. Personality and motivation tests:
   Personality tests help to calculate a person’s temperament type, his character traits, how much he is able to focus his attention and shows his level of emotional stability;
5. Motivational tests during a job interview show how motivated the employee is to work, whether he values ​​the position he holds, whether he will overcome difficulties in the workplace, and whether he wants to grow and develop in the chosen industry.
6. Attentiveness test tests a person’s ability to remain alert for a long time.
   It is used for recruiting personnel for those positions for which concentration and scrupulousness are of great importance.
7. Test with figures - used to determine the psychotype. It is necessary to arrange five figures in the preferred order, and this will determine which category of people the subject belongs to.
8. Logic test - determines a person’s ability to find a logical connection and think through multiple moves.

Kinds

Employment tests are divided into several types : professional, personal, intellectual, mathematical, logical, verbal, stress resistance, attentiveness, intelligence, learning ability, mechanics, Polygraph, and the most common in trade organizations, “How to sell a pen.”

Let's take a closer look at each of them.

Professional

To determine the professionalism of an applicant, specialists use special tests . For an accountant – tasks on knowledge of accounting; for a secretary - pass a test of knowledge of the basics of office work, checking literacy, attention to detail, typing speed, fast and efficient search for information; for a tax specialist - passing tax tests; for lawyers and economists - testing legal or economic literacy, level of knowledge of a foreign language, proficiency in computer programs, etc.

Professional testing consists of questions and several answer options: yes, no, in some cases.

In this case, an interpretation of the answers is given.

With such explanations, you can immediately see the answer.

And using ready-made keys for the test, determine the number of correct answers and make your decision.

An employer may offer a test for applicants to test their knowledge of some Excel techniques.

An applicant who has experience, knows the theory, and has answered most of the questions has every chance of getting the desired position .

Personal or psychological

Typically, psychological tests arouse maximum disapproval in subjects. Of course, you can talk to a person and understand who he is.

More often than not, first impressions can be wrong. And this type of testing, if complemented by a short conversation with the applicant, gives a complete and correct picture of the person , and guarantees the most suitable candidate for the position.

Tests allow you to accurately determine an employee's temperament type . Responsible, balanced and efficient phlegmatic people are suitable for certain positions. But active, expansive, persistent and mobile choleric people are only for others.

The results reveal the ability to learn, work in a team, act decisively, and attitude towards people.

Many employers do not want to waste precious time when hiring and do not use psychological tests, but only pay attention to the interview. But the problem of conflicts in a team may arise sooner or later.

How to find an approach to this or that person? Conduct such a test, if not even upon starting a job, then at least in the first month of a new employee’s work.

You can take psychological tests online here.

Intelligent

If the work requires mental input , then the employer has the right to know how high the intellectual abilities of his employees are.

It is for this purpose that this type of testing is used to objectively assess the intellectual level (IQ) of applicants.

For the correct selection of tasks, a book by the English psychologist G. Eysenck .

You can use the Amthauer . It determines the level of mental abilities using nine criteria.

Based on the results, you can accurately determine the mathematical mindset of a candidate or a humanist and even determine which of the 49 professions is suitable for.

You can take an online intelligence test here.

Mathematical

The great mathematician does not search for a job, she finds it herself. But the head of the company or the head of the company needs professional accountants or economists who can not only count, but also perform complex mathematical operations.

Offer a test of twenty to thirty simple and complex tasks, consisting of finding proportions, fractions, calculating differences, adding several numbers, understanding diagrams, drawings, graphics, working with figures. The applicant needs to quickly understand which numbers should be used to operate.

Based on the test results, it will be clear whether the specialist will be able to cope with mathematical tasks in a new position.

You can take the online math test here.

brain teaser

Logic tests for employment focus on a candidate's level of intelligence , which is central to many professions. They are an excellent tool for revealing human behavior in an unfamiliar situation.

Logical tests for operation are absurd at first glance. One of the problems says that some snails are mountains. Mountains love cats. This means that all snails love cats.

The main thing for the test taker is to concentrate, build a logical chain , explain it, not paying attention to snails and cats. The specialist must understand whether the future employee can reason logically and think outside the box.

You can take the logic test online here.

Verbal

Verbal tests are useful for testing for positions as teachers, translators, or secretaries .

They provide an opportunity to evaluate the applicant’s ability to work with texts : understand, parse, evaluate information, and draw conclusions.

A candidate has the opportunity to get the desired position if he is fluent in his native language, can speak logically and competently, and has a large vocabulary.

The verbal test usually takes much longer than the numerical test. The answer consists of letters or a word. You need to choose from several options or come up with the answer yourself.

But there is a type of verbal test where you need to read a short informational text and a few statements. The applicant must disclose the truth or falsity of the statement.

Verbal tests enable the employer to understand whether the candidate’s speech is concise, whether he can convince and prove with words.

You can take the verbal test online here.

For learning ability

Many young applicants write in their application forms: “Ready to learn.” But people who have extensive experience and experience do not want to retrain , thinking that the knowledge they have accumulated will be enough. To do this, a short test is used to assess learning ability (the ability to process and perceive new information).

Mechanics

The mechanics test is offered to a narrow circle of specialists , mainly candidates of physical specialties and engineering professions.

The tests test spatial thinking, knowledge and experience, and determine the ability to work with drawings, mechanical devices, and complex equipment. These are tests consisting of simple questions, but which only people who understand mechanics can answer .

Online testing on mechanics is offered here.

On the Polygraph

Large companies use the Polygraph mobile hardware system when hiring.

Can an employer use a lie detector ?

The law doesn't prohibit it.

The Labor Code allows you to obtain information about an employee that is not in doubt. But the candidate has the right to refuse an honesty test if he considers this a humiliation of his human dignity.

What is the testing process? There are three types of questions: adjusting, corrective and factual .

If the answers to the last two are honest, the physiological parameters of a person are the same. They transform if a person tells a lie. This is recorded by the device.

The attraction to drinking alcohol cannot be hidden from “Polygraph”; drugs, theft, gambling addiction, any loans, criminal history and even convicted relatives; whether a person is capable of harming the company.

The answers provide an unmistakable judgment about the candidate . At the end of the check, the employer decides whether the candidate will work or not.

"Sell your pen"

For applicants who want to work in the retail sector, experts conduct the popular “Sell me a pen” test .

This standard technique is very effective . A specialist will be able to understand from the first minutes whether this person will occupy the position.

Any item is offered: pen, pencil, notepad, the price is called. Cannot be exchanged or gifted. He must sell this item within five minutes. The employer acts as a buyer.

This situation is stressful for the candidate, as it is close to a real sales situation. The test was carried out many times in countless interviews. As a result, the employer receives an objective view of the skills and techniques of the future sales manager.

How to pass successfully?

One of the most important questions is how to pass interview tests? A number of simple recommendations must be followed.

1. Stay calm and focused, even if the allotted time to solve the test is short.
   Visualize in your mind that this position already belongs to you and that you have already overcome all the difficulties. This way you will set yourself up to successfully pass the test; believe in yourself, no matter what.
2. If you notice that the test questions are primitive, do not get confused and do not complicate the situation by thinking that there is a catch.
   Your twisted doubts may lead you to choose the wrong answer, even if you knew the right one. This is a special technique to weed out unsuitable candidates.
3. Don’t forget about the rule of time management: if you get stuck on any task, don’t waste time, skip it and solve the rest, and return to the difficult one later.
   The idea for a solution may come while you are answering other questions. And it also happens that in other questions there is a reference or even an answer to the question that caused you difficulty.
4. You need to answer honestly, because in tests in 90% of cases there are control questions that check how honestly the test taker gives answers.
   Moreover, they are not always noticeable; some of them are well veiled. Attention! Remember the questions and answers as you go through the tasks. An HR manager is often an experienced psychologist. If he suspects a lie, during further conversation he will somehow try to bring the person out into the open.
5. Always look over the answers to look for mistakes before handing them in. Check everything thoroughly, because... due to stress, even if a person knew the correct option, he may put the wrong answer.

Do you need to prepare?

Of course, you need to prepare for testing, but only if you really know what tests you will have to take at the interview. It is worth trying to find out about this, and if the candidate is faced with tasks on logic, intelligence or professional abilities, then he needs to act. The best thing to do would be to find similar tests on the Internet and solve them.

But you should understand that it is pointless to prepare for psychological tests. Of course, you can familiarize yourself with possible questions, but it is simply impossible to find out exactly which character traits are important to the employer. Well, if you guess and choose false answers, and since the HR manager wants to see this, then when you get hired, working in the organization will most likely be uncomfortable.

We talked more about how to prepare for a job interview in a separate article.

Preparing for testing

There is a lot of useful information on the Internet about typical test tasks for interviews.

If this is a large company, then you can find important information on employment forums about what interview tests are expected of candidates for the position, and prepare for them.

Look through different options and try to solve logic, attentiveness and aptitude tests. This will increase your chances of successfully completing tasks, because it is always easier to work with already familiar material that you go through by analogy with what you have already seen before.

To solve motivational tests, you need to think about what answers you would like to see from a motivated employee, responsible and fulfilling all orders with great zeal, if you were the director of this company.

Prove that you are a worthy candidate for this position.

Solving professional tests requires knowledge in your profession. Read the necessary literature, repeat those nuances that you have not encountered in your work for a long time.

Take notes and highlight important details. You can consult with people who have more experience in this area, unless of course we are talking about trade secrets.

Tools

With a well-organized research procedure, a battery of diagnostic techniques is used, among which are:

• intellectual;
• general diagnostic;
• projective;
• dialogical.

Intelligence tests

Designed to determine the type of thinking, level of intelligence, individual characteristics of memory, attention. The most popular are the CAT (Brief Orientation Test), the D. Wechsler scale, the R. Amthauer test of the structure of intelligence, the progressive matrices of J. Raven, and IQ tests.

Classic IQ tests include G. Eysenck's questionnaire, which consists of 40 questions requiring concentration and logical thinking ability.

Engineering (technical) diagnostic techniques

Aimed at determining the level of formation of professional

competencies and effective type of thinking.

Using the test of Kadayas, Zarkhin, Yakimanskaya, the ability to spatial thinking, processing large amounts of new information, learning speed and consolidation of newly acquired skills are determined.

A set of cards with pictures and questions by G. Bennett, known as the engineer test, is aimed at identifying technical understanding.

General diagnostic (personal) techniques

Catell test, MMPI (Minnesota Multifactor Personality Inventory). However, due to the complexity of processing and high time costs, they are being replaced by simpler questionnaires. Questionnaire by K. Thomas to determine the type of conflict behavior, M. Rokeach “Value orientations”, diagnostics of the level of subjective control by J. Rotter.

The degree of conflict of an individual and the ability for productive interpersonal contacts are determined using the Timothy Leary questionnaire.

To form an effective team, Hans Eysenck's diagnostic personality questionnaires for temperament (EPI) are widely used.

Projective techniques

M. Luscher's color test to determine the type of temperament using sequential sampling of the most preferred color.

The DHD (House-Tree-Person) drawing test, developed by psychologist J. Book, allows you to assess the psychological state of the applicant at the current moment in time, get an idea of ​​his attitude to his family, the world around him, and his self-esteem.

The portrait selection method of L. Szondi and the famous blots of G. Rorschach are designed to establish the presence of psychological deviations and pathologies.

Subtests from the figurative battery of tests for creativity by P. Torrance are used to identify the non-verbal, verbal-sound, and visual abilities of a candidate for a position.

Dialogue techniques, diagnostic and business games

They belong to the group of the most expensive diagnostic procedures. They are components of assessment centers - methods of comprehensive personnel research. The tasks included in the assessment center allow applicants to demonstrate professional and personal qualities in the proposed business, extreme situations.

Upon completion of the simulation of simulated circumstances, competencies are assessed using the NOKO technique (observation, description, classification, evaluation).

This group of techniques is used, as a rule, for high-level top managers.

Psychological tests

How to correctly establish the psychological and personal character of a job applicant, and this circumstance is very important. Most positions require a whole group of qualitative character traits.

Among other things, compatibility at the social and personal level is no less important, how the candidate knows how to communicate in his team, and also what his character is.

These questions are invisible and with their help you can recognize many other aspects of a person that are difficult to notice at the first interview. For example, in this way, it is not difficult to determine a person’s inclinations and what his dependence on bad habits is.

Why are tests needed?

The testing procedure helps the company management decide in a short period of time which of the applicants for the position is the most worthy. In many companies, a test is initially carried out, and only after this a person who has passed all the tests is invited for an interview. This measure is aimed at saving the enterprise time and money.

The reason is that not everyone can conduct conversations with every citizen who wants to come to work with them. Therefore, selection tests are used. Basically, through testing, the qualities of a citizen as a specialist in a certain field are checked. If he does not have the necessary qualities, then this indicates the impossibility of hiring him.

Using this procedure, the following is checked:

• how loyal the citizen is to the company;
• level of stress resistance;
• the ability to tell a lie and how much the citizen likes it;
• having problems with alcohol or drugs.

It is worth considering that conducting a test is not the only way to obtain information about a person. The remaining data can be taken from the provided documentation.

Professional tests

To determine the professionalism of an applicant, specialists use special tests.
For example, for an accountant – tasks on knowledge of accounting; for lawyers and economists - testing legal or economic literacy, level of knowledge of a foreign language, proficiency in computer programs, etc.

Professional testing consists of questions and several answer options. The applicant chooses the correct answers, in his opinion.

The recruiter, using ready-made keys to the test, determines the number of correct answers and makes his decision.

The task is to give as many correct answers as possible.

Why is testing done?

Psychological testing allows us to identify the personality traits of an applicant. Based on the test results, it can be determined whether the applicant can cope with the upcoming responsibilities. For example, the position is directly related to constant communication with people. That is, the employee must be sociable and diplomatic. These personal qualities cannot be confirmed by documents on education and work experience. Only psychological testing will help here.

What personality traits can be identified through a test?

With the help of a well-constructed psychological test, the following aspects can be identified:

• General psychological state.
• Learning ability.
• Leadership ability.
• Priorities.
• Non-standard approach to problem solving.
• Moral qualities.
• Communication skills, ability to get along with a large team.
• Motivation.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION! The interpretation of test results directly depends on the position. For example, in a young team in a company just starting its operations, qualities such as creativity, learning ability, and a non-standard approach to solving problems are in demand. A large government structure requires workers with such qualities as perseverance, the ability to work under leadership, and psychological stability.

Luscher color psychological test for emotional state

To do this you will need 8 sheets of colored paper.

Task: in front of you are 8 different colors. Arrange them sequentially, starting with the most pleasant for you and ending with the least pleasant. Complete the task intuitively, focusing on the first reaction.

Results : The main purpose of this psychological test is to determine the emotional state of a person, his psychological needs:

1. Red color is a symbol of determination, business activity, leadership.
2. Yellow characterizes a person as purposeful and disciplined.
3. Green – motives of self-affirmation predominate in the emotional world of the individual.
4. Blue is a man of constant views, prefers a bird in his hand.
5. Gray – lack of pronounced activity, phlegmatism, desire for calm.
6. Purple – daydreaming, naivety, a tendency to escape reality into the world of dreams.
7. Brown – expressed need for protection.
8. Black – despondency, depression, inactivity.

About verbal testing

During verbal testing, it is important to have a good command of the language and express your thoughts correctly

The conduct of these tests is provided for with the work of the general education sector, as well as secretaries - assistants and translators.

The main task is to identify the applicant’s abilities, whether he can work with texts, including how he perceives information, the ability to break it down into logical blocks and draw appropriate conclusions.

To pass this test successfully, you definitely need excellent knowledge of the Russian language, including a rich vocabulary and correctly expressing your thoughts so that the interlocutor understands what needs to be conveyed to him.

A large amount of time is allocated for such testing, with rest breaks given, but small ones. When testing, the applicant cannot choose the desired answer, but must answer the question. It is possible that there will be quite a lot of statements on the same topic.

Prescribing tests

This form of testing allows you to quickly examine the qualities of many candidates and compare them with each other. A pre-employment test achieves several goals:

• exclude the influence of personal sympathies or negative attitudes of the recruiter;
• weed out candidates who are definitely not suitable for the job;
• select people who are most suitable for specific tasks based on their psychological make-up.

In some cases, such tasks are required. For example, a test for admission to the civil service is designed to study a citizen’s level of knowledge about current legislation.

Detected parameters

Employee testing allows you to:

• obtain information about the level of knowledge in a specific area;
• get an idea of ​​intellectual development;
• draw up a psychological portrait of the candidate;
• determine whether a person has leadership qualities;
• find out motivation and life priorities;
• find out whether a person is able to quickly make adequate decisions in non-standard situations.

Pros and cons of the technique

The main advantage of testing is obtaining an objective assessment of a person’s knowledge, his personal qualities, and his ability to solve practical problems with a limited amount of time. Based on the test results, the HR specialist operates not with subjective impressions, but with numerical indicators, which makes it possible to compare different candidates.

There are several negative aspects when using this selection method:

1. The scope of use is limited. It is advisable to use interview tests when hiring an employee with a clear list of competencies. Such positions are typical for large organizations where responsibilities are divided between departments. In small companies, formal selection is more likely to hurt.
2. Results may be distorted. Many tasks used for testing when applying for a job are available on the Internet.
3. Difficulty of interpretation. The manager wants to get a universal answer to the question of whether a person is worth hiring. For the personnel officer, positive results will be an absolute advantage of the candidate, and negative results will be grounds for refusal.

For example, psychological tests for employment cannot take into account all environmental and personality factors. An employee interacts with colleagues and relatives and this affects his behavior in the future.

1. Not all specialists agree to take a verbal test or other test that does not relate to their knowledge and experience in the profession. Experienced applicants will agree to spend time on multi-stage selection if in the future they will get a well-paid job in a well-known company.

Testing upon admission to the bank

when testing for a job in a bank, the ability to master information, a mathematical mindset, and the ability to work with numbers are tested

Verbal and numerical tasks are used for testing. These blocks are combined into a single whole. Although their creators are different people, in principle their difference is insignificant, and it is the dynamics system. The point of testing is that the research is carried out on each issue, of course, depends on successful completion. The main advantage is that not a single applicant will be defeated, but only all will be sorted into groups.

Test results

Each test has a key. The specialist will compare the test subject’s indicators with the table and draw a conclusion.

The big problem is the interpretation of the results. When applying for a job, verbal tests will show not so much mental abilities as a person’s readiness to solve logical problems at a certain moment. It is not worthwhile, for example, to check the abilities of the chief accountant in this way. It is better to test the candidate’s knowledge on core issues.

Also, psychological tests when applying for a job must be deciphered by a specialist with specialized education. If you entrust this to a personnel officer, the result may be interpreted incorrectly.

Some duties require perseverance and attention, rather than significant intellectual ability. Therefore, there is no need to test every employee upon hiring.

Psychological test for emotional state

This is an assessment of a person’s internal state at a given stage of life, as well as his attitude in general to the outside world - colleagues, relatives, friends.

Task : Draw any person or animal on an A4 sheet. Do it quickly, in 3-4 minutes, without thinking.

Answers : All elements of the drawing are evaluated according to the following plan:

About math tests

Mathematical data takes place in literally every test and is used during written testing of the applicant. This is done due to the fact that it is necessary to competently and successfully possess this type of information, because for a number of professions it is important to solve problems on the go in order to achieve production success.

Of course, knowledge of higher mathematics is not needed here; it is enough to know simple actions, although the tasks seem quite complicated at first glance.

Stages of job selection

In the West, since the mid-20th century, selection for vacancies has been based on determining practical qualities and skills. Russian business has also followed this path: large, medium and small companies also use testing.

Although the usual interview with recruiters and management is an important stage of the assessment, the primary selection is still an online test.

The selection of candidates takes place in 4 stages:

1. Application and resume evaluation. The questionnaire is assessed by a recruiter, recruiting agency or automated system (ATS). If the candidate meets the formal criteria, HR calls him for a telephone interview. The compliance of the specified data is checked, and sometimes knowledge of English is checked.
2. Online testing. The main stage of screening. Statistics on personnel selection in a top company show that from 20 to 300 candidates apply for one position. At this stage, up to 85% of applicants are eliminated.
3. Interview. At this stage, in addition to the interview, additional tests and assessments are carried out. The candidate communicates with recruiters, potential colleagues and managers. He is offered role-playing business games, case analysis, and situational tasks. Sometimes such tests are carried out in a condensed form, orally, and sometimes in the format of a full-fledged assessment center.
4. Technical interview and hiring decision. The final decision is made by the head of the department or the general director, who is offered 2-3 candidates selected at an assessment interview.

What these tests reveal

The most important conclusion that the tester makes is whether the person is suitable for the vacant position. He evaluates all the results in a comprehensive manner and gives a general conclusion to each applicant. What do these types of tests help determine:

• For an ordinary employee: Ability to perform the same type of work;
• Perseverance;
• The ability to focus on the same details for a long time;
• Attentiveness;
• Responsibility;
• Controllability;
• Ability to listen and complete assigned tasks;
• Desire to learn and move up the career ladder;
• Creativity;
• Resistance to stressful situations;
• A penchant for action and analysis;
• Ability to make correct conclusions;
• Creativity and motivation.

The number of testing purposes is not limited and is determined by each employer separately. It all depends on the specifics of production. Therefore, the number of tests themselves is growing every day. Many job seekers spend days online to learn how to take tests effectively, but it's not that simple. Each testing method has its pitfalls and tricky questions. Almost every one gives a conclusion as to whether a person is inclined to idealize himself and be cunning. Sometimes it is this column that determines whether you will be blacklisted or whitelisted.