Understanding personnel recruitment tests

A good recruiter will always make sure that the chosen candidate really meets all the requirements for the position available. The last thing a recruiter wants is to offer the company a person who don’t have neither the knowledge nor the skills necessary. This is why they have to conduct an exhaustive and thorough search for the ideal candidate. For that purpose, the best tools recruiters have are personnel recruitment tests. 

Are you familiar with the concept of recruitment tests and all it entails? At T2W we have an extensive experience in recruitment consultancy and talent acquisition so we can help you. In this article we will delve into personnel selection tests, their importance and the main types you will find. 

Personnel recruitment Tests  

This is one of the most useful tools for an objective process that is free from recruitment bias. For that reason, these are usually one of the last filters in most recruitment processes. While these tests are not used in all processes, they prove to be especially relevant when it comes to find people with specific professional profiles and knowledge such as IT professionals.  

Importance of selection tests on staffing process  

In average, it’s estimated that abound 80% of candidates for a job position lies on the resume. This reflects in the common trend of subtly magnify the information in this document to make it look better or more attractive than it actually is. That can harm the recruitment process and the results may not be as good as they should. 

As a consequence, the involuntary turnover rate increases, which forces businesses to start again with the recruitment process and puts further pressure on the Human Resources area. There lies the importance of using recruitment tests. They help us see through half-truths and identify the best candidate for the position. 

What do recruitment tests assess? 

Personnel selection tests aim to measure and quantify different aspects in the applicants regarding the job position and the company. While these aspects can be used to assess the knowledge candidates have in a specific area, the tests can also examine psychological aspects, personality traits, problem solving ability, adaptability, etc. Let’s take a look at some of the main types of personnel recruitment tests. 

Types of test in selection processes 

1. Technical knowledge tests 

The first thing recruiters need to know is if the candidate is capable to deal with the different tasks the job entails. This is where knowledge tests enter the picture. These can help you know how much technical knowledge each candidate has. Here the questions are focused on the position and the specialty area. For example, in the case the company is looking for a programmer, the technical knowledge test will have questions that might be focused on JavaScript (which can change depending on the programming language requested), structured data, web development, etc. 

2. Situational tests 

Certain job positions put people in very specific scenarios, some of which demand a lot more than technical knowledge. In that case, it’s necessary to use situational tests. These are especially designed to put candidates in situations and events that they will definitely face if they get the position. Some scenarios used for these tests can be very demanding. That can help you measure the decision-making capacity candidates have in job-related stressful situations. 

3. Personality tests 

Imagine that you find the candidate who has all the knowledge and skills necessary for the position. However, after a week, you are informed that the new employee does not get along with the rest of the people in the team or doesn’t get used to the working style in the company. As a result, that person ends up leaving the organization. Not exactly an appealing scenario, isn’t it? Personality tests are perfect to avoid those situations. These focus on identifying the personality traits of each applicant. That way, you identify the one who will really fit the work team in the area and will successfully adapt to the work philosophy and the organizational culture. 

4. Cognitive ability tests 

Finally, we can’t forget about cognitive ability tests. These are also used to assess the knowledge and aptitudes of applicants. However, unlike the technical knowledge tests we talked about previously, these help you measure general knowledge and skills, such as verbal and mathematical ability, problem solving, etc. These usually take the form of standardized tests.  

He have seen the concept of personnel recruitment test, its importance and some of the main types you will find. Since these are some of the most basic tools for recruiters, it’s better to familiarize with them. 

At Talent2Win, we strive to align your company’s business objectives with the best Talent Acquisition strategies available. If you want to learn more about the services we offer, do not hesitate to contact us.