While most standard staffing strategies involve resume reviews followed by straightforward interviews, a growing number of companies are looking for ways to mitigate hiring risk by adding a few more layers to an otherwise simple approach. Until the process becomes too long and/or too expensive to continue adding value, each data point collected on each potential candidate can help managers make a smarter staffing decision. With that in mind, HR departments are often adding simple aptitude and behavioral tests to the selection process. Could your company benefit from assessments like these?
Verbal reasoning
Present your candidate with a passage of text drawn from an essay, news article, or page from the company handbook. Give the candidate a few minutes to read and process the information, and then present her with a series of questions like the following.
1. In your own words, how would you describe the central purpose of this message?
2. True or false: (Draw a core message from the text and reword it to assess reading comprehension).
3. Choose from the options below. Why do you believe the writer made the following choice: (Insert the decision in question)?
Numerical reasoning
Present the candidate with a graph or numerical chart. Then offer a series of questions that test his ability to read the graph correctly and draw logical conclusions from the numbers presented there. For example:
1. During year three, how many sales were made?
2. Add up the total sales made during years three, five and seven.
3. Based on the graph, what external factor has had the largest impact on rising sales numbers?
4. Based on your answer to the previous question, how would you propose to increase sales in future years?
Personality
Ask your candidate to describe a scenario in the past when she faced a specific type of workplace challenge. This challenge may involve interpersonal conflict, performance failure, communication issues, leadership difficulties, deadline pressure, or negative behavior from an angry or disappointed client. Ask the candidate how she faced this problem and the steps she took to solve it. What were the results, and what did she learn from the experience?
Motivation
Present your candidate with a series of responsibilities and challenges. Ask him to rate each challenge using a scale of 1 to 5. A one means the challenge at hand decreases his motivation to work. A five means the challenge increases his motivation to work. A three means the challenge has no impact on his levels of motivation. Example challenges can include:
1. Training a new staff member
2. Being asked to complete a task outside of my job description
3. Intense deadline pressure
4. Working alone
5. Working as a member of a team
Assessment questions are by no means limited to the topics above. Tests like these can also be used to assess situational judgment, logical reasoning, social skills, and a wide range of other skill sets and talent areas. If you are looking for staffing in AZ, contact our team today.
