How To Handle Candidates Who
Refuse To Complete Personality
Tests
The popularity of personality
testing in the workplace is
skyrocketing. Thanks to
advancements in employee
assessment technology, the
Internet, and an ever-increasing
eye on productivity, employers
are taking aim on high potential
candidates with the laser beam
accuracy of online personality
tests. But what happens when the
highly-recruited, star prospect
refuses to take "your stupid
little test"? Yes, that is
exactly how one candidate
reacted when she left a message
for the CEO. "Who did he think
he was," she screamed, deriding
him for even questioning her
fitness for the job. Concerned
he might have done something
wrong, he called me immediately.
"What should we do in the future
if a candidate refuses to take
the assessments." My answer is quite simple. One
of the most enlightening
benefits to come from
personality tests sometimes has
nothing to do with the test
itself. When you read what I'm
about to tell you, you'll kick
yourself. I asked him, "What would you do
if the candidate refused to
complete your application or
submit a resume? What if he
rejected your interview
questions or refused your
request to check references and
his background?" "We wouldn't hire him, of
course," he replied. "Then why
would you treat the personality
tests any differently?" I
responded. How an individual
responds to each stage of the
selection process is as
important as what they do and
say during the interview and on
assessments. I continued, "if you're looking
for someone who's feisty,
willing to say what's on her
mind even when it's not popular
or even proper, and chock full
of confidence, you don't even
have to ask her to complete the
personality assessment. She
passed with flying colors. But
if you're looking for a team
player, who remains composed
under pressure, and displays a
little savvy when dealing with
adversity, this candidate
obviously hasn't gained those
skills." "I never even considered that
aspect of testing," he said.
"And the best part is that test
didn't cost us a dime!" More recently, a client of ours
had several hundred
candidates apply online using
our applicant processing system. Each candidate was asked
to submit a resume, apply to a
series of online interview
questions and complete a
personality test. While most
candidates complied with the
selection requests, one
responded with this telling
email: I have an undergraduate college
degree from Rutgers NJ, and a
half a semester at Georgetown U,
I made about 8M so far in my
career life. SCREW THIS
B******T!
Take your test, and shove it
where the sun don't shine! This "gentleman" (and I use the
term very loosely) even signed
the email with his phone number.
Gutsy but true! John (not his real name)
revealed his true colors without
the hiring manager having to
spend a dime or wasting a minute
of valuable time processing him.
Without some type of screening
process, this candidate might
have been considered
high-potential based on his
experience and resume. But
thanks to a structured screening
process, John was weeded out
early. Management saved valuable
time and resources which they
were able to invest with other
qualified candidates. Most
important, the company likely
saved thousands of dollars by
avoiding an expensive wrong
hire. Had John completed the online
personality test, the report
would likely have revealed that
John was assertive, reactive,
self-sufficient, outgoing, and
excitable. But John didn't
complete it and who cares. His
actions spoke much louder than
any answers to any test or
interview could have provided.
That's what personality tests
and interviews are designed to
do - they tell managers how an
individual will respond to
problems, competition,
adversity, time management,
decision-making prioritizing,
communicating with others, and
stress. Work-related personality
tests and behavioral interviews
aren't supposed to be about
finding out if you like this
person. They are designed to
identify individuals who will be
successful in the job and fit in
the company culture. Personality tests add accuracy
and speed to the selection
process. Personality tests take
very little management time to
administer and provide
invaluable information about
future job performance, without
having to spend hours screening
out the unqualified candidates
from the high potential
employees. The results of
personality assessments can then
jump start interviews and allow
the hiring manager to focus on
the job specific interview
questions. I've observed thousands of
test-takers over the years and
the behaviors they display are
uncanny at predicting job
performance. Some fidget, other
talk. Some are focused, others
are easily distracted. Some
answer questions quickly, others
think and ponder. Some finish
quickly, others meticulously
review and check their work.
When all is said and done, the
astute and trained observer can
assess a candidate with the
highest degree of reliability -
but that takes time and
training. By combining casual
observation with the accuracy of
online personality tests, the
interviewer gets a complete
picture of a candidate's
behavior and job fit in a
fraction of the time. Need help in hiring or promoting
the right employees? Success
Performance Solutions provides
behavioral interview questions,
pre-employment tests and
background checks for all size
businesses and all employee
positions. And more about
understanding online personality
tests. |
