Because of its psychological and sociological nature, career testing is accompanied by various career assessments key terms. These key terms often pop up in psychology and sociology journals and research, and it's beneficial for you to learn what these terms mean in order to purchase the best career assessment tools for your company.

In addition to learning the psychological jargon of career assessment testing, it's also important to know the difference between hiring a career assessment provider and purchasing career assessment software. Understanding key terms such as "criterion-related validity" and "psychometric testing" will allow you to make an informed decision when it comes time to choose between the two. When learning career assessments key terms, consider the following:

1. Know how criterion-related validity applies to job assessment tools.

2. Review the benefits of career aptitude and psychometric testing.

3. Learn what is included in pre-employment testing.

4. Read about the benefits of career assessment software.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn about the criterion-related validity of career assessments

Much research has been done on the accuracy of career tests. The criterion-related validity of a job assessment is the statistical analysis of how well the assessment predicted future job performance. When hiring a career test vendor, asking for the test's criterion-related validity can ensure you're purchasing a test that will provide accurate results.

I recommend: Learn more about how to request criterion-related validity information from a test vendor at Work Skills First. The website also offers questions you should ask a test vendor before purchasing their services. Read more about all measurement validity types and learn where criterion-related validity fits into the spectrum at the Web Center for Social Research Methods.

Know what is meant by career aptitude assessment

Some job assessments measure the aptitude, sometimes referred to as intelligence quotient, of applicants. Career aptitude assessments measure the learning ability of the applicant and predict how well the applicant will perform specific job duties. Aptitude tests are also psychometric tests, although true psychometric tests analyze the applicant's personality.

I recommend: Read more about measuring aptitude at Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation. The peer-reviewed journal article discusses aptitude testing of students but it is also relevant to employee testing. Find examples of aptitude and psychometric tests at the University of Kent.

Review information on pre-employment career tests

Successfully passing a pre-employment career test is a requirement for many human resources departments. These tests can include drug, physical, skill and career aptitude tests. The cost of pre-employment testing is an important factor to consider. Some companies administer the tests as the final step of the hiring process to avoid the expense of test multiple applicants.

I recommend: Read an example of what one organization includes in its pre-employment testing at North Carolina State University. Consider providing potential employees with a similar explanation prior to their pre-employment testing. Read more about pre-employment testing at Dominion. The company also offers examples of its pre-employment tests.

Become familiar with computer software career assessment tools

When deciding on how to administer a career skills assessment, you must decide on whether to hire career assessment providers that conduct the testing on a contractual basis or to purchase career assessment software that allows your HR department to conduct the testing in house. Before making a decision, familiarize yourself with what is included in career assessment software and how to effectively use it.

I recommend: Learn more about career assessment software at Halogen Software. Read an article about whether career assessment software can benefit your human resources department at Vault.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When hiring the services of career assessment providers, ask for references. HR departments that have previously used the provider's services will be able to testify to the tests' accuracy.

Thanks to career assessment providers, your human resource department no longer has to endure the time consuming task of sorting through resumes to find qualified candidates. End the cumbersome chore of scheduling candidates and giving a career skills assessment test, only to find a lack of career aptitude to perform the job. Streamline the process by using online recruiting with built in career assessment tools.

The moment a potential candidate posts a resume to apply for a job opening, the career test and job assessment process begins. Follow the applicant through hiring, training, evaluation and promotion phrases of employment. Career assessment providers offer reports that separate out qualified candidates, high-risk job seekers and those poorly suited for the position.

Reap the benefits of higher cost savings often lost due to high turnover rates, job dissatisfaction and poorly matched applicants. Consider the advantages of using job assessments:

1. Screen candidates using career tests for decision making on hiring and promoting employees.

2 . Improve employee retention and overall job satisfaction with the aid of job assessments.

3. Career assessments and reporting allows you to track applicants efficiently throughout every phase of employment.

4. Increase your confidence in new employees' ability to transition into an existing position by using a career test.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Eliminate expenses associated with screening jobseekers by using career aptitude assessments

Select the right employee for the right position. Career skills assessments are becoming a part of the job recruiting culture.

I recommend: Employment Technologies offers consulting services in employee assessments and selection. Pan specializes in career assessments and talent acquisition, as well as integrating career tests into existing hiring process.

Bridge the gap between interviewing and new hire fulfillment

Use software that incorporates assessment tools into the full scope of the employment process. Consider implementing tools specific to the company's needs.

I recommend: Mercer Systems Inc. provides a sample pre-employment test that ranks and forecasts job aptitude. International Knowledge Measurement (IKM) presents a variety of assessments including skills, testing, tools and sample analysis reports

Troubleshoot profit loss with a turnover calculator

Diagnose costs associated with high turnover due to poor job skill match and interest. Stop profit loss and invest in better candidates.

I recommend: Talent Keepers offers a calculator that provides a detailed analysis of expenses lost due to high turnover rates and also provides a short cut for figuring costs. eSsments offers a webinar to show how to calculate loss due to ill informed hiring decisions and gives you an opportunity to sample the company’s tools.

Acquire and retain a pool of talented employees

Look for a solution oriented career assessment provider to assist with employee recruitment. Finding productive employees makes a significant impact on the company's success.

I recommend: Profile International gives a complimentary assessment summary dedicated to meeting empolyers desire to hire and keep a productive workforce. ExpertRating provides a free trial of employment testing software. A variety of ebooks, tutorials and courses to educate employers on career tests.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consider completing a cost benefit analysis when purchasing assessment software.
• •  Factor in the number of current employees when deciding on initial investment in computer based career assessment tools.
• •  Link job assessment tool directly to your website for external and internal job postings.

Knowing the ins and outs of career assessments basics can help simplify the complicated world of career assessment tools. Job assessments range from personality and psychology tests to examining skills directly relevant to the position. These tests screen applicants, evaluate employees’ progress and judge qualifications for promotions. Some tests, like math and grammar tests, you can easily score in house, while psychometric tests may require you to hire a professional.

Knowing the basics of career assessments can help you decide if using them will benefit your company, both financially and on a morale level. It's not necessary to know the fine intricacies of psychometric testing, but you do need to have an idea of their use to implement them into your human resources department effectively. When learning career assessments basics, consider the following:

1. Know the types of questions your employees and potential employees will encounter during their career assessment.

2. Educate yourself on what career tests entail and how to put them to use for your company.

3. Decide if pre-employment career aptitude tests will benefit your business.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Review examples of questions commonly found on career aptitude tests

Reading through examples of career assessment questions can give you an idea of whether career assessment tools would be beneficial to your business. Psychometric questions assess the personality and behaviors of potential employees. Typically, the tester must answer 'agree,' 'disagree' or 'uncertain' after reading a statement. Other types of questions include asking how the tester would respond to a scenario and asking for the correct answer to an open-ended skills-based question.

I recommend: Find examples of common pre-employment test questions at Forbes.com. These questions represent a career aptitude test that allows employers to predict future performance and behavior. For sample questions designed for use in the education field, visit Atomic Learning. The correct answer and an explanation follow the examples.

Research how to effectively use career assessments

Implementing career tests won't benefit your business if you don't know how to effectively use the results. Take the time to read case studies, research articles and industry blog posts about the use of career assessments. Search for similar businesses that have successfully used career aptitude tests.

I recommend: Read case studies on the effective use of career assessment tools at ACT. Changeboard offers an article on making the most of psychometric tools for employers. Read more information on career aptitude assessments at Nelnet. CareerOneStop provides a large list of informative resources on using career assessments to find the right employees.

Know when to include job assessments as part of the interview process

Pre-employment testing might not be a cost-effective tool for every business. Although one of the benefits of administering job career tests is lowering the employee turnover rate, some businesses, such as restaurants, naturally have a high turnover rate and pre-employment testing might not have an affect. It's also critical to know the legal guidelines for requiring potential employees to take a pre-employment career test.

I recommend: Learn more about pre-employment career skills assessment, including the legality of the procedure, at Saterfiel and Associates. Browse through the skills public agencies routinely test for during the pre-employment process at CPS Human Resource Services. Click on the job title to review the necessary skills.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Companies have the option of either hiring professional career assessment providers to administer and interpret test results or purchasing computer software that allows companies to do their own internal testing.

If you're like most HR professionals today, you use a variety of career assessment tools in your hiring and employee management processes. Some tests try to detect significant personality traits in job applicants while others assess whether an individual possesses the skills required to perform specific jobs. Learning how to administer these tests and interpret their results requires formal training and a good deal of practice.

There is no shortage of online sources that can help you train employees in career skills assessment. Design a career assessments education and training program by following these steps.

1. Start the training program by encouraging employees to learn how a career aptitude test is used in the hiring process.

2. Let employees learn the skill of job assessments when they take career aptitude tests online.

3. Complete the training program with seminars designed to highlight the latest career aptitude test research and methodology.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Help employees understand the value of a career aptitude test

Start the training program by pointing employees to resources that explain how job assessment tools help individuals discover what kind of work they'd really like to do. They should be aware that some job assessment tools can help employees advance to higher levels in a company without having to leave their current employer.

I recommend: Quint Careers and the Riley Guide present the different types of job assessment tools and explain how personality indicators play a role in career aptitude. Frieda Dietrich directs you to the most popular online career aptitude assessments and highlights key features of each.

Have employees take a career test online

Training your employees in career aptitude tests won't be complete unless they've taken a job assessment test themselves. This exercise gives them insight into how HR professionals screen prospective candidates.

I recommend: Career Tests Guide discusses the value of certification and assessment tests. Your employees can get a taste of what a real aptitude test is like by going to FIDM's website and answering 81 questions designed to help candidates consider their inclination for a career in fashion. The career test at 3 Smart Cubes helps employees consider their career aptitude weaknesses and strengths.

Register employees for career assessment training seminars and workshops

Finish off your company's career assessments education and training program by encouraging employees to get formal training in career assessment tools. They can find out about the latest job assessments that HR departments depend on.

I recommend: Assessment Goddess offers a coaching program that points out the benefits of career aptitude assessments. Choose from a wide variety of seminars and programs at Career Planning and Management, Inc. Consider programs reviewed by The Richardson Company when seeking the best one to teach your employees career aptitude assessment skills.