Employment Tests

Guide to Pre-Employment Testing

Want to predict on-the-job performance? Try testing job prospects first.
By Daniel Kehrer

For increasing numbers of small business owners, a "gut feeling" about a job candidate just isn't enough anymore. There are too many ways for a new hire to go wrong, and excessive job turnover is too expensive for a small operation to absorb. One way to check your "gut" is to put pre-employment testing to work for your small business.

Once the exclusive realm of big business HR departments, pre-employment testing now is available to smaller companies and affordable as well. And testing has won converts as an accurate predictor of actual job performance. In fact, testing companies claim a success rate four times higher than traditional job interviews alone. Testing is considered fair and appropriate because professionally-prepared tests are impartial and not subject to the preconceptions of a job interviewer. And testing gives all applicants an equal opportunity. Standard types of pre-employment testing include:

1. Aptitude testing
2. Online testing
3. Personality testing
4. Substance testing

Action Steps

The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Let outside experts do it for you If the size of your business warrants, it might make sense to outsource your pre-employment testing needs to a specialty firm.

I recommend:  Criteria Corp. offers a wide range of testing solutions that can help you hire more productive employees, reduce turnover and keep training costs undercontrol. InfiNet Assessment is a testing company with a range products and services geared to growing companies. Other options include: Wonderlic, Saterfiel and Associates, Brainbench, Employee Selection and Development Inc. and Personnel Insights.

Get do-it-yourself help from testing experts Designing pre-employment tests is a job better left to experts. But there are great, affordable products that let you conduct the testing yourself, either in your place of business or online.

I recommend:  G.Neil has specialized in providing small businesses with human resources solutions for many years.Their employment testing products and services offer affordable solutions for small business. Test for retails skills, clerical skills, reliability, supervisory potential and many other skill sets. Buy the materials or test online. ExpertRating and Hire Success also have affordable employment testing solutions.

Get the pre-employment testing FAQs A bevy of federal rules govern pre-employment testing, including physicals. Get answers to the most common questions on pre-employment testing, including legal compliance issues.

I recommend:  Fine your answers at InfiNet Assessment FAQ and Business and Legal Review (BLR).

Peruse sample test reports See what test reports look like for different types of pre-employment testing, such as sales skills, work ethic and computer knowledge.

I recommend:  Click your test selection at EmployeeSelect.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• To steer clear of problems under the ADA don't ask an applicant about his or her medical history and don't conduct any medical exam, including a drug test before you make a job offer. You can make a conditional offer, based on them successfully passing the tests.
• Sometimes multiple choice aptitude tests may be viewed as discriminatory because they reflect test-taking ability rather than actual job skills.
• Usually skill tests are legal, provided they test a skill that is deemed necessary for the performance of a job.
• Remember that not everyone is adept at test taking. You may not want to screen someone out because they don't perform well on the test, particularly if they have been otherwise impressive.