Practice of Employee Selection Test

EMPLOYEE RESOURCING:

Employee Selection Tests:

Selection Test are used to provide valid and reliable evidence of levels of abilities, intelligence, personality characteristics, aptitudes and attainments. They typically supplement the information obtained from an interview. According to Charles & Oluoch (2021), Selection Tests are defined as a sample of an individual’s behaviour performance or attitude.

A test is a systematic procedure for comparing the behavior of two or more persons. While conducting tests, the selection panel ensures the following are achieved; first, tests eliminate incompetence and unsuitability of candidates, tests ensure psychological, mental and analytical capacities of a person are identified. Tests can also be used as a tool to understand the nature of a person and their career development by providing analytical, rational and objective comparisons between the candidates, finally, tests ensure that accuracy and perfection in the selection procedure is duly achieved. Selection Tests are defined as a sample of an individual’s behavior performance or attitude (Charles & Florah, 2021).

According to Armstrong (2014), Psychological tests use systematic and standardized procedures to measure differences in individual characteristics such as intelligence and personality. They enable selectors to gain a greater understanding of candidates to help in predicting the extent to which they will be successful in a job.

In this Blog, a distinction is made between psychological and Psychometric tests, which measure or assess intelligence or personality, and aptitude tests, which are occupational or job-related tests that assess the extent to which people can do the work.

 

·                 Ability Tests

Cognitive ability tests are widely used in the field of psychology and human resources to assess an individual's mental capabilities such as their problem-solving skills, critical thinking, memory, attention, and reasoning abilities. These tests are designed to measure a person's aptitude and potential for learning and performing complex tasks. Cognitive ability tests, also known as intelligence tests or IQ tests, provide valuable insights into an individual's cognitive functioning and can be administered to a wide range of age groups, from children to adults (Ogunsola et al, 2023].

·             Work Sample Test

These tests are based on the premise that the best predictor of future behavior is actually observed behavior under similar situations/condition. These tests focus on the tasks that are similar to those that the employee is expected to perform on the job when hired. Work sample tests like any other type of test have pros and cons. The main advantages would reflect as follows; low adverse impact, high reliability, and high content validity since they are samples of the actual work to be performed on the job, and for this reason, this type of test is typically viewed as none favorable by examiners than aptitude or personality tests (Charles & Florah, 2021).

·         Personality Test

According to Remaida et al (2021), The use of these tests is not limited only to recruitment. They are also practical tools for monitoring employees, identifying difficulties, and advancing employees to greater responsibilities. There are few applications are used when do employment testing such as Five Factor Model, Myers Briggs Type Indicators, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and Big Five personality tests. The below diagrams show on number of different dimensions, No of Items, and Question types used for personality assessing.

·        Aptitude Test

According to Ghiselli (2006), Aptitude tests will test candidates' competencies required for the job they are applying for, to assess the soft skills that indicate how successful they will be in the role. Aptitude tests are important for interviews because they allow for data-driven assessment of suitability, rather than relying on the human factor.

The Characteristics of a Good Employee Selection Test

·         It is a sensitive measuring instrument that discriminates well between subjects.

·         It has been standardized on a representative and sizable sample of the population.

·         It is reliable in the sense that it always measures the same things. A test is aimed at measuring particular characteristics, such as intelligence, should measure the same characteristics when applied to different people at the same or different times.

·         It is valid in the sense that it measures the characteristics the test is intended to measure.

References

Armstrong, M (2014), Armstrong’s Handbook of Human Resource Management Practices, 14th edition, Pg 247, (Online), Available at: https://e-uczelnia.uek.krakow.pl/pluginfile.php/604792/mod_folder/content/0/Armstrongs%20Handbook%20of%20Human%20Resource%20Management%20Practice_1.pdf?forcedownload=1 [Accessed on 23rd March 2024]

Charles, B, K. & Oluoch, M, F (2021). A Critical Review of Literature on Employment Selection Tests, Journal of Human Resource and Sustainability Studies, (Online), Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354549619_A_Critical_Review_of_Literature_on_Employment_Selection_Tests [Accessed on 28th March 2024]

Ghiselli, E, E (2006). The Validity of Aptitude Tests in Personnel Selection, Personnel Psychology, (Online), Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/229805829_The_Validity_of_Aptitude_Tests_in_Personnel_Selection [Accessed on 30th March 2024]

Ogunsola, K., Arikewuyo, K., & Odunayo, A (2023). Employee Selection Process: An Approach for Effective Organizational performance, International Journal of Social Science and Human Research, (Online), Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374890974_Employee_Selection_Process_An_Approach_for_Effective_Organizational_Performance [Accessed on 30th March 2024]

Remaida, A. & Moumen, A (2021). The use of personality tests as a pre-employment tool: A comparative study, SHS Web of Conferences, (Online), Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354094911_The_use_of_personality_tests_as_a_pre-employment_tool_A_comparative_study [Accessed on 31st March 2024]

 

 

 


Comments

  1. Amesha J ColinsApril 3, 2024 at 1:01 AM

    In every organization Cognitive ability tests, and IQ tests are important and yes it provide valuable insights into an individual's cognitive functioning... This will create a good management ability within the individual! wonderful Blog! I think as HRM practitioners we can gain more knowledge by learning from this Blog!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kovida NagahawattaApril 10, 2024 at 12:38 AM

      Thank you Amesha for your comments. Employee Selection can be defined as a process of putting the right people on the right job. It involves matching the requirements of an organization with the right skills and qualifications. These qualifications should be relevant to ensure the full success of the organizations' objectives and goals achieved while conducting selection during the recruitment process (Charles & Florah, 2021).

      Delete
  2. Arundathi EgodawatteApril 3, 2024 at 4:28 AM

    Additionally, it's crucial to ensure that tests are valid, reliable, and free from bias, and that candidates have equal opportunities to demonstrate their abilities.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kovida NagahawattaApril 9, 2024 at 9:54 PM

      Thank you Arundathi for your comment. Additionally, The challenge in selection of candidates lies on the fit element between what the applicant can and wants to do against the organization’s needs. It is more difficult to possibly tell exactly what the interviewee (applicant) really can and wants to do. The fit between the two aspects of both on the side of the person and the organization shall determine the willingness for both the employer and the employee to accept placement (Charles & Oluoch, 2021).

      Delete
  3. Rizan HussainApril 3, 2024 at 5:01 AM

    Employee selection tests play a crucial role in assessing various aspects of candidates' abilities, intelligence, personality traits, aptitudes, and achievements. The definition provided by Charles & Oluoch (2021) highlights how these tests offer a systematic way to evaluate an individual's behavior, performance, and attitude, complementing the information gathered from interviews.

    Overall, the strategic use of selection tests enhances the quality of hiring decisions and contributes to building a skilled and competent workforce. Very good article.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kovida NagahawattaApril 9, 2024 at 10:33 PM

      Thank you Rizan for your comment. Selecting applicants is time-consuming and costly in terms of appointing the right individual for the job. However, since organizations exist not to be charitable, but also to generate a profit, matching the right person with the right job, especially in key positions, becomes critical to organizational performance. This implies that the company must plan strategically for its short, medium, and long-term growth. Several methods on how to improve organizational performance have been developed. In order for a business to remain competitive, the specific approach utilized changes with the type of job (Ogunsola & Odunayo, 2023).

      Delete
  4. Nufail LantraApril 11, 2024 at 7:00 AM

    While selection tests are designed to assess specific characteristics or talents that are important for work performance, their accuracy in predicting actual job success may be questioned. The predictive accuracy of these tests may be reduced by factors such as changes in the situations between test conditions and real-world work activities, as well as the complex interactions between multiple talents and qualities necessary for success in an operations.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kovida NagahawattaApril 12, 2024 at 5:32 AM

      Thank you Lantra for your comment. Employee selection plays an increasing role in an organization as a mechanism for aligning employee preferences with organizational objectives. To achieve this goal, the company obtains and assesses information about the applicants in terms of age, qualifications, skills, experience, etc. (Hazel, 2018)

      Delete
  5. Shedric CramerApril 11, 2024 at 9:46 AM

    Even though Cognitive ability tests provide valuable insights into an individual's cognitive functioning it doesn't measure a candidate's worth ethic, leadership qualities or communication skills. Does it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kovida NagahawattaApril 12, 2024 at 5:34 AM

      Thank you Shedric for your comment. yes, In short, cognitive ability is the strongest predictor of job performance for all employment levels across industries. Being able to test the cognitive abilities of candidates at interview stage or even your current employees will give you an insight into learning and reasoning abilities in order to help predict a candidate's future aptitude for the position.

      Delete
  6. Minoshi De SilvaApril 11, 2024 at 11:06 PM

    Absolutely, employee selection tests play a crucial role in the hiring process by providing valuable insights into candidates' abilities, personalities, and aptitudes. It's essential for these tests to meet certain criteria to ensure their effectiveness, such as sensitivity, standardization, reliability, and validity. They help organizations make informed decisions and identify the best-fit candidates for the job.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kovida NagahawattaApril 12, 2024 at 5:39 AM

      Thank you Minoshi for your comment. An effective recruitment and selection process allows companies to source, attract and identify the best candidates for every open role. This can help to reduce attrition, increase productivity and even improve the company’s bottom line.

      Delete
  7. Kasun JosephApril 11, 2024 at 11:39 PM

    Interesting article. By using selection can select most suitable candidates for the position. This will help to match the JD with employee profile.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kovida NagahawattaApril 12, 2024 at 5:36 AM

      Thank you Kasun for your comment. The purpose of the selection process is to pick up the most suitable candidate who would meet the requirements of the job in an organization best, to find out which job applicant will be successful, if hired. To meet this goal, the company obtains and assesses information about the applicants in terms of age, qualifications, skills, experience, etc. the needs of the job are matched with the profile of candidates (Ogunsolo, 2023).

      Delete
  8. Thilini D PathirageApril 12, 2024 at 12:34 AM

    Agreed with points . Employee selection tests are a valuable tool for employers looking to make informed hiring decisions. By measuring job-related skills and abilities, these tests can help identify the best candidates and reduce turnover. When choosing an employee selection test, it is important to consider factors such as validity, job relevance. When using these tests, organizations should follow best practices, such as using the test as part of a comprehensive hiring process, communicating clearly with candidates and monitoring test results and outcomes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kovida NagahawattaApril 12, 2024 at 5:37 AM

      Thank you Thilini for your comment. Employee selection in human resource management is critical to a company's success. This is particularly true in small businesses, where employee contributions have a higher level of impact on the company's fortunes. Developing a strong HR selection process can help ensure that your company hires competent, loyal employees who help you to reach your business goals (Peterson, 2019).

      Delete

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