Are Your Outdated Assessments Driving Away Qualified Applicants?

High school standardized tests belong in a classroom, not an interview.

Is your company employing grade school level workers, or qualified industry professionals? Although it is easy to declare your company is composed of great minds and professionals with lots of ideas, if your Human Resources’ interview process is outdated, it renders your hiring process ineffective.

An all-too-often overlooked issue in HR is the low quality of tests used to screen applicants. Is your HR department implementing any of these inefficient testing methods?

• Assuming SAT scores and low-level standardized tests indicate whether someone will be a good fit for a position. If your tests are repurposed grade school assessments, it indicates an unprofessional company that does not value employee intelligence. Using standardized tests meant for grade school students will reflect grade-level results and grade-level applicants.
• Generalizing all positions and subjecting all applicants to the same hiring criteria. If your tests generalize applicants and positions, it hinders the acquisition of unique and specialized talent. A marketing manager has a different job from a financial supervisor, so why would they have the same hiring qualifications? Each department and position should have a unique set of responsibilities and desired skills.
• Testing for the wrong position or for unrelated skills. If you test for skills you are not employing for, the test will tell you nothing about an applicant’s suitability for the job in question. Make sure to tailor your tests for the unique needs of each position, to ensure you get the best candidate possible for the job.

If your company makes any or all of these mistakes, you could be driving away qualified applicants who understand that their professional skills cannot be measured with a standardized test meant for high school students.

First thing tomorrow morning, find your way into the HR department of your company and make sure your hiring process is conducive to hiring qualified professionals, not employees with a grade-school mindset. Visit ProfilesAsiaPacific.com for a list of on-boarding assessments designed to challenge and identify the most qualified candidates.