One technique that we have found to be very useful in recruitment is Testing applicants before we bring them in for an interview. This way we can weed out the slackers and fakers, and bring in a select few who we are interested in hiring. If you can pass these phases and make it into our office, there’s a good chance we are interested in you! With this guide you will be prepared even before applying, and know exactly what to expect. The two main variations we have are:
Psychometric Testing
We use this to assess your motivation, career interests and objectives, competencies, abilities and personality traits. Usually we find that if applicants meet a certain criteria – which is usually based on employees we have at the moment – they are more successful in the position!
Generally there aren’t any right or wrong answers, BUT there are better answers. These tests are normally written by psychologists who know exactly what questions to ask to probe information from you. This is the information they don’t want you to know! By having a head-start and knowing what to expect, your chances of progressing in the application improve dramatically. The types of questions you can expect are:
Behavioral Questions
These are designed to see how you react to certain situations or work environments. A question may read something along the lines of “I find working independently …. a) Boring b) Empowering c) Lonely d) Efficient”
Most employers want to hire someone who can work independently, and who doesn’t need to be monitored and watched carefully! The last thing we want is to hire someone who will be annoying and unable to complete tasks by themselves – so the best option would be either b) Empowering or d) Efficient.
Basic Comprehension
These questions are pretty straight forward and only serve to test your basic English skills. Typical questions may be “Long is to short, as big is to ….”. Pretty easy right? These are to test whether you are paying attention, and make sure you are switched on at all times.
Math Problems
If you don’t like math or have difficulties, don’t stress! Usually these math problems are a small part of your application, and serve as a formality. Again, they make up the problem-solving component of your application, and are basic at best. If you are applying for a position in HR or middle management, and you can’t solve a couple of addition problems, Don’t Stress! You will outshine the rest of the applicants in other areas!
How do I prepare?
Simple things like reading magazines, doing crosswords and basic math problems can go a long way to improve your chances in the application process. Remember that we sometimes use this to weed out applicants and make the interviewing process shorter, so Do Your Best! Once you get through this stage and move onto face-to-face interviews, you’ll be sure to stand out above the rest – just don’t get caught in this phase.
