Employers are setting new standards in the job application process with the use of personality tests. These tests are typically required online at the beginning of the application process. Their purpose is to help identify a candidate who will be a good fit for the position, the department, and the overall company. This is meant to reduce turnover and lead to happier employees.
Yet many applicants are dissatisfied with the idea of being written off based on a technical, automated process without the chance to explain who they are in person. Additionally, while the job search process is shortened prematurely for job seekers, it is extended to new lengths for employers. However, many companies have cited that waiting for a more cohesive match will pay off in the long run, making holding off to fill the position worth it. Yet this isn’t the only thing slowing down the search. Employers are becoming more reluctant to raise wages as well as pickier about misalignments between applicants’ skills or education and the demands of the position. The overall formula for workplace success is growing in complexity, while employers are less willing to take chances on applicants who don’t fit the mold.
The personality test trend has come about due to the availability of “powerful data tools and inexpensive online software,” which has led to lower costs and more accurate results. In 2001, 26% of large U.S. employers used pre-hire assessments. By 2013, 57% did. This is making it more difficult, especially for young adults and the long-term unemployed, to get hired.
And the tests are getting more thorough. In the past, companies hoped to simply glean broad personality traits. Now, applicants’ technical abilities, communication skills, and personalities are being assessed in minute detail.
What does this mean for those currently seeking jobs and those who will be applying in the future? While the tests can make mistakes and complicate the application process, they also mean that you will be hired in a position and at an organization where you will lead a happier, longer, more successful career. You will be less likely to quit and to be fired, which is a positive for both parties involved. It seems to me that the best way to prepare is to know yourself and your strengths well, which 4T’s programs are designed to accomplish. Check out 4T’s programs here. And good luck in the job search!
-Samantha Phillips
What is your reaction to using personality tests in the job application process? Have you had any personal experiences with them?
Sources:
The Wall Street Journal: Today’s Personality Tests Raise the Bar for Job Seekers
Yet many applicants are dissatisfied with the idea of being written off based on a technical, automated process without the chance to explain who they are in person. Additionally, while the job search process is shortened prematurely for job seekers, it is extended to new lengths for employers. However, many companies have cited that waiting for a more cohesive match will pay off in the long run, making holding off to fill the position worth it. Yet this isn’t the only thing slowing down the search. Employers are becoming more reluctant to raise wages as well as pickier about misalignments between applicants’ skills or education and the demands of the position. The overall formula for workplace success is growing in complexity, while employers are less willing to take chances on applicants who don’t fit the mold.
The personality test trend has come about due to the availability of “powerful data tools and inexpensive online software,” which has led to lower costs and more accurate results. In 2001, 26% of large U.S. employers used pre-hire assessments. By 2013, 57% did. This is making it more difficult, especially for young adults and the long-term unemployed, to get hired.
And the tests are getting more thorough. In the past, companies hoped to simply glean broad personality traits. Now, applicants’ technical abilities, communication skills, and personalities are being assessed in minute detail.
What does this mean for those currently seeking jobs and those who will be applying in the future? While the tests can make mistakes and complicate the application process, they also mean that you will be hired in a position and at an organization where you will lead a happier, longer, more successful career. You will be less likely to quit and to be fired, which is a positive for both parties involved. It seems to me that the best way to prepare is to know yourself and your strengths well, which 4T’s programs are designed to accomplish. Check out 4T’s programs here. And good luck in the job search!
-Samantha Phillips
What is your reaction to using personality tests in the job application process? Have you had any personal experiences with them?
Sources:
The Wall Street Journal: Today’s Personality Tests Raise the Bar for Job Seekers
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