When you’re evaluating candidates, seeing how they will perform in actual job situations can help you make an informed decision about their fit for a position.
If you were buying a new car, you’d take it for a test drive. When you purchase a new pair of jeans, you try them on first. In order to make an informed decision about whether these products are right for you, you first want to see how the products will perform in real day-to-day situations.

Similarly, when you’re evaluating candidates, seeing how they will perform in actual job situations can help you make an informed decision about their fit for a position.

According to Wendell Williams, an expert in selection and testing tools, companies that use simulations – or testing that requires candidates to use the actual skills they would use on the job – make better hires. Only about 15% of candidates will pass well-designed simulations, but those candidates will be eminently qualified and much more likely to succeed.

Williams notes that workplace tests generally measure one of four skill areas:

1) Cognitive ability (eg. learning, technical knowledge, and problem solving)

2) Planning ability (eg. organization, project planning, time management)

3) Interpersonal ability (eg. coaching, teamwork, customer service, negotiation)

4) Attitudes, interests and motivations (eg. likes, dislikes, attitudes)

Which tests are right for the jobs you’re trying to fill? Make it a goal this week to research some of the products and techniques on the market, and figure out which ones could improve your ability to match candidates to openings.

Reference source: “Flight Simulators in Business?” by R. Wendell Williams, Ph.D.

About the Author

Paul Dodd is the CEO of Head2Head, the in-house recruitment experts. For more information about improving your company's recruitment productivity while spending less, contact Paul at 416.440.0097 or paul@head2head.ca. Or for more quick recruiting tips, visit www.head2head.ca/newsletter.php