Do Personality Tests Really Help Companies Make Better Hiring Decisions?

Many companies have been relying on personality profiles to help figure out whether job candidates have what it takes to succeed. Use of these instruments increased dramatically when lawyers began telling companies to stop disclosing meaningful data about employees to prospective employers.

Although most staffing experts agree that there is no substitute for knowing how a candidate actually performed and behaved in past work situations, companies felt they no longer could get reliable data from business references.

But the validity of personality tests has always been questionable:

1. Many I/O psychologists, noting they were designed for coaching and counseling, caution against using these tests for selection

2. Nearly 50% of those taking the tests for selection purposes admit to cheating / putting down answers they think will get them hired

3. Some managers –anxious to fill jobs-simply give their favorite candidates the answers in advance

4. Validation Studies –usually conducted by the test vendors, often don’t meet strict scientific standards –e.g. –“reliability” and fail to account for the “self-fulfilling prophesy” effect

And now the cat is really out of the bag!

Dr Edward Hoffman’s book “Ace the Corporate Personality Test”(McGraw Hill) reveals there are actually only a few basic tests (with numerous variations).There are always right answers, and by knowing how the tests are constructed, what answers the test developers are looking for, and practicing (using sample tests provided) ,any candidate can “ace” any test out there.

As the cover states, this book "reveals the secret to making the grade and getting the job", shows you how to out-smart and psyche-out the personality tests required by the corporate world  '' and dramatically improve your score and frame your answers to fit the position you are seeking".

I have read it and I believe it works.  If you are a recruiter or a staffing manager you should read it too. Then ask yourself, “What happens if a significant percent of your candidates are using this book (and maybe at some point a website) to beat your test and get hired?” Alternatives? Maybe it’s time to re-look at some other selection tools. Reference checking  perhaps? There have been recent legal and technological breakthroughs  which are helping this former “gold standard” for employee selection regain its lost luster.

Comments

[Wallace Mildew]

The scary thing to contemplate is this: what kinds of people who would even *try* to finesse a personality test?