It Is in Your Head
By Eileen P. Gunn
US News & World Report, Oct 16, 2006
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/articles/061008/16eetests.htm
Interesting piece about changes in hiring —
The use of these kinds of behavioral or personality assessments, which ebbs and flows along with other corporate trends, is on the rise again.
In March 2005, more than a third of employers surveyed by the Society for Human Resource Management were giving job candidates personality tests, with more planning to start in the coming year. And 36 percent more were formally testing employees for organizational fit by assessing things like team-orientation, entrepreneurial inclinations, and comfort with a “traditional” work environment.
One reason these tests are back in vogue, according to executives who use them, is that the more sophisticated ones have become increasingly accurate and adaptable to different industries and job descriptions.
Good advice: More important, the tests aren’t about aptitude or intelligence so much as fit. If the test steers the company away from you, it might be for the best.
Matches our experience w using the emotional intelligence test for hiring — fit matters more than score. Question for me is how well is the hiring manager using the tool. A good assessment can help a lot if used well. Otherwise…