What is method that compares the scores on selection tests to some aspect of job performance determined?

By Indeed Editorial Team

Published April 13, 2021

There are a lot of methods that hiring managers use to determine whether to consider a candidate for a role. Selection testing can help judge how well a candidate's knowledge, skills or personality align with the position they are applying for. If you are a hiring manager, selection testing can be a beneficial tool to understand and use in your hiring process. In this article, we discuss what selection testing is, why selection tests are used and provide information for creating your own selection testing program.

Related: 11 Tips for Hiring the Right Employees

What is selection testing?

Selection testing is a screening process that hiring managers use to judge an applicant's fit for a certain job or company. A selection test is a standardized test that the hiring manager gives to all applicants. This may be a physical test, an in-person test during the interview or an online test completed along with the application or after an initial phone screening.

Selection tests can vary in criteria and length. Some selection tests can take a few minutes to complete while others can take upwards of an hour. The length of the assessment depends on the position and what the employer is trying to learn about the candidate.

Related: How To Create an Employee Selection and Top Employee Selection Methods

Types of selection tests

The type of selection test used can vary depending on what position is being filled and what hiring managers want to know about the applicants. There are several different types of selection tests employers can use:

Personality test

A personality test measures an applicant's characteristics to determine what type of personality they have. This test includes questions about the applicant's habits, preferences, interests and working style. Hiring managers often use these tests to determine whether a candidate is a good match for the role and the company. If the company culture involves a lot of teamwork and communication, a personality test can help hiring managers discover which candidates will thrive in this environment.

Depending on the job, hiring managers may value different results. For a customer-oriented position, hiring managers may look for candidates who demonstrate high levels of empathy and amiability. For a sales position, hiring managers may look for candidates who are persuasive and determined.

Read more: Hiring Personality Tests: What They Are and Common Types

Job knowledge test

Job knowledge tests are used to measure a candidate's ability to succeed in a specific job. This test evaluates the candidate's knowledge of terminology, techniques and skills relating to the job they are applying for. Hiring managers use this test to ensure that they hire a candidate who is familiar with the role and able to complete the tasks it involves. These tests are typically used when hiring for jobs that require specific skills.

For example, a hiring manager looking to fill an information technology job may ask candidates to complete a job knowledge test to ensure that they are familiar with coding language and IT regulations. Other positions like accounting or data entry can benefit from job knowledge testing because they require very specific knowledge about proper procedures and programs.

Integrity test

Integrity tests are similar to personality tests, but they focus on evaluating a candidate's honesty and moral standing rather than multiple aspects of their personality. This test helps hiring managers ensure that they are hiring people who will comply with their company's ethical standards. Integrity tests can be useful for any job and any industry because ethics are important within any company.

Cognitive ability test

Cognitive ability tests are used to measure intelligence and may also be called IQ tests. They can focus on general intelligence or specific areas of intelligence that relate to a job, like mathematical skills or deductive reasoning skills. A hiring manager typically uses these tests for jobs that involve a high level of ability in one or more areas of cognitive ability.

Knowing how well a candidate can perform mathematical functions and solve equations is relevant if the job involves math. Some government positions like criminal investigator or corrections officer may evaluate candidates on their ability to think critically in difficult situations because that is a necessary skill for the job.

Emotional intelligence test

Emotional intelligence tests measure a candidate's ability to build relationships and work with others. This test may comprise some similar questions as a personality test, but it specifically focuses on the applicant's emotional intelligence. Understanding how someone interacts with others is important when hiring for leadership positions and positions that involve constant collaboration, like public relations or marketing jobs.

Skills test

A skills test evaluates a candidate's ability to perform specific tasks related to a job. Unlike a personality test, a skills test requires candidates to perform these skills to prove their ability rather than answer questions related to the skills. A hiring manager may administer typing tests for clerical and data entry job candidates to ensure that they can type quickly and accurately. Another example of a skills test is a writing assignment given to an applicant of a job involving writing.

Physical abilities test

Physical abilities tests measure a candidate's strength and endurance. These tests are necessary for jobs that involve a certain level of physical fitness and ability. Common jobs that utilize physical abilities tests include police and military positions. Hiring managers administer these tests to ensure that candidates can handle the level of physical activity required for the job without risk for injury.

Why are selection tests used?

Selection tests are a valuable resource for hiring managers because it allows them to learn more information about a candidate before moving to the next stages of the hiring process. Selection tests can save time, because the hiring manager does not have to schedule a meeting with each candidate. Instead, they can send each applicant an online selection test. They can even include the selection test in the digital application to save even more time.

Selection tests evaluate a candidate's skills, knowledge and personality in a more precise way than reviewing a resume. They can help hiring managers predict how a candidate will perform in a specific role or within a company. Selection tests can even demonstrate the candidate's ability to complete the job before being hired. This can improve the chances of hiring a candidate who performs the job well and stays with the company, which also saves the hiring manager from repeating the hiring process for a single position multiple times.

Related: 7 Steps for Making a Hiring Decision

Reliability and validity of selection tests

Certain selection tests are more reliable than others. The reliability of tests depends on the consistency of how tests are administered. In order for a selection test to be reliable, it should be the same each time and judge all candidates objectively. Physical and skills tests, for example, tend to be the most reliable types of tests because they evaluate candidates based on their proven abilities. If a candidate completes an obstacle course or a typing test within the allotted time limit, they are strong candidates. There is little room for subjectivity with these tests.

Validity is another important consideration when implementing a selection test. There are three types of validity that the Equal Employment Opportunity Committee describes when discussing selection testing:

• Content validity: This type of validity relates to how relevant the content of the test is to the job. The test should directly relate to the knowledge, skills and personality required for the job.

• Construct validity: This type of validity describes how well a test measures traits that can make someone more successful in a role, including dependability, emotional intelligence and integrity.

• Criterion-related validity: This type of validity describes a selection test's ability to predict how a candidate will perform in a specific role. This can be determined by measuring how applicants test scores relate to their job performance once hired, or it can be determined by having current employees take the test and comparing their results to their job performance.

How to create a selection testing program

If you want to enhance your hiring process, you can follow these steps to create your own selection testing program:

1. Determine what test to use

The first step to creating a selection testing program is deciding what type of test to use. Consider what you want to learn about candidates in order to help decide if they are a good fit for the job. Company culture might be an important element of your hiring process, in which case a personality test can help gauge if the candidate's values align with the company's. If you are hiring for a very technical position, a job knowledge test can be a good test to determine which employees are capable of performing the job.

There may be multiple tests that are relevant to the position, and in that case, you can choose the more important of the two or ask candidates to complete both tests. You should also consider how likely applicants are to complete these selection tests. If you are hiring for an entry-level or part-time position, it may be best to give a shorter assessment. For higher-level roles, candidates will be more willing to spend time on an assessment.

2. Create or choose a test

You have the option of creating your own test or using an existing screening test. This choice depends on what information you are hoping to learn about the candidate. If you have decided to conduct a personality selection test, there are many of these tests available online and there are also specific selection testing services you can use. Personality tests ask many of the same questions regardless of what job you are looking to fill, so it is most efficient to use an existing test.

If you want to discover the candidates' knowledge about the specific position, you may need to make your own screening test. If it is a common position you may be able to find existing tests, but if the job has certain functions that are specific to your company, it may be best to create your own test.

3. Research ethics of your test

Before asking candidates to complete your test, you need to ensure that it complies with the EEOC standards for ethical employment screening. If you decide to create your own test, you will need to do extensive research while crafting it to make sure that it does not violate any of these standards. It is important to review the EEOC's guidelines even if you choose to use an existing commercial selection test. Not all existing tests are regulated, so doing your research is essential.

4. Monitor your test

Once you begin to use your test during the screening process, you should continually monitor it. This is an important step to ensure that your test is functioning as planned. After hiring applicants who completed the selection test, compare their job performance with their test result. This can help you determine the accuracy of your test. You should also monitor which candidates are performing well on your test and which candidates are performing poorly on your test. This can help you discover the reliability of your test and eliminate any unconscious biases that may exist.