Employment testing
Encyclopedia
Employment testing is the practice of administering written, oral or other tests as a means of determining the suitability or desirability of a job applicant. The premise is that if scores on a test correlate with job performance
, then it is economically useful for the employer to select employees based on scores from that test.
Employers considering the use of employment tests, particularly knowledge and aptitude-based tests, should perform due diligence
to assure that questions are reasonably related to the job; advice from counsel may be sensible. An example of "reasonably related" might be giving a math test to applicants for engineering positions, as math is used in such jobs. In order to comply with the decision in Griggs, the employer must assure the test is a reasonable measure of job performance. Therefore, if the math questions were engineering related, and not from other disciplines, and it were documented that employees lacking a reasonable knowledge of math capabilities would not succeed as engineers, the test would meet the Griggs test. Conversely, requiring a math test for a receptionist may be considered unreasonable as math is unrelated to the daily requirements of the job. For all employment tests, common sense and reasonableness must apply.
s may potentially be useful in personnel selection. Of the well-known [Big Five personality traits], only conscientiousness correlates substantially with traditional measures of job performance, and that correlation is strong enough to be predictive. However, other factors of personality can correlate substantially with non-traditional aspects of job performance such as leadership and effectiveness in a team environment. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
(MBTI) is also used.
The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
(MMPI) is a highly validated psychopathology test generally used in a clinical psychology setting that may reveal potential mental health disorders. Official MMPI-2 Description However, this can be considered by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
as the employer having knowledge of a medical condition prior to an offer of employment. This is an illegal basis for a hiring decision in the United States. Employers considering personality tests should focus on those which are designed for that purpose and do not provide any information regarding an applicant's mental health or stability.
Notable situations in which the MMPI may be used, and is sometimes mandated, are in final selection for police officers, fire fighters, and other security and emergency personnel, especially when the employees are required to carry weapons. In that context, an assessment of mental stability and fitness can be argued as "reasonably related" and necessary in the performance of the job.
are said to correlate very highly with job performance. If other factors are equal, supporters claim that a more intelligent person is able to perform a given job more efficiently. This is especially true in cognitive loaded professions, although observed correlations are low due to range restriction (e.g., most brain surgeons are highly intelligent). Those opposed to the use of these tests note that there are substantial cultural effects on scores, and that many prominent psychologists do not agree that there is a single measure of intelligence (e.g., Professor Howard Gardner).
Job knowledge tests are particularly useful in situations where applicants are required to have specialized knowledge or technical know-how that can only be acquired through extended periods of either experience or training. Examples of such fields are computer programming, law, and financial management.
Licensing exams and certification programs are also types of job knowledge tests. Passing such exams indicates competence in the field's subject or area.
A major consideration of job knowledge tests is validity. Tests must be representative of the tested field, otherwise complaints in the form of litigation can be brought against the test-giver.
These tests present hypothetical yet realistic scenarios in a multiple choice format, and applicants are asked to indicate what they would do in handling a difficult job-related situation effectively.
Responses are scored in accordance to the level of effectiveness, rather than right or wrong.
Situational judgment items measure the suitability of applicants for employment by assessing their abilities such as problems-solving, service-orientation and achievement-striving. These tests screen for candidates with key attributes and assess their capability to perform and respond to job-related situations. Therefore, results from situational judgment tests provide more indicative and job-specific information concerning an applicant's competencies, which may not be initially apparent in their resume or during an interview.
Situational judgment tests are becoming increasingly popular for employee selection in customer service positions such as sales, retail and hospitality.
Job performance
Job performance is a commonly used, yet poorly defined concept in industrial and organizational psychology, the branch of psychology that deals with the workplace. It's also part of Human Resources Management. It most commonly refers to whether a person performs their job well...
, then it is economically useful for the employer to select employees based on scores from that test.
Legal context (United States)
The United States Supreme Court has decided several cases that have clarified the place of employment testing in the context of discrimination law. In particular, these cases have addressed the discriminatory use of tests when promoting employees by requiring tests beyond the education required for the job. A central finding in Griggs v. Duke Power Co. was that the employer must demonstrate (or be prepared to demonstrate) that their selection process is job-related.Employers considering the use of employment tests, particularly knowledge and aptitude-based tests, should perform due diligence
Due diligence
"Due diligence" is a term used for a number of concepts involving either an investigation of a business or person prior to signing a contract, or an act with a certain standard of care. It can be a legal obligation, but the term will more commonly apply to voluntary investigations...
to assure that questions are reasonably related to the job; advice from counsel may be sensible. An example of "reasonably related" might be giving a math test to applicants for engineering positions, as math is used in such jobs. In order to comply with the decision in Griggs, the employer must assure the test is a reasonable measure of job performance. Therefore, if the math questions were engineering related, and not from other disciplines, and it were documented that employees lacking a reasonable knowledge of math capabilities would not succeed as engineers, the test would meet the Griggs test. Conversely, requiring a math test for a receptionist may be considered unreasonable as math is unrelated to the daily requirements of the job. For all employment tests, common sense and reasonableness must apply.
Test types used
Different types of assessments may be used for employment testing, including personality tests, intelligence tests, work samples, and assessment centers. Some correlate better with job performance with others; employers often utilize more than one to maximize predictive power.Personality tests
Personality testPersonality test
-Overview:There are many different types of personality tests. The most common type, the self-report inventory, involves the administration of many questions, or "items", to test-takers who respond by rating the degree to which each item reflects their behavior...
s may potentially be useful in personnel selection. Of the well-known [Big Five personality traits], only conscientiousness correlates substantially with traditional measures of job performance, and that correlation is strong enough to be predictive. However, other factors of personality can correlate substantially with non-traditional aspects of job performance such as leadership and effectiveness in a team environment. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment is a psychometric questionnaire designed to measure psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions...
(MBTI) is also used.
The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory is one of the most frequently used personality tests in mental health. The test is used by trained professionals to assist in identifying personality structure and psychopathology....
(MMPI) is a highly validated psychopathology test generally used in a clinical psychology setting that may reveal potential mental health disorders. Official MMPI-2 Description However, this can be considered by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is an independent federal law enforcement agency that enforces laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination complaints based on an individual's race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, perceived intelligence,...
as the employer having knowledge of a medical condition prior to an offer of employment. This is an illegal basis for a hiring decision in the United States. Employers considering personality tests should focus on those which are designed for that purpose and do not provide any information regarding an applicant's mental health or stability.
Notable situations in which the MMPI may be used, and is sometimes mandated, are in final selection for police officers, fire fighters, and other security and emergency personnel, especially when the employees are required to carry weapons. In that context, an assessment of mental stability and fitness can be argued as "reasonably related" and necessary in the performance of the job.
Intelligence tests
Tests of general intelligenceGeneral intelligence
General intelligence may refer to:* general intelligence factor in psychology* Intelligence* strong AI, an artificial intelligence that matches or exceeds human intelligence...
are said to correlate very highly with job performance. If other factors are equal, supporters claim that a more intelligent person is able to perform a given job more efficiently. This is especially true in cognitive loaded professions, although observed correlations are low due to range restriction (e.g., most brain surgeons are highly intelligent). Those opposed to the use of these tests note that there are substantial cultural effects on scores, and that many prominent psychologists do not agree that there is a single measure of intelligence (e.g., Professor Howard Gardner).
Job knowledge tests
"Job knowledge tests are used in situations where applicants must already possess a body of learned information prior to being hired." - U.S. Office of Personnel ManagementOffice of Personnel Management
The United States Office of Personnel Management is an independent agency of the United States government that manages the civil service of the federal government. The current Director is John Berry.-History:...
Job knowledge tests are particularly useful in situations where applicants are required to have specialized knowledge or technical know-how that can only be acquired through extended periods of either experience or training. Examples of such fields are computer programming, law, and financial management.
Licensing exams and certification programs are also types of job knowledge tests. Passing such exams indicates competence in the field's subject or area.
A major consideration of job knowledge tests is validity. Tests must be representative of the tested field, otherwise complaints in the form of litigation can be brought against the test-giver.
Situational judgment tests
Situational judgment tests are commonly used as employee selection and screening tools and have been developed to predict employment success.These tests present hypothetical yet realistic scenarios in a multiple choice format, and applicants are asked to indicate what they would do in handling a difficult job-related situation effectively.
Responses are scored in accordance to the level of effectiveness, rather than right or wrong.
Situational judgment items measure the suitability of applicants for employment by assessing their abilities such as problems-solving, service-orientation and achievement-striving. These tests screen for candidates with key attributes and assess their capability to perform and respond to job-related situations. Therefore, results from situational judgment tests provide more indicative and job-specific information concerning an applicant's competencies, which may not be initially apparent in their resume or during an interview.
Situational judgment tests are becoming increasingly popular for employee selection in customer service positions such as sales, retail and hospitality.
See also
- Watson v. Fort Worth Bank & TrustWatson v. Fort Worth Bank & TrustWatson v. Fort Worth Bank & Trust was a case before the United States Supreme Court.-Background:A black bank teller was four times rejected in favor of white applicants for promotions to supervisory positions at the bank...
, 487 U.S. 977 (1988) - Wards Cove Packing Co. v. AtonioWards Cove Packing Co. v. AtonioWards Cove Packing Co. v. Atonio, 490 U.S. 642 , was a court case argued before the United States Supreme Court on January 18, 1989. It concerned employment discrimination and was decided on June 5, 1989.-Facts:...
, 490 U.S. 642, 657 (1989), - Civil Rights Act of 1964Civil Rights Act of 1964The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark piece of legislation in the United States that outlawed major forms of discrimination against African Americans and women, including racial segregation...
- Objective testObjective testAn objective test is a psychological test that measures an individual's characteristics in a way that is independent of rater bias or the examiner's own beliefs, usually by the administration of a bank of questions that are marked and compared against exacting scoring mechanisms that are completely...
- Projective testProjective testIn psychology, a projective test is a personality test designed to let a person respond to ambiguous stimuli, presumably revealing hidden emotions and internal conflicts. This is different from an "objective test" in which responses are analyzed according to a universal standard...
- Psychological testingPsychological testingPsychological testing is a field characterized by the use of samples of behavior in order to assess psychological construct, such as cognitive and emotional functioning, about a given individual. The technical term for the science behind psychological testing is psychometrics...
- Situational judgement testSituational judgement testSituational Judgement Tests or Inventories are a type of psychological test which present the test-taker with realistic, hypothetical scenarios and ask him to identify an appropriate response. These are generally in a multiple choice format, but represent a distinct psychometric approach from the...