Personnel assessment i.e. so-called aptitude tests can be conducted in connection to recruitments or during the employment. The candidate’s consent is always required for personnel testing.
The aim of personnel testing conducted in connection to recruitment is to establish if the applicant is suited for the organization and the vacancy there. It provides the potential employer with information on the applicant’s competence, motivation, working methods and interaction skills. The aptitude test is usually taken at the end of the recruitment process, when the applicant has already had a job interview.
What is the aptitude test like?
Personnel assessment is usually carried out by a company specialized in it. The employer has defined the important characteristics and criteria for the vacancy in advance. The instance providing the aptitude test must find out how the employee meets those criteria. These issues can be established applied by selecting an applicable testing method.
There are many ways to assess, so making a personnel assessment may take a few hours or the whole day. The assessment can contain several shorter tests some of which may have a time limit and some not. They may include e.g. tests measuring deduction and problem-solving abilities, personality or team and leadership skills. Usually the tests are individual tests, but sometimes they may also be group assignments. In specific jobs also the physical condition is measured in a fitness test.
Why are aptitude tests conducted?
The results of the personnel assessment are used as part of the recruitment process. It is hard to estimate its impact on the election of a new employee as it varies. As a rule, it can be said that the aim of personnel testing is to confirm the image that the employer had of the employee in the interview.
During the employment the person may be tested to find out about needs for training and other vocational development. Aptitude tests may be of use when the employer is thinking about developing its employees’ competence so that the work would be nicer for them.
How to prepare for an aptitude test?
Be yourself and have an open mind when taking an aptitude test. It is difficult to prepare for it apart from having a good night’s sleep. You can, of course, go through your work history, motivation factors and reasons for applying for the job once again. Sometimes there are assignments sent to candidates in advance.
Candidates’ rights and privacy protection
The employer must make sure that reliable testing methods are used when creating the tests, the test providers are competent and the information received through testing is correct. Personnel assessment has been provided by law (Act on the Protection of Privacy in Working Life).
The employer or the tester appointed by it, on the employee’s request, has to give the employee the written statement given in the personnel or aptitude assessment free of charge.