Despite the tough job market and the necessity for employees to cling to their jobs, a lot of businesses still have a high turnover rate. Many people in human resources wonder why this it is. Are work conditions unfavorable? Are the competitors offering better pay and benefits? Are there personality conflicts going on around the office? Sometimes, one of these is the reason, but in a surprising number of cases, the problem is that you simply aren't hiring the right people. Job tests are becoming more popular than ever nowadays. Psychological research shows that job testing is often more effective as a means of screening potential employees than an interview alone.
When most people think about job tests, they picture job aptitude tests. These tests are meant to measure various skills that are necessary in business. In reality, however, a job test is more complicated than this. Job personality tests are every bit as important, if not more. Lets face the facts: most jobs are not beyond the reach of most people. Whether or not you have experience in a given field, if you are reasonably intelligent you can figure it out as long as you have the will. A good job test, then, should not just measure aptitude, but also personality. A moderately skilled, but extremely driven worker is going to be a greater asset your company than someone who is highly skilled, but not very driven. Job testing will measure both skills and drive to succeed, as well as inform you of possible personality conflicts.
You see, assembling a good workforce means assembling a good team. As we already mentioned, you need skilled workers who have the drive to succeed, but you also need the right personality types. Personality is surprisingly easy to quantify. Job tests will show you who your natural leaders are, which people do better taking orders, which people are more unconventional thinkers, and which ones are good at developing an idea given to them, brick upon brick.
A good office will combine all these types together. When you have many different personality types, you will be able to address the many different problems that your business will come across. Your creative thinkers will be able to come up with bright, new solutions, while your more methodical people will be able to work out the fine details. Specialization is not just a luxury, it is a necessary step to business success. Job tests will help you with it.
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