To effectively recruit individuals best suited for an open position, human resource departments have applicants do various tests and undergo various interviews. Interviews provide job seekers the opportunity to sell themselves.
eight Types of tests
- Ability Tests: “measure physical abilities, strength and stamina, mechanical ability, mental abilities, and clerical abilities”. Ex. Typing test
- Performance Tests: “measure performance on actual job tasks—so-called job tryouts” (Kinicki & Williams, 2018, p. 291) Ex. How well you can use Excel to create a budget
- Personality/ Skills Tests: “measure such personality traits as adjustment, energy, sociability, independence, and need for achievement” (Kinicki & Williams, 2018, p. 291) Ex. Myers-Briggs & The Big Five Personality Test
- Integrity Tests: “assess attitudes and experiences related to a person’s honesty, dependability, trustworthiness, reliability, and prosocial behavior” (Kinicki & Williams, 2018, p. 292) Ex. Integrity and Work Ethics Test
- Drug Tests
Some other tests you can expect:
- Polygraph tests
- Genetic screening
- Handwriting analysis
three Types of interviews
Unstructured Interview
“involves asking probing questions to find out what the applicant is like” (Kinicki & Williams, 2018, p. 289 )
Ex. What would you do if you saw an employee stealing company objects?
Key components: No fixed list of questions, you can be asked anything job-related or non-job related
Objective: See what you are like
Structured Interview #1: situational interview
“interviewer focuses on hypothetical situations” (Kinicki & Williams, 2018, p. 289 )
Ex. What would you do if you saw an employee stealing company items or funds?
Key Components: hypothetical questions
Objectives: to see how you deal with challenging situations that may come up while employed in the specified job position
Structured Interview #2: Behavioral-Description Interview
“the interviewer explores what applicants have actually done in the past” (Kinicki & Williams, 2018, p. 289)
Ex. How did you respond to the most recent piece of criticism from an employer, peer or coworker.
Key Components: questions based on your past behavior and specific examples
Objectives: to see how you deal with challenging situations that may come up while employed in the specified job position
Downloadable files
What to wear
Reference
Kinicki, A., & Williams, B. (2018). Management: A practical introduction (8th ed.).
New Media: Understanding the Past and Present Views 