Hiring Wisdom: Yes, Applicants Tell You What They Want You to Hear

This is not really news, but was triggered by an email I got from a testing company.

Here is their tag line: “Applicants tell you what they want you to hear. Assessments tell you the rest.”

Are we now supposed to assume applicants don’t tell us only what they want us to know when they take our tests? When did testing become infallible?

Great work history, but they failed your test?

Tests are simply another way of collecting information from applicants; they are another form of interview. They may have less bias, ask more questions in a shorter amount of time, and eliminate emotional involvement, but they are still just another interview.

How many great people have not been hired because an assessment said they have the wrong values or personality?

We all hear stories of the person who FAILED THE TEST, was hired anyway, and the test was right. How about the stories of the person who FAILED THE TEST, was hired anyway and became a real asset to the organization?

What opportunity do you give to people who did not do well on your test, but who have a great work history?

This was originally published on Mel Kleiman’s Humetrics blog.