10 Myths and Misconceptions About Pre-Employment Testing

Hiring is one of the most exciting and multilayered processes, and selecting the best candidates from the vast talent pool is a challenge. Yet, amidst the challenges and intricacies, myths often cloud the process, leaving recruiters believing in false assumptions. 

The pre-employment testing is still quite under the rock because numerous organizations are still reluctant to use it. The reason behind not using pre-employment testing is that business owners and HR people are not fully aware of the benefits of employment testing. And, this unawareness about the topic has given birth to numerous myths and misconceptions that are becoming a hindrance in the way of pre-employment testing. 

Employers might seek a highly competent and experienced employee. Yet, relying solely on a candidate’s resume can pose risks, as it may not always be accurate. This oversight can result in hiring an unfit employee. Career Builder’s data reveals that 74% of employers have chosen the wrong candidates for the job due to misleading information on resumes.

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The concept of pre-employment tests gained momentum as they eliminated guesswork from the recruitment process. HR departments now rely on these tests to recruit skilled professionals based solely on real talent. 

Myths About Pre-employment Testing

One rotten apple can spoil the entire basket of apples. Similarly, one wrong employee can disturb the entire team and impact the productivity of other employees as well. That’s why it’s crucial to conduct thorough skill assessments before hiring to ensure only the right candidates join your organization. To identify the wrong employees in the early stage, you have to test their skills before recruitment.

So, if you aren’t using pre-employment tests in your organization due to the following myths, then quickly learn some real facts about pre-employment tests. 

Myth 1. Accuracy of Tests Are Questionable

Reality – According to a recent study by Aberdeen Group, 36% of HR professionals express satisfaction with the results of pre-employment screening in employee hiring.

It is because pre-employment tests bring automation and provide comprehensive insight into the candidate’s skills. Processing and evaluating data automatically eliminates human errors. Additionally, the system delivers test reports directly to recruiters, ensuring unbiased judgments and eliminating favoritism.

This practice will provide a fair chance to all the candidates, as selections are based solely on pure talent. Furthermore, when companies conduct online assessments, they guarantee a 100% accurate grading process and eliminate errors. Therefore, pre-employment tests are unquestionably accurate and effective. 

Myth 2. Interviews Are More Effective

Reality – If you think that the traditional interview method is the perfect way to assess the capabilities of candidates, then you are wrong. That’s because the interview process is time-consuming and personal judgment is a major part of it. According to a report, 27.5 days are the average interview-based recruitment period. So, if you want to hire efficient employees quickly, then interviews won’t be ideal for you. 

Additionally, the interview can only show one aspect of the candidate’s personality, whereas other important parameters remain unanswered like communication skills, cognitive abilities, and others. These parameters cannot all be assessed in a single interview. However, utilizing a scientifically designed and validated test for hiring enables addressing all aspects of hiring simultaneously. Nowadays, innovative business organizations are incorporating predictive analysis, psychometric tests, and behavioral approaches to establish a seamless recruitment process. 

Myth 3. Tests Aren’t Much Predictive

Reality – Today, HR people perform a wide range of tests in the name of pre-hire assessment. However, not all tests can offer the same value. Therefore, when implementing a pre-employment test, ensure that it accurately predicts results. Validation is the main element of a successful recruitment process, as it provides value to the assessment test. 

Additionally, it will illuminate how certain tests predict the results. For example, cognitive tests are considered one of the most predictive types of tests. They can offer a comprehensive prediction compared to traditional hiring processes like interviews and resumes. Therefore, when aiming for concrete results in building your effective hiring process, using the equally predictive pre-assessment test is an ideal approach. 

Myth 4. Aspirants Can Fake Through Test 

Reality – Self-assessment tests, such as biodata, often pose a challenge as candidates may manipulate or provide inaccurate information. Moreover, in the interviews, candidates tend to show their best behavior and try to impress recruiters. Candidates work very hard towards presenting themselves in a positive light. However, some recruiters are hesitant to use pre-employment tests because they think that candidates can fake them as well. 

But, it is impossible to fake because they assess skills in real-time. Faking skills, especially in written or practical tests, is next to impossible. So, cheating and faking are not options in the pre-employment test. This approach enables easy identification of raw talent without any fake positive coating. On the top, advanced tools like Xobin employ automated proctoring systems, further safeguarding against cheating and ensuring the integrity of the assessment process. 

Myth 5. Tests Are Time Sucking

Reality – Averagely an applicant spends 118 minutes preparing for a job interview. Thus, companies are trying to speed up the recruitment process so that good candidates won’t fall out of their bucket because of the time-consuming process. And, they think that testing skills of an individual candidate will be a time-consuming process so they should avoid it. 

In the online pre-employment testing process, businesses can easily modify the tests according to their time schedules using Xobin. These tests boast flexibility and efficiency, featuring straightforward language and multiple-choice formats to speed up screening. Additionally, the length of the test can be adjusted from job to job. To optimize efficiency, companies can start with a quick initial test to weed out unqualified candidates, reserving in-depth assessments for a select group. Xobin offers automated coding tests, further accelerating the testing process.  

Myth 6. Pre Testing Isn’t For Everyone

Reality – There’s no doubt that you can’t use the same set of aptitude or cognitive test questionnaires to find the perfect candidates for different job profiles. However, by carefully analyzing the job profile and your expectations, you can easily craft a skill test with remarkable accuracy. Utilizing input from field experts to develop specific questions related to the subject streamlines the process of identifying high-potential candidates. 

Industries such as e-commerce, retail, real estate, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and others use the pre-assessment testing today. This method brings relevant and more insight to job-specific skills and eases out the process of shortlisting prospective employees. 

Myth 7. Tests Make Applicants Nervous

Reality – These days, employers face a critical situation in finding suitable employees. Employers are working very hard to leave a positive remark on the candidate’s mind. Therefore, there has been a lurking myth that conducting pre-employment tests will scare candidates and make them hesitate to apply for the job. Moreover, some candidates assume that recruiters can pass biased judgments based on tests. So, how can employers gain the attention of good candidates? 

The fact here is that conducting a 4-hour long SAT to test your candidate’s skills will inevitably lose the interest of good applicants. Real analysis drawn from half a million different tests concluded that candidates drop out of the hiring funnel depending on the length. Now, creating a 5-minute test in a game form will ensure that no candidate hesitates to try it. Additionally, using Xobin allows you to assess the personality, psych, and behavioral competency of applicants to create a better test. Thus, if you fear that good candidates might not participate in your pre-employment test, make your test short and interesting.

Myth 8. Test Will Increase your Legal Costs

Reality – A poorly structured interview phase could potentially result in a lawsuit against you. Careful design of the test, taking into account all state and federal employment rules, is essential. If you incorporate any objectionable or hazardous psychological or cognitive tests into your recruitment process, you should be ready to face a lawsuit, which could pose a significant threat to your financial resources. 

Therefore, if your test is hurting someone’s sentiments or challenging the psychology of a community, then you should refrain from conducting such a test. In many situations, consent decrees mandate that organizations replace more subjective hiring processes with more structured solutions, often involving testing. In short, ensure that your test complies with all local recruitment laws to make it non-objectionable. 

Myth 9. Tests Filter Out Good Candidates

Reality – Pre-employment test works like any other employment test and filters out candidates based on certain scores. But, if you haven’t set the right criteria to filter out candidates, you might eliminate some good candidates. Therefore, the myth about filtering out good candidates is partially correct because perfect implementation of a pre-hire assessment test ensures nothing ever goes wrong. 

For instance, sometimes companies assign junior staff to shortlist applicants’ resumes based on certain keywords. However, the junior staff may lack the competence to identify strong candidates due to their lack of experience and knowledge. Consequently, this can result in overlooking qualified candidates. Therefore, failing to thoroughly analyze candidates’ performance in the pre-test will hinder achieving the desired results from them. 

Myth 10. Some People Are Good at Taking Tests

Reality – This myth links personal intelligence and skill to an individual’s performance. There’s no doubt that some people are good at taking tests and they perform well under intense pressure. But, on the other hand, some highly intelligent individuals struggle to perform well under stress. Advocates of this idea propagate a myth against pre-employment tests. 

Now, everyone has different personal habits, but if companies make assessment tests interesting and informal, candidates will feel less nervous and can perform better in the test. And, as a result, the company won’t lose good candidates because they can’t function properly under intense pressure. 

Parting Thoughts

To grow in your field, you need the support of as many professionals as possible. Furthermore, statistics show that failing to invest in the experience of strong candidates results in a 70% decrease in the quality of new recruits. Therefore, you must carefully implement a pre-employment test in your hiring process after examining all relevant criteria. 

To hire qualified and skilled employees for your company without any problem, focus on clarifying all the myths related to pre-employment testing. Just concentrate on your candidates and your needs before creating a pre-assessment test.