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What is Pre-employment Testing?
Home » Human Resources » Pre-Employment Testing » What is Pre-employment Testing?Determining a job applicant’s ability to perform the job, personality style and how well it will fit with the position you’re hiring for, his or her work ethic, and such personal habits as drug use, is nearly impossible based solely on a resume and an interview or two. But that’s been the prevailing method of hiring employees for years upon years. Now, in order to increase their chances for finding a successful candidate, many companies are turning to pre-employment testing.
Pre-employment testing is the process by which companies test job applicants or serious candidates in one or more of a variety of subjects. Companies test applicants in order to determine their skill level, personality fit for the job, cognitive ability, behavioral characteristics, and more. Drug testing can also be a component of pre-employment testing.
The testing, which takes many different forms, takes place at various points in the job application, interview, and acceptance process. For example, one company might include a skills test or a cognitive thinking test as a standard part of the job application process. Some companies use screening tests online, before they even receive a job application or speak with a candidate. Another company might require drug testing, but only after weeding out applicants using other testing methods, and when they’re nearing a decision.
Legal, ethical, and practical issues do put restraints on some forms of pre-employment testing, and that issue will be covered below. On the whole, though, pre-screening applicants saves time, money, and reduces your risk of a bad hire—and increases your risk of finding the perfect person for the job.
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