5 basic tests you need to take while recruiting your employees:

Some of the more commonly used types of tests are:-

(i) Performance Tests:

The simplest and perhaps most obvious type of testing procedure is the performance test in which the applicant is asked to demonstrate his ability to do the job. The performance tests have limitations and cannot be developed for each and every job.

ADVERTISEMENTS:

(ii) Intelligence Tests:

Many companies use general intelligence tests under the assumption that quick-learning, alert, bright people can learn more quickly any job in comparison to those who are less well endowed. However, developing of accurate and reliable intelligence tests need- professional expertise.

As the preparation of such tests is very expensive and cumbersome, most of the organisations use short paper-and pencil tests which give a rough approximation of the Intelligence Quotient (1Q) of the applicant. The intelligence tests have their limitations because there is no general agreement amongst the psychologists about the concept of ‘intelligence’ itself.

(iii) Aptitude Tests:

ADVERTISEMENTS:

An aptitude test measures the potential ability of a candidate to learn a new job. Psyhologists have developed a large number of much more specialised aptitude tests, such as clerical, mechanical, spatial relationship and manual dexterity, abilities and ski which seek to predict the likelihood that an applicant can learn a certain job effectively. Aptitude tests do not measure motivation and therefore are supplemented by interest and personality tests.

(iv) Personality Tests:

This test seeks to assess an individual’s motivation, adjustment to the stresses of everyday life, capacity for inter-personal relations and self-image. These are expressed in terms of the relative significance of such traits within the person as self confidence, ambition, decisiveness, optimism, patience, fear and distrust. The most popular personality tests are also of pencil-and-paper variety.

In management jobs, the personality tests are valued very much because the most important component of many managerial jobs is the ability to deal effectively with people.

ADVERTISEMENTS:

Some observers differ on the personality tests too. Some claim that these tests give a well-rounded picture of the applicant’s personality whereas a few argue that they are superficial, easily faked and misleading.

(v) Situational Tests:

The aspects of both performance and personality testing are combined in situational tests to observe how job applicants react to stressful but realistic real-life situation. This technique is applied in ‘leaderless group situations.

Several candidates for managerial positions are presented with a problem that requires group collaboration. Observers not which men are able to exercise and gain acceptance of their leadership skills.

ADVERTISEMENTS:

It is not difficult to develop selection tests that will give numerical data concerning some of the characteristics of job applicants. However, management must assess the relative usefulness of this information, particularly in relation to its cost and in comparison to lither selection methods.