Pre-Hire Selection

The hiring process varies from company to company and industry to industry, however in every instance the applicants must go through a screening process to determine which candidates are best suited for a position.

One of the best ways to screen applicants is to administer a test, but you must determine what the goal is in testing. For some jobs a basic skills test would be appropriate and others a technical test that measures knowledge and skills in a specific area is needed (the various types of tests are discussed in the next section, Types of Tests). Are you hiring an entry level production employee who will receive job training? Are you hiring an employee who is expected to have job related knowledge and skills prior to employment?

After you determine what is considered to be a minimally qualified applicant, you will be able to determine what type of test is best. Does the employee need to be able to read Standard Operation Procedures? Administer a reading test. Is the ability to count and do simple arithmetic important to job performance? Administer an arithmetic test. Must a candidate have successfully completed an electrical apprenticeship or technical school program? Administer a test measuring electrical knowledge and skills. More about various skill levels is discussed in the section Skills Levels.

Placement/Selection

Many companies use testing as a method of evaluating their existing employees. An example of this would be when a company posts a job opening for employees wishing to move from a production job into a maintenance position. The best test for this instance would test the skills needed to be successful in the new position. This may be an aptitude test if the employee will be trained once in the new position; or may be a technical test of knowledge and skills if the employee is expected to have specified skills when entering the new job. As with tests used for pre-employment, the bottom line question is, "What does the person need to know upon entry into the new position?", the answer to this question will determine what test is needed.

Benchmarking, Training, and Development

Many companies include job training as part of the employee development process. The best method of evaluating the effectiveness of this process is to administer a knowledge and skills test to employees prior to training. This provides a "benchmark" score that indicates the initial level of competency. After on-the-job training, a test is given once again to determine how much the employee has learned. Often, an employee's test scores can also be ranked against a national database of test scores for comparison. Additionally, after time and repeated test/retest situations the quality of the training program can also be evaluated.

Pay-for-Skills

When employers wish to reward employees based upon performance or job knowledge, rather than seniority or time on the job, a pay-for-skills system may be implemented using tests. Employers should establish a method to guide employees from one level to the next, usually by implementing a training program. The training may be computer delivered, classroom, laboratory, or on-the-job. After training is administered, employees are tested to determine whether or not the next level of competency has been achieved.