A strong smile and well-rehearsed answers to common interview queries use to be enough to win the interview war. Today, however, many savvy companies use personality tests to dig a bit deeper. These tests, with their commonly complex questions, are not easy to game, making it difficult to provide the answers you think the hiring committee wants and leaving you with no option but to provide true, revealing answers to interview questions.
By using personality tests as a part of the hiring process, business leaders often reap an assortment of benefits. First, these tests provide a non-biased metric for employers to consider when choosing a candidate, which can be particularly helpful when they're choosing between the final several candidates at the end of the hiring process. Additionally, many tests designed specifically for use in hiring provide clear indicators of the candidate's likely suitability for the particular job for which he is interviewing. This allows employers to select the best people for each distinctive position and thereby increases the overall stability of the company as a whole. Finally, these tests, unlike affable interviewers, are exceptionally difficult to trick. Interviewees are aware of this, making them less likely to provide false information during interviews.
These personality tests are specifically designed to prevent candidates from providing the answers they know companies want to hear. For example, some tests of this type contain the following statement: "True or False: I like parties." A candidate trying to present herself in the best light could easily overthink this question. While answering "True" would make you appear to be a social creature who plays well with others, providing this answer may also make you seem like someone who is always looking for excitement. Answering "False," however, could make you seem unsociable, which employers might also consider undesirable.
Test designers state that another key factor in assuring accurate results is that no one question provides a full picture of the candidate's personality. It is only the combination of all of the answers that truly yields reliable information about who the person is and what type of personality she brings to the job. By relying upon the interplay of questions as the determining factor, designers make it all but impossible for a test taker to weigh the ramifications of each answer and choose the answer that seems most favorable instead of answering truthfully.
While personality testing provides obvious benefits, few companies rely solely on these digital mind-readers. Most hiring committees use these tests as a tool during the process and still follow more traditional hiring practices. If you're a job seeker, don't worry if you don't perform well on a personality test. You still have an opportunity to shine during a traditional interview.
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