A company’s employees are its most important asset. Hiring and retaining top talent is now more vital than ever. That is why our Multi-Level Screening Process includes pre-employment testing as a key component.
The Result Is:
- Employees who are a natural fit for the position
- Reduced turnover & increased productivity
- Less time & money spent on hiring/training
Why Does Pre-Employment Testing Work?
When properly implemented, a pre-employment testing program can lead to higher productivity because test results can be accurate predictors of future job performance. Aptitude and assessment tests are among the most accurate means of predicting performance because they are an objective means of determining the extent to which a candidate has the capacity to perform well at a given job. Research has shown that cognitive aptitude tests, for example, are much more accurate predictors of job performance than other widely used employee selection techniques.
Measuring Critical Thinking
One reason that aptitude tests are such accurate predictors of job performance is that the qualities these tests measure-problem solving, the ability to learn and apply new information, critical thinking, and reasoning-are abilities that are important to a wide variety of jobs. Aptitude tests will be most highly predictive of performance for those jobs which call for higher levels of problem-solving and critical thinking abilities. Candidates with higher cognitive aptitude scores also tend to have a shorter learning curve and show an increased adaptability to new employment environments. This makes it easier for them to learn the skills necessary to be successful at their new job.
Supporting Studies
- Cognitive aptitude test score has been found to be the best predictor of both training performance and job performance across multiple job types. In nearly every job studied, general cognitive ability and conscientiousness were correlated with job performance (Hough & Oswald, 2000; Schmidt & Hunter, 1998, 2004; Viswesvaran & Ones, 2002)
- A study by Ree, Earles, and Teachout (1994) found that general cognitive ability and specific ability both predicted job performance, with specific ability only being slightly more predictive over general cognitive ability.
- Gatewood & Field (2001) found that ability tests show the strongest validity for complex jobs which require large amounts of information processing.
- Based on decades of research by Schmidt and Hunter, general cognitive ability affecting job performance is explained by the acquisition and utilization of information required to do one’s job. People who score higher on general cognitive ability are able to learn quicker and more efficiently, and are more effective at using what they have learned.
- A study by Murphy (1989) has proposed that this relationship means that cognitive ability plays an even larger role in complex jobs, when a person first begins the new job, and when changes in the workplace require workers to adapt to new ways of performing their jobs.