Solid work history and good educational background aren’t enough to get your foot in the door at Home Depot. A computerized personality assessment foiled Alex Frankel’s attempt to secure an orange-apron job. Frankel, a freelance journalist and author of “Punching In,” spent two years applying for and working at large retail companies such as Best Buy, Whole Foods and Gap.
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He was rebuffed by most companies that used computerized personality assessments to prescreen candidates. In an interview with The Globe and Mail, Frankel told how he finally cornered a manager at Home Depot to find out what the holdup was. Apparently Frankel was failing the behavioral component of the test, which prevented his resume from being forwarded to the manager.
Like many candidates, Frankel tried to beat the system. His attempts to provide “correct” answers set off warning bells and kept him from being considered for the job. Frankel admitted the test outsmarted him and actually proved its mettle as a valuable assessment tool.
Assessments prove their worth
Personality tests have become standard fare for many large employers, particularly retailers. A survey showed 40 percent of Fortune 100 companies perform some type of psychological testing on candidates. Another survey by the American Management Association showed 44 percent of its responding members test applicants.
Smaller companies are also getting into the game. These businesses are increasingly outsourcing human resource functions, gaining access to screening services like personality assessments. Other small businesses are buying software packages, bringing the tests in house.
Jean Seawright, president of Seawright & Associates, a management consulting firm in Winter Park, Fla., said the right type of personality assessment can be a valuable tool for employers.
“A good profile can help identify an individual’s natural tendencies which, in turn, can help demonstrate what roles they are best suited for,” she said. “An effective profile can save you years of getting to know someone and learning how to understand the individual.”
In the past, Seawright said, employers were skeptical about personality assessments. Previous work experience was once considered the sacred cow of hiring, she said. Today, many employers realize the importance of hiring for attitude and training for skill.
Privacy concerns and legal liabilities also kept many businesses from using personality assessments. Some of the early profile programs asked personal or non job-related questions, opening the door for problems.
Measuring up
Recent improvements have made personality assessments less of a headache and more of an asset. But they still need to be approached with caution.
“Personality assessment tools have come a long way,” Seawright said. “However, before using any profile, we recommend that an employer have it evaluated by an HR consultant or other qualified professional to ensure it’s nondiscriminatory and appropriate for use in an employment setting.”
Seawright offered some additional advice for effectively using profiles:
Realize it’s only one piece of the hiring puzzle. There are many traits that a personality profile cannot measure, such as experience, maturity, judgment, cultural tendencies, intellect and sense of humor.
Similar scores don’t equate to similar candidates. Two people might get similar results from an assessment, but that doesn’t mean they’ll act alike. How their traits are manifested will differ depending on culture, experiences, personal beliefs and other factors.
“A good personality profile will not provide a complete picture of the individual, although it will define the template personality from which the traits emanate,” Seawright said.
Personality assessments should never be the sole determining factor in an employment decision. The profiles should be one of many hiring tools. A legally compliant application form, background and reference checks, drug screen and in-depth interview should all be a part of the hiring process.
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For more: Seawright & Associates, (407) 645-2433; www.seawright.com.
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