To check out the assessment process, I took a Profiles International test designed to assess suitability for a financial manager's job. Even though much of my career centered on sales, I thought my MBA in finance and years of teaching accounting and finance would show I was a good fit for the position. My fourteen-page report showed that while I could be a financial manager, my personality was geared to sales and marketing management. But don't get the idea that test results have become the sole factor in the selection process. Far from it.
Tests are just one tool to help ensure an informed hiring decision is made.
Interviews and background checks remain essential parts of the hiring process. Employers are told to use the test results to confirm what they've learned about the applicants during their interviews and reference check. And with good reason. A large part of the hiring process deals with how an individual fits with the organization's personality. Tests can't measure a candidate's ability to get along with a specific boss or group of co-workers, much less embrace an organizational culture.