Here are some scenarios where trying to throw a test or three into the hiring mix will hurt you:

  • Management hasn’t decided what they want the test to look like, or who they are looking for, *in detail* (hello, job analysis).  “We want a test” isn’t a good enough reason to spend a lot of time and money to put one in place.  (We all want things.)  What do the hiring managers want to accomplish?  Are their expectations based in reality? Press for specifics, figure out what test format will be accepted/effective…and be prepared to challenge some deep-seated preconceived notions.
  • The selection process isn’t the core problem.  For many hiring managers, it’s a lot easier to blame HR selection for poor performance in their area than it is to look in the mirror and blame their own poor selection decisions, organizational inertia, poor training, and/or poor management decisions.  Far too many managers seem to want the higher title and pay without all the ‘inconvenience’ of having to take responsibility for managing employees effectively.  Others want testing to improve retention, failing to address the fact that the job and culture in their area sucks so bad that the best people won’t stay for long no matter what hoops they have to jump through to get the job.  Make sure testing is actually a potential solution to the problem being faced by the department in question.
  • There are relatively few job candidates, and making a hiring mistake is a low-stakes proposition. Test development and validation is often both time-consuming and expensive. If the test is going to be administered extremely rarely, the test will not make the applicant pool more manageable, and/or the consequences of a failed hire will not place the company’s viability at risk, it probably isn’t worth the effort.  However, you still might want to develop a structured interview.
  • Hiring managers expect to be able to bypass the vetted selection process in situations where they are not contractually obligated to do so.  Nobody should be forced to develop and maintain assessments under such perilous circumstances: it’s a lawsuit waiting to happen, and whoever is in charge of the testing program will get dragged into it.  Even if the manager swears up and down that the rejected candidate is the Messiah, there should be no exceptions unless some kind of labor contract forces exceptions.
  • You don’t have the staff/resources to properly administer the test after it is developed.  Can you store all the tests/data securely?  Are there resources to score each test?  Will there be processes in place to evaluate the test’s fairness and effectiveness on a regular basis?  Too many organizations treat test development like the Showtime Rotisserie – they “just set it and forget it.”  If you’ve ever seen a Showtime Rotisserie in person, you’ll notice each newly-unboxed model comes with a sticker saying something like “Don’t take ‘Set it and forget it” literally!” Don’t put a test in place unless you are willing to invest in the staff, tools, or consultants to maintain it.
  • The hiring managers don’t care enough about test fairness or adverse impact to support attempts to address these issues effectively.  Developing tests in an environment where these issues are downplayed and ignored is like coating yourself in honey and walking into an occupied bear’s den.  If you’re the one they go to for the test, they will still blame you when their lack of concern blows up in the company’s face in the form of lawsuits.
  • When you just plain don’t need a test to figure out whether a candidate has certain basic skills. If your employees have trouble reading manuals, do you need a test to screen out more people -- or do you really just need manuals written at a lower reading level?  Maybe you could actually pay attention to the candidate’s ability to fill out your application, or force them to do it in person as part of the evaluation process.  Does your employee need to do basic math problems – or do they need to be able to learn to use a cash register?  Make sure you put the exact critical KSAs you are looking for in BOTH the position description and the job description.  If you will be evaluating candidates on their physical presentation (as many airlines do), say so in the job posting.  Trying to kill a mosquito with a machine gun usually causes more pain in the long run.