The Benefits and Challenges of Using Behavioral Assessment in Hiring
I have a friend who worked in the insurance industry for many years. She was up for a promotion and was asked to take a behavior analysis test. This was over 20 years ago. Several weeks later, she found out she did not get the promotion. During a conversation with Human Resources, she was told she flunked the test. Of course, all her friends got a big kick out of that. But as someone in the HR world, I wondered how that was possible.
In researching the test, I found it was designed to be taken by a 30–40-year-old man, which she was neither. While behavior assessment tests have evolved since then, there remains some inherent bias to the results and findings.
In our office, we’ve been talking a lot about the benefits and challenges of assessments used in the hiring process. We agree that the notion of being able to see management style and potential reactions to situations can be a benefit when choosing between seemingly equal candidates. However, are the pros worth the cons the tests can provide? Here are some pros and cons to consider if you use a behavior assessment in your hiring process:
PRO: they provide objective data to evaluate candidates you interview, a great tool for executive and/or other leadership level searches.
CON: to get the most out of the results of a personality test, a deep dive needs to be taken into each position you are hiring for, and with each team member already working for you. Evaluating the results into useable data can be expensive and time consuming.
TalentSource PRO TIP: We suggest if you use a behavioral assessment in the hiring process, use it as a tool to learn more about your candidate, and to construct talking points for the next interview.
PRO: assessments can be a good tool in predicting candidates that are likely to succeed.
CON: these tests do not consider things like corporate culture, product, economy, language barriers, and the candidates emotional state or health issues when taking the test; all things that can factor into the results. Potential for success should not be determined by test outcomes, but rather by past job success.
TalentSource PRO TIP: If you are having a problem with team dynamics within the organization, using a personality assessment may be a good idea to help shift the cohesiveness of the group.
PRO: the key selling point of behavioral assessments, is they evaluate all candidates on the same criteria, offering an even playing field. These assessments should be used as only one tool in the recruiting process.
CON: these tests are biased by nature. It is important to use this type of assessment in addition to other traditional methods to make a fair evaluation.
TalentSource PRO TIP: Remember, some candidates will answer the questions on tests based on what they think you want to hear, not how they really feel.
PRO: behavior tests can show the management and/or leadership style of a candidate and offer a glimpse into potential areas for improvement.
CON: some candidates may not have a positive feeling about being asked to take a behavior assessment and may feel it is an invasion of privacy.
TalentSource PRO TIP: Make sure your candidates know the pros and cons of the test you administer, and that they will have an opportunity to talk through the results with you. These kinds of test can open a potential for litigation with claims of discrimination since the tests tend to produce negative results for those with mental and emotional disorders.
So, should you use a behavior assessment in the hiring process? We at TalentSource believe this tool should not be used exclusively in hiring decisions, however for organizations who use assessments to enhance team dynamics it may be a good tool. Your recruiting partner and HR consultant at TalentSource can help you determine if a behavior assessment is a good addition to your recruiting process.
Take more of the guesswork out of the hiring process by working with the recruiting pros at TalentSource. Our Smart Recruiting system has measurable success we’d love to share with you. Contact us at 574.968.8676 or contact@TalentSourceStaffing.com to schedule a discovery call.