Sometimes a great name can actually be a bit of a hindrance! Let me explain. When we started in business in 1986, job candidates filled out paper and pencil tests and we manually prepared written evaluations. In those days we were known as Acuity Psychometrics, a name that tended to be a little scary to some. Fast forward to 2001, taking our business online and registering a great domain name, hence SalesTestOnline.com. I’m obviously biased, but given the nature of our business I think our domain name is awesome because it says exactly what we do, but there’s a problem; our name conceals the fact that we do a great deal of testing for management roles and other non-sales positions. The focus of this article is about the testing we do to identify potential in candidates for these other roles.
Our system can be used to test candidates for any position. This becomes abundantly clear to clients just as soon as their account is set up and have access to the system at our client web site. Here is where they view applicant test results, but along with various other actions they can also add in other jobs for which they would like to evaluate candidates. While it is true that most clients start by testing for sales, eventually they almost all begin testing for various non-sales roles as well. As with any hiring situation, it is difficult to get an accurate read on the candidate due to the role-playing that typically occurs during interviews. Our evaluations put you back in control by giving you a clear and accurate picture of the ‘real’ person and their suitability and job fit.
It is important to understand that, just as we do for sales, we measure underlying temperament and motivational style rather than learned skills, training and experience.
Here you can view a sample of our non-sales report format. As you can see the format is consistent with and structured in the same way as our sales reports. And of course, just like the sales test reports our non-sales report format is thorough but blunt and to the point. After reading the results, you will have a clear understanding of strengths and weaknesses and of most importance whether the candidate has high potential, or not. Our evaluations make it easier to arrive at the right hiring decisions.
Typical Areas Measured
- Decision-making style
- Communication Style
- Attention to Detail and Organization
- Analytical Ability
- Turnover Propensity
- Teamwork
- Deadline Orientation
- Multi-tasking
- Need for Direction
- Response to policies and rules
- Response to Incentives
- Sense of Urgency
When testing a management candidate you’ll have a complete picture of how they will operate if hired, for example, style of communication with subordinates, decision-making style, organizational abilities and attention to detail. In addition, how he or she deals with deadlines and whether he or she can multi-task. For other roles you’ll get insight into whether the person is a team player, their likelihood of job turnover and response to policies and rules. And of course in all cases we will identify red flags and other areas of concern that you can delve into in your reference checking and in subsequent interviews.
As mentioned above, our assessments measure the candidate’s underlying temperament and motivational style and therefore are to be used as an adjunct to your other vetting tools. These would typically identify educational qualifications, training, experience and professional credentials, where applicable. A manager’s effectiveness has more to do with his or her underlying temperament and motivational style than his or her credentials and education. One’s motivational style determines how the learned skills are applied in practice. It is critical to understand this area to make the best and most profitable decisions.
I do hope you have found this article useful. As always I would be more than pleased to speak with you to learn about your hiring challenges. I promise to be very forthright in my comments and am very pleased to share what I can.