Have you joined the ongoing debate amongst the HR industry about the effectiveness of using pre-employment assessments? These tests have been around for about 50 years, and are sometimes utilized for screening in the interview process. Specific forms of pre-employment tests include cognitive ability, skills assessments, and (rarely) personality tests. 

Keep in mind that these tests are not perfect, and sometimes there are exceptions that affect the outcome of the test. Below, we’ve mapped out a couple of pros and cons for you, should you consider using pre-employment assessments in your interview process.

The general consensus among HR and recruiting leaders is that diagnostic or pre-employment tests are arguably inconsistent, as they may unfairly influence the outcome of the screening/interview process if used alone. Weigh the pros and cons and do your research on selecting diagnostics backed by data. Make sure that your tests are legal, specific to the job, and scientifically validated. The assessment should always be used in conjunction with the interview and never the end all, be all. 

What’s more, consider the kind of candidate experience that you are creating when you include a pre-employment test. Since the recruiting process can include anywhere from 2-10 interviews, possibly decrease the number of interviews so you are being respectful of the candidate’s time.

Every organization is going to have a different candidate interview process that works best for their organization. Align your interviews according to your culture, mission, and values. When hiring, the most important thing is to assess the individual as a whole, not only based on diagnostics.