How To Pass a Pre-Employment Assessment [ Definition ]

There are companies who do not follow the recruitment process, without them knowing that following it step by step is actually beneficial to them and to their businesses. Or maybe they just have their own way of recruiting their own applicants. Either way, companies should at least practice or implement pre-employment assessments.

The pre-employment assessment is conducted to make sure that the time allocated for the recruitment process of the company is not wasted. But for others, this assessment is a waste of time since it cuts into their precious time and effort. But they are unaware that they tend to waste more time when they immediately hire employees without letting them to undergo a performance appraisal or training/s.

And yet, they get the position that they are not worthy or not even qualified for while there are lots of people who are more qualified, but are not given the chance to get the job that they deserve. And when these untrained employees end up violating the company’s policies, the company will have to recruit again. This scenario is why they tend to waste more time and effort. There are possible reasons why this happens, and here are some that are commonly known:

• The company is requires new employees urgently, which makes them forget about the training or assessments.

• The company does not have, or they lack time in order to conduct such assessment for their employees. Or they just do not give importance to their recruitment processes.

• The company is in need of additional people to work for a specific period of time in accomplishing the company project/s. This makes them consider hiring part timers in the mean time in order to be more effective.

• The company owners lack communication with each other, decision-making and/or critical thinking skills, resources or deliverables and are lack the knowledge to handle their own business.

• The company is desperate to have a great number of workers or employees to get a job done as soon as possible, and win the competition between other businesses.

• The company just want to be considered as the largest recruitment company.

These are just few of the common reasons why companies does not implement pre-employment assessments. Usually, companies like this are not for the quality, instead, they rather go for productivity.

What Is a Pre-Employment Assessment?

A pre-employment assessment is traditionally done by each and every company in order to make sure that their recruitment process will not go to waste, and is worth their time and effort. This assessment is conducted during the job application process of an employee. This is usually done by having a series of interviews to get to know the employee or applicant better, in terms of his or her personality traits and behavior in socializing with others and in responding to the different kinds of situations.

If, and only if, the applicant passes the pre-employment assessment, he or she is permitted to move or carry on to the next part of the application process which is the performance appraisal. A performance appraisal is conducted to measure the individual’s capacity in which his or her physical capabilities are tested and evaluated.

This is to make sure that he or she has the ability to do the required job and possess the required skills and qualities in order to obtain the position that he or she desires. This is to make sure that he or she is competent enough in accomplishing whatever he or she is obliged to do.

How To Pass a Pre-Employment Assessment

A pre-employment assessment, also known as an employee pre-appraisal is composed of different kinds of tests. These tests are actually the basic ones since this is just the getting to know you even more stage. And when you pass this stage, or this part of the company’s recruitment process, you will be moving on the real thing. Basically, here are the three kinds or types of tests that you will be encountering during your pre-employment assessment. These are as follows:

• Personality Test: This test, from the word itself, is a test regarding your personality and traits. This is a way to better understand how you act and react in response to the different kinds of situations.

• Behavioral Test: This test refers to your behavior when there are certain circumstances that are encountered. By conducting this test, your sociability with your co-employees are also measured.

• Aptitude Test: With this test, your ability to make decisions on your own are being evaluated, as well as the way you think critically, and how you use your skills in problem solving.

This is usually done by conducting an interview or two in order to better understand you in terms of your way of thinking and/or doing things on your own. This is also to test if you are keen enough to follow instructions and you are capable of catching up when you are behind.

Here are few simple tips in order to pass your pre-employment or training assessment:

• Be confident during interviews when you answer each question. In this way, employers will see that you have a positive strong personality.

• Be honest with your answers in order to not disappoint your employers when you get accepted or hired.

• Do not blame others if you have failed in a task, remember that your behavior is also being tested and documented in your performance review.

• Make yourself presentable at all times, impressions are also important. However, there are times when impressions are misinterpreted. You still have to show them that you are worthy of the position you applied for.

• Never claim an accomplished job or task as yours, thus making you plagiarize our other teammates’ work.

• Work with the team and do not just do everything on your own. It is better that you give others the chance to prove themselves that they are also worthy for the position that they have applied for. And make sure that you know how to handle the team, especially when you have team building activities. Note that employers are also testing or observing who among the employees have leadership skills.

• Always think of the positive side whenever you feel like giving up, and think of the reasons why you started and applied for the job.

• If there seems to be a problem with the interviews, whether these contain offensive questions. In this situation, you could write an interview feedback for the employers to be informed.

• Believe in yourself that you can and you will pass the assessment no matter how troubled your mind is.

• Do not force yourself, instead, be honest to your employers if you cannot answer or cannot perform such required task due to some complications (if there are any, such as health problems).

• Make sure that you answer correctly and you do the right thing by following the instructions given or provided to you.

• Even if you have good comments or remarks from your employer, do not just be contented with it. Instead, strive to be better.

• Do not take the assessment for granted since this might be your last chance in proving that you are worth enough to be a part of something great. And there might be other people who are dying to have the position that you are applying for.

• Accept your flaws and listen carefully or pay attention to what the employers are saying to you. In this way, they will able to know that you really are interested and are willing to be corrected when you commit a mistake.

• Be prepared at all times and understand why such task is required. Or at least ask your employers when you do not understand a thing or you have some concerns.

• Be open to your  employers, give them your feedback regarding the assessment by filling out an employee feedback form.

• Make sure that the job is really what you chose for and remember that you are not taking the assessment for fun. This also is important for the employers and you should be thankful that they have allotted much time for your training even if this somehow affects their operations.

To sum it up, pre-employment assessments are to test if the employees are trainable and responsible enough to get whatever work is/are required for them to accomplish. Of course, employers would not want to hire weak employees who are irresponsible and cannot accomplish even the simplest things.

Hiring these kinds of employees will definitely result in the downfall of the company’s business. That is also the reason why companies should implement a pre-employment assessment in order to ensure not just the productivity, but also the quality of the business.

It is definitely unfortunate for employers who hire employees only for a short period of time, whereas employers who take care and hire the best candidate for employment are most likely to succeed with their long-term goals. Because who knows, these sketchy employees might have had a criminal record or more where they committed different kinds of crimes.

Remember that even if you did not pass the assessment, at least you tried your very best in the fairest way you know.