A Quick Guide to Human Resource Testing (repost)

Those who are put in charge of recruiting and selecting new staff face a decision-making process that needs to be responsible in its implementation and produce a positive outcome. The cost of a wrong selection decision has been estimated to be anywhere between one and a half times and five times the salary of the job in question. Think of the advertising costs, time spent reading through and short-listing applications, interviewing, testing, sourcing referees and notifying unsuccessful candidates, for a start. Then the successful applicant commences but is not working at full capacity for a number of months, with existing staff taking time out to help train the new recruit. After all that effort, what if the person selected turns out to be unsuitable for the position? The recruitment process starts all over again.
Therefore, getting the right candidate in the first place is well worth the effort!
It is important to investigate the most efficient and effective ways of conducting a selection process to maximise the chances of a positive outcome. Testing is an important part of this process. Studies have shown that the chances of making a good decision in recruiting or selecting staff are enhanced when structured interviews are combined with objective comments from referees as well as appropriately chosen assessment tools.