ASSESSMENTS AND THE WORKPLACE

Over the past several months, we have had a chance to work with individuals taking assessments in getting ready to take a job.

What are assessments and how do they affect you getting a job?

Several companies, especially the larger companies, are now requiring their applicants to take a company assessment to determine whether the candidate will be a good match for the jobs they are offering. This is simply done because they want to see if you, as an applicant, will be the right person for their position and for their company as well.

Assessments can test anything from your skills and qualifications to your personality. Employers want to ensure that you will be able to perform on the job and it lets them know a lot about you, not just as an employee but as a person. Most assessments are conducted online and as we have discovered over the past several months, many people do not know how to take an assessment. It freaks them out or it makes them uneasy.

There is nothing to worry about. Many times, the company doesn’t look at the assessment as a pass or fail. It merely bases it on how they feel you should answer the questions. In our experience, applicants have proven to stay too neutral. Examples of the questions taken from About.com Job Searching are as follows:

What best describes your experiences providing feedback to others at work?

• You do not have experience
• You have provided feedback to co-workers
• You have provided feedback to people working for you
• You have given feedback to direct reports about their performance
• You have set standards to achieve optimal format

Select matching terms for: ____ is to water as eat is to ____.

• dog – cat
• foot – hand
• woman – office
• drink – food
• ocean – mountain

It is best to analyze all the facts before making a decision.

• Strongly Disagree
• Disagree
• Neutral
• Agree
• Strongly Agree

In most assessments, having a strong opinion gives the best opportunity to pass.

Also, try not to worry about the assessment too much. In most instances, you will be given a second and maybe even a third chance to re-take it after a certain waiting period. Check out the company’s website to see if the company you are applying to uses assessments and instructions on how to take the assessment.