Scrutiny of U.S. job applicants has been increasing over the past couple decades because of the extreme expense associated with bad hires.
In addition to various psychological evaluations, workplace psychological simulation assessments are fairly common today. About 46% of executives endure some sort of pre-employment simulation, according to research firm Aberdeen: http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2010/0524/capital-psychology-technology-simulations-extreme-hiring.html?boxes=Homepagelighttop
“…A two-day-long assessment for a chief executive can cost an organization $25,000 per candidate. ‘That’s considered a bargain,’ says Amy Lewis of the Human Capital Institute, a nonprofit think tank in Washington, D.C., ‘especially when you consider the financial impact of a bad hire.’ She says 40% of external hires fail within two years. A bad corner-office hire can cost ten times the hire’s base salary, what with recruiting, relocation and training expenses, the time it takes to acclimate and implement strategic directives and the subsequent cost to undo that work and begin the hiring process anew. Those estimates don’t include morale loss and the risk a departing executive may poach talented employees…”
Although I believe psychological, intelligence, critical thinking, and other self-tests such as Myers-Briggs (https://scottpetullo.com/2010/02/effectiveness-of-myers-briggs-personality-assessment-questioned/) can be a valuable part of a pre-employment evaluation program, everybody knows you’re on your best behavior while taking self-tests, and nobody gets a clear-cut view of skills, talents, and potential problem areas exclusively from self-tests, even if they are “psychologist approved.”
“…(from the first article linked above) If the candidate doesn’t outwit the test, it will expose his or her propensity for (negative personality traits)…”
In other words, if the candidate manages to maintain his or her composure during psychological simulations, and figures out how to game the psychological self-tests, they avoid exposing their character flaws, therefore keeping the administrators and hiring managers in the dark about their real personality.
I believe extensive workplace psychological simulation is a valuable hiring tool, yet I strongly recommend the use of a range of evaluations, including handwriting analysis, in conjunction with other psychological testing methods to determine a person’s fit for the demands of any job.
Handwriting analysis (especially in conjunction with comprehensive astrology and numerology) is so valuable because it assesses subconscious character, the actual personality, aside from the one presented and, or witnessed when an individual is at their best (e.g., when they know they are being watched/studied). It goes beyond evaluating an applicant just for the related job skills, can’t be manipulated, and exposes genuine character.
Copyright © 2010 Scott Petullo