Personality tests improve candidate experience, according to survey

In a competitive job market, companies are focusing more than ever on providing a positive candidate experience to make their brands more attractive. Companies must be prepared to pull out all the stops to attract the best talent. To strengthen their competitiveness, companies are increasingly focusing on the candidate experience and how job seekers perceive a company throughout the hiring process. To help companies develop a better candidate experience, surveyed Hogan Assessments - personality testing and leadership development provider - over 2,000 current and recent job seekers worldwide to get an idea of what they think companies should do to make a positive impression. According to the survey, nearly 41% of respondents believe the hiring process has a pervasive impact on their perception of the hiring company.

Personality tests give a pioneering feeling

According to Hogan, the hiring process shapes how candidates view a company. In fact, only 6.5% of survey participants said the hiring process had no influence on their perception of a company. Furthermore, 42% of respondents view the hiring interview as the preferred method of evaluation, while personality tests are rated as the most agreeable assessment process. Thus, personality assessments and cognitive tests are likely to offer companies the best chance to make a positive impression. Nearly 60% of respondents described personality tests as cutting-edge and professional, 58% said they find them creative, and 53% consider them scientific and serious. Consequently, candidates who take a personality test also consider their candidate experience to be cutting-edge, professional, creative, scientific, and reputable. 

Applicants are not deterred by personality tests

For any job opening, it is important to understand the purpose of an assessment. According to Hogan's survey, 32% of candidates would prefer to participate in an assessment after their application has been reviewed by the hiring company. On the other hand, most respondents would like to complete assessments before being invited for an interview, regardless of job level.

It is important that candidates are not deterred by lengthy assessments. Almost 60% of job seekers would also apply for a job if it required an assessment. In addition, an important aspect of the candidate experience is the time required to complete such an assessment process. Hogan's key personality tests take about 15 minutes each, providing greater efficiency in the candidate experience and application process.

The fairness of personality testing improves the overall candidate experience

More and more companies are using pre-employment assessments to select the best applicants. During the hiring process, candidates place a premium on fairness. To ensure fair hiring practices, all applicants must be screened for relevant job-related skills and competencies. The same survey found that a fair application process is most important to 73% of respondents. This focus on fairness also explains why they prefer personality tests to other hiring methods: Thanks to the Prediction reliability of personality tests ensures a fair and objective hiring process. In contrast, a slow response to applications results in a negative experience for 26% of respondents. Another 26% of participants reported having a negative perception of companies that do not handle offers and rejections with sensitivity.

Traditional assessment methods are preferred

Gamification has been one of the fastest growing trends in the assessment industry in recent years. According to Hogan's survey, traditional assessment methods are preferred over game-based assessments, with 60% of respondents not placing a premium on making the application process fun. Candidates prefer fairness in the hiring process, and nearly two-thirds of respondents believe traditional assessments are fairer than game-based assessments. Similarly, 60% of respondents believe traditional assessments better reflect their qualities as a candidate than game-based assessments.

Ryne Sherman, Chief Science Officer at Hogan Assessments, comments: "Candidate experience has become increasingly important to hiring companies and is a critical factor in attracting top talent. Companies that already use personality tests for candidate selection can be confident that they are doing the right thing, because candidates see benefits to both sides. Meanwhile, companies that haven't yet looked into personality tests for hiring purposes should definitely consider them in their next candidate experience review. That's because these tests can help companies ensure a fairer, more reliable and more enjoyable hiring process for candidates."

Source: Hogan

Other topics:

Personnel selection: Personality and motivation must also be right