By Steven Dahl *
Experience – and research – tells us the best performing employees not only have the required training, skills, and attitude for the job, but are also quick thinkers, effective decision makers, capable problem solvers and fast learners.
Unfortunately, when looking to hire more ‘star performers’, experience and research also tell us the traditional resume review, interview and reference check are notoriously poor at measuring candidates’ ‘thinking’ or ‘cognitive’ abilities.
Testing the cognitive ability of candidates has generally been the domain of big businesses when hiring for high salaried positions. Until recently, cognitive ability tests were paper based, and the process of administering and interpreting them was time consuming and costly.
Now, thanks to web enabled technologies, Australian company Onetest has made sophisticated cognitive ability testing quick, accessible and affordable for even the smallest local Council.
The Onetest cognitive ability test is completed online in only 20 minutes.
While testing can be conducted in a supervised central location, candidates may complete Onetest from anywhere in the world with a suitable Internet connection.
The technology behind Onetest means the candidate’s score and a detailed report can be provided within 20 minutes. Tests can also be administered more regularly and at a fraction of the cost of existing tests.
Importantly, the Onetest report also compares the candidate with other applicants for the job, those employed in the same industry, a general management comparison group, and the broader population.
Going one step further, Onetest can create a benchmark score for a Council or department by testing a group of existing employees.
By selecting candidates scoring around or better than the current benchmark, the employer not only recruits candidates more likely to perform at higher levels, but also ensures the continuous improvement of ability levels in the organisation.
While the resume review, interview and reference check will doubtless be commonplace for many years, the public and private sectors are increasingly seeing the value of online cognitive ability testing where it counts – on their bottom line.
* Steven Dahl is Managing Director of Onetest Pty Ltd, an Australian company that provides online employment screening and assessment services nationwide. Contact Onetest on 1300 137 937 or www.onetest.com.au.
