Mass employee testing kicked off in the 1980s. In the beginning it was experimental and many current employees were tested. The findings were surprising. There were social workers and clerks that scored very high on aptitude tests which led employers to believe that there was a lot of untapped talent out there. If only they had known!
The Value of Employee Testing
While testing current employees is a bit unusual, testing job applicants is definitely not. According to a study done by the American Management Association in 2001, 41% of respondent firms tested applicants for basic literacy and/or math skills. The survey they used defined basic skills as ‘the ability to read and follow directions, write reports, and do arithmetic at a level adequate to the position.' Testing used to be more common in jobs involving customer service (like sales) or high stress environments (like an air traffic controller), but it has now spread across all job fields.
Skill assessment is an increasingly valuable tool. It helps to screen for the best employment candidates, make better hiring decisions, customize training classes for skill gaps and help to guide careers through development.
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By Lisa Sharp
