What do you look for when you're hiring someone new at your company? Chances are you're looking for someone qualified to do the job and someone who will be an asset to the company. This means that the person should be proactive and do the things that need to be done. They should be someone who is genuinely concerned for the company and everyone who works there. This candidate should take a personal interest in the growth of the company.

Does Everyone Have the Proactive Personality Trait?

Not everyone has a proactive personality trait. Some people are content with just doing their work and going home. Other employees might not even manage to do that. How do you weed out people like this in the interview process?

Unfortunately, it's very easy for someone to pretend to be enthusiastic and proactive during an interview. An interview usually only lasts half an hour to an hour. So, most people adopt a bubbly tone and pretend to be more enthusiastic about the job than they really are.

Not Everyone Is Suited to Their Job/Field

Of course, you can't blame people for how they behave in interviews because everyone wants to put their best foot forward. But the fact is that not everyone is suited for every job they apply for. And there are some people who might not be suited for the field they're working in at all. It would benefit your company to have your potential employees take a cognitive and personality test. This can determine what exactly the candidate should be doing, and who exactly they should be working for.

What Can You Measure with a Standardized Test?

A standardized test will use specific questions to find out if the candidate has what it takes to be a good fit at your company. It can measure how a potential candidate might perform at your company, or how they might interact with the employees that already work there. It can be used to measure how the candidate might handle and work under pressure, and if they are capable of meeting deadlines. It will give you a general idea as to whether this candidate would be a great hire or not.

How Can the Testing Process Help Employers?

• What are their strong cognitive skills?
• Where are they lacking when it comes to cognition?
• What type of personality do they have?
• Are they more creative or more logical?
• Do they enjoy coming up with solutions to problems?
• Are they perfectionists?
• Do they enjoy interacting with other people?
• Do they enjoy collaborating or working alone?

As you can see, all of the questions listed above are useful for you, as an employer, to know even if the employee is not aware of them. Knowing how the candidate responds to questions like "what are their strong cognitive skills?" will help you decide whether or not they will be successful in the position you are looking to fill. The answers to these questions can also help you decide if there could be another position in your organization they could be better suited for. 

If you have any questions or need more information on standardized tests,  contact us. And check out our blog for more great tips on hiring quality talent for your organization.

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NEXTAFF helps companies Hire Quality Employees.  By offering a complete range of temporary staffing agency services, we help your company – no matter where you are in your business evolution – raise productivity through hiring better quality employees. We are able to service all your staffing agency needs with local staffing offices in Sacramento-CA, Sonoma County-CA, Des Moines-IA, Raleigh-NC, Overland Park-KS, Topeka-KS, Detroit-MI, Kansas City-MO, Gulf Coast-MS, Phoenix-AZ, Miami-FL, Harrisburg-PA, and Jackson-TN.