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Personality Tests: How to Choose the RIGHT Answers

August 26, 2009 by sparktalk 

Dear CAREEREALISM,

I’m applying for a position and I really want this job. The company requires applicants to complete a Kronos personality test. What can I do to make sure I give the right answers that will land me an interview for the job?

Following answer provided by CAREEREALISM-approved expert, Julie Erickson.

I did some research on Kronos Workforce (it absorbed Unicru) and found that the test is used to identify people whose reported personality traits match the characteristics identified by the employer as critical to the job.  I also found an answer key (that may be outdated now) through Google search. It does appear to assess personality traits and values, and I can see how the test would give an employer some idea of how one might make decisions, set priorities, operate in the work world, and fit into an existing culture.

Want to Get Hired? Go for the GREEN!

Satisfied employers (CVS is one) say that successful employees – meaning I suppose those who match the company’s culture, meet performance expectations, and stay for a long time – are those who get a “green” rating from the test.  People with “yellow” ratings are rarely interviewed and only if there is a staffing crunch.  People with “red” ratings are not interviewed because they are viewed as a poor match and unacceptable risk.

It makes sense for companies to use these tests, even if they are not perfect.  Companies spend a lot of time and money on recruiting and training staff, so they seek ways to ensure that those resources are invested wisely.

If You Don’t Get Picked, You Were Probably Better Off

I think that it makes sense for you to use whatever information you get from taking the tests and then getting or not getting interviews.  If you are honest with your answers and don’t get interviewed, it is possible that you would not have been happy in that job anyway.

I’m sure it’s possible to game the tests, to figure out what characteristics are most likely to be suitable for the job you want.  I wonder why you would want to do that.  I get it that you need a job and to make money.  However, you are very specific here about wanting this particular job.

The Secret to Getting the Answers Right…

Why do you want this position? What are the skills and attributes of the best people in this type of job?  Who do you admire, who is well-known in this field? What are their characteristics?  How do they behave? What choices do they make in any given situation?  Use your common sense to determine the attributes and characteristics of the best talent and the most valued employees.

Then be honest with yourself.  Do you have those qualities?  If so, then the test should reveal that.  If not, then maybe it’s time for you to consider another line of work. Or perhaps there are some ways you want to grow and change so you become a more attractive candidate.

Do I think the tests are infallible? Of course not.  Yet, I do think there are nuggets of information contained in them that you can use to your future advantage as you look for your “right fit” work.

Julie Erickson is writer and coach who delights in helping people transform their careers and do the work they love. Julie graduated from Smith College and has an MBA in Leadership from New York Institute of Technology.  She has received numerous awards, including the James Beard Foundation’s 2003 Humanitarian of the Year and Woman’s Day Magazine’s 2002 “Women Who Inspire Us.” She can be found at http://julieannerickson.blogspot.com.

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Comments

  • Rebekah
    I dislike these tests. I have 4 yrs very stable retail work experience. I pride myself as a very honest, dependable, polite employee with a strong work ethic. For each job I've had, I walked into the store, talked directly to a manager, filled out an application, and got hired. But when I've applied for a job that requires a personality test, I never even got an interview. The questions on the personality tests I've taken seem to be trying to find out whether I would be likely to steal, or sit around and chat on the job, ignore customers, or loose my temper in difficult situations. I do none of these things, and a call to any of my past employers and references would verify that. My personality test answers reflect this. I always answer very thoughtfully and as best as I can. So if I am not passing the personality test, who is? It's unfair to blame it unilaterally on the applicant and say that they are just not thinking hard enough about the answers to the questions or about the requirements of the job.

    I think there is something fishy with personality tests and that they are just a way for HR to put a score on what can't actually be scored. I think they may also work against people with higher reasoning skills who see more nuances and options than the multiple choice answers the test offers. I recommend that career experts go take a personality test or two themselves so they know what I'm talking about.
  • I totally get your point about these tests not measuring "higher reasoning skills." I've taken my share of this kind of test over time, and encountered situations with similar frustrations.

    When I was getting my MBA, I got poor grades on some purely quantitative assignments because I gave answers that reflected my values. Finally, I "cracked the code" meaning I realized I needed to simply regurgitate the specified formula and answer. The test was to see if I had mastered the specific skills. It was not to see if I had good judgment or great values or critical thinking skills. Those things come into play later, in a job - or in a job seeker's situation, an interview.

    As you imply, the point of these employment tests is to screen people out and reduce the volume of applicants to be interviewed. Because they are computer-rated, the tests do not and perhaps cannot assess anything beyond very simple answers to the questions. So my suggestion is to just keep it simple and not overthink when answering those questions.

    My question to you is: Do you really want to work for a company that uses these tests? It's a cookie-cutter approach and you don't seem like a cookie-cutter person. Thus, it doesn't sound like you'd be a good culture fit with that kind of company. Yes, it's unfortunate that an opportunity is closed off to you because of this screening mechanism. Yet is it really an opportunity you want? You'll be making choices about where to focus your energy anyway; this kind of "barrier to employment" reduces your choices, which you can see as a good thing. My comments are not intended to "blame" anyone, simply to suggest that there is plenty of useful information you can glean both from the tests and the fact that a company uses them.

    Fortunately, many companies don't use these tests, including the ones you've successfully approached. One article mentioned that Whole Foods stopped using the Kronos test because it did not measure the things important to Whole Foods, namely job-specific skills.
  • kyleflynn
    Many companies use personality tests to determine which applicants are the best fit for a job. But do those tests violate the Americans with Disabilities Act?

    They can, if they reveal enough information about candidates’ mental states.

    In one court case, three rejected job applicants sued after they failed a pre-employment personality test given by the employer.

    The company gave the tests to determine whether applicants had the right personality traits for the job.

    The problem: The test was similar to those used by psychologists to determine if patients suffer from mental disorders such as depression, hysteria and paranoia. For example, applicants were asked if they:
    » hear voices without knowing where they are coming from
    » have fits of laughing and crying that they cannot control, and
    » have a habit of counting things that are not important.

    Therefore, the applicants claimed, the test was a medical examination, and the company violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by giving applicants a medical exam before they were offered jobs.

    The company argued that the test wasn’t a medical exam because it wasn’t interpreted by a doctor.

    But the court disagreed. Since the test revealed symptoms of personality disorders, it was considered a medical examination under the ADA, and using it before jobs were offered was a violation of the law.

    Cite: Karraker v. Rent-a-Center, Inc.
  • kyleflynn
    Many companies use personality tests to determine which applicants are the best fit for a job. But do those tests violate the Americans with Disabilities Act?

    They can, if they reveal enough information about candidates’ mental states.

    In one court case, three rejected job applicants sued after they failed a pre-employment personality test given by the employer.

    The company gave the tests to determine whether applicants had the right personality traits for the job.

    The problem: The test was similar to those used by psychologists to determine if patients suffer from mental disorders such as depression, hysteria and paranoia. For example, applicants were asked if they:
    » hear voices without knowing where they are coming from
    » have fits of laughing and crying that they cannot control, and
    » have a habit of counting things that are not important.

    Therefore, the applicants claimed, the test was a medical examination, and the company violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by giving applicants a medical exam before they were offered jobs.

    The company argued that the test wasn’t a medical exam because it wasn’t interpreted by a doctor.

    But the court disagreed. Since the test revealed symptoms of personality disorders, it was considered a medical examination under the ADA, and using it before jobs were offered was a violation of the law.

    Cite: Karraker v. Rent-a-Center, Inc.
  • Some people just need jobs and are willing to work and do what they need. Their outside work personality is unrelated. These tests are BS and completely worthless. If they backed up test results. It was simple. The test takers were binded to answer honestly or told what they measure and how. The problem is no one answers 100% honest. The jobs are just advocating false answers. And hopefully someone lies just enough to score green. Interview + 90 day probation = the best way.
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