Pre-Employment Tests for Chief Executives

Chief Executives

Hiring a chief executive may be one of the most important decisions a company can make. Responsible for enacting the general vision of the company, enforcing corporate policy, and coordinating with the higher levels of the company's administration, chief executives are often the public face behind a brand. As such, much care must be taken in selecting a chief executive.

There is no gold standard for hiring chief executives. Companies range widely in size and purpose. There are, however, some checkpoints to hit. Chief executives should have a deep understanding of their industry and proven success in their field. Their personality must also blend easily with the company's culture. Personality and aptitude tests can therefore come in very handy when considering chief executive candidates. We offer tests that analyze an individual's abilities and personality strengths.

Many companies decide to promote an individual to chief executive. This is a perfectly viable option and eliminates many potential problems. Someone from within the company will already be acclimated to the culture and responsibilities of the job. There are still important considerations, however, dealing mainly with ability. Since aptitude tests such as the Cognitive Aptitude Test (CAT) measure capabilities crucial for chief executives — problem-solving, critical thinking, the ability to digest and apply new information, and verbal skills — they are extremely good predictors of performance for higher level managers.

 

Top 5 Skills and Abilities to Look For in Chief Executives

·         Complex Problem Solving

·         Judgment and Decision Making

·         Oral Expression

·         Oral Comprehension

·         Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates

 

Top 3 Tasks for Chief Executives

·    Direct or coordinate an organization's financial or budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, or increase efficiency

·     Confer with board members, organization officials, or staff members to discuss issues, coordinate activities, or resolve problems.

·     Analyze operations to evaluate performance of a company or its staff in meeting objectives or to determine areas of potential cost reduction, program improvement, or policy change.


Pre-Employment Tests for Recruiters

For many companies, recruiters are crucial for attracting talented employees, filling open positions, and growing the organization's overall workforce. On the front lines of the "talent wars", Recruiters are responsible for staying abreast of industry trends, reaching out to potential employees, and maintaining connections with hiring managers. Recruiters need a great deal of industry acumen and networking skills to consistently produce results. Many have a strong background in sales. They must be able to create strong relationships with a web of contacts and 'close' deals between potential employees and the company.

Because they are so closely tied to their particular industries, personnel recruiters need to be familiar with the organization's needs and job requirements within the firm. This is especially important when hiring for advanced scientific or technological fields. They also need to be persuasive without being overbearing, persistent without being unpractical, selective without being unrealistic. As personnel recruiters are responsible for hiring new talent, hiring the recruiters themselves should be an important process for any company needing to stay ahead in the talent wars.

Applicants will often produce statistics and references highlighting their accomplishments. Perhaps even more illuminating are their score reports from assessment tests. Tools that recruiters use to screen applicants can also be used to screen the recruiters themselves. Clients using our pre-employment tests to help select recruiters generally use an aptitude test such as the Cognitive Aptitude Test (CAT) — which measures critical thinking and problem-solving ability — as well as personality tests such as the Employee Personality Profile (EPP) or Sales Achievement Predictor (SalesAP), where the profile of successful recruiters often looks much like the that of those who succeed in sales.


Top 5 Skills and Abilities to Look For in Recruiters

·         Oral Expression

·         Oral Comprehension

·         Active Listening

·         Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates

·         Getting Information


Top 3 Tasks for Recruiters

·    Prepare or maintain employment records related to events such as hiring, termination, leaves, transfers, or promotions, using human resources management system software.

·  Interpret and explain human resources policies, procedures, laws, standards, or regulations.

·         Hire employees and process hiring-related paperwork.


Pre-Employment Tests for Financial / Business Analysts 

Financial analysts are responsible for examining markets, understanding company financials, and spearheading investment decisions. Most financial analysts work in banks, mutual funds, insurance companies, securities firms, or other financial institutions. Others are employed at large corporations and focus on corporate finance decisions. A strong background in accounting, finance, and financial statement analysis is crucial. Most analysts also have at least a bachelor's degree, with more and more individuals pursuing advanced degrees and certificates. Analysts tend to specialize in an economic sector or have industry expertise. Hiring managers should explore this aspect when considering applicants.

Financial analysts must be analytical, be able to work under pressure and against deadlines. Above all, financial analysts must be able to make the right decisions for their clients. Hiring managers using pre-employment assessment tools should be on the lookout for problem-solving abilities, critical thinking, logic, and business acumen. Financial analysts have to be able to keep clients satisfied while making sound decisions. They need to also be able to explain these decisions and back them up with data.

Because of the emphasis on critical thinking and quantitative analysis, cognitive aptitude tests are especially well-suited to helping inform employee selection decisions regarding financial analysts. Employers who use our testing instruments generally favour the Cognitive Aptitude Test (CAT), a 15-minute test which measures problem-solving and critical thinking and contains specific suggested score ranges for analysts. The CAT is often paired with the Employee Personality Profile (EPP), a personality test with a job fit benchmark designed specifically for analysts.

 

Top 5 Skills and Abilities to Look For in Analysts (Financial)

·         Analysing Data or Information

·         Critical Thinking

·         Reading Comprehension

·         Getting Information

·         Written Comprehension

 

Top 3 Tasks for Analysts (Financial)

·         Draw charts and graphs, using computer spreadsheets, to illustrate technical reports.

·   Inform investment decisions by analysing financial information to forecast business, industry, or economic conditions.

·   Monitor developments in the fields of industrial technology, business, finance, and economic theory.


Employment Tests for Energy Companies



Energy companies use our assessment solutions to help ensure they hire qualified, productive workers with the skills needed to succeed in the energy industry. Oil service companies, for example, use our assessment solutions to screen prospective field service engineers, rig hands, and supervisors. For rig hands, geotechnical specialists and field service engineers, many companies use the Wiesen Test of Mechanical Aptitude (WTMA) and the Basic Skills Test (BST) as well as personality tests. Companies in other sectors of the energy industry often use tests like the CAT when hiring Project Managers, and the WTMA when hiring installers or field engineers.


Employment Testing for IT Services Firms

Technology providers use our employment tests to screen for a wide variety of positons, including IT personnel, managerial personnel, and sales and customer service staff. Technology firms typically place a premium on hiring individuals who are good critical thinkers and quick learners in order to ensure their talent are able to evolve as technology does. The Cognitive Aptitude Test (CAT), which measures problem-solving, logic, and learning ability is a popular test with the IT industry. For sales and customer service staff, technology companies use personality tests such as the SalesAP and Customer Service Aptitude Profile.

Pre-Employment Testing for Fast Moving Consumer Goods

FMCG companies use our employment tests to help reduce turnover and increase their hiring success rates. Whether hiring store managers, business development associates, or sales associates, your business can benefit from using our tests. Applicants who score well on the Basic Skills Test (BST) are more likely to make it through training, and less likely to leave once they do. FMCG companies also use our personality tests — specifically the CSAP and SalesAP — to screen sales associates to determine who has the right mix of customer service and sales-oriented traits for their needs. To help control shrinkage and employee theft, some employers also use the Workplace Productivity Profile (WPP), an integrity test designed to select reliable, trustworthy employees who will be at lower risk for counterproductive work behaviours, including theft.