Insights / Safety & Compliance
4 Types of Pre-Employment Assessment Tests
This article outlines key risks employers should weigh before using personal, psychology-based pre-employment assessment tests in hiring.
Personal assessment questions can feel invasive and lead candidates to answer dishonestly to appear favorable. Results that imply a mental disorder or that vary by gender and race can trigger EEOC scrutiny if they're used to disqualify candidates, creating legal risk for employers who rely on them.
Overview
Because of the personal nature of the questions, these assessments may be offensive to the candidate.
There’s a high risk of a person answering dishonestly to win favor.
If the results infer a mental disorder that disqualifies a person, it can lead to EEOC violations.
Factually, test results differ significantly by gender and race, and results that eliminate a candidate can be subject to scrutiny under the EEOC.
Answers to questions may be untruthful, and due to the personal nature of these questions, they can also seem offensive
Frequently asked
What is a major risk of using personal pre-employment assessments?
Because the questions are personal in nature, candidates may find them offensive, and this discomfort can also increase the likelihood of dishonest answers meant to win favor with the employer.
Can these assessments create legal problems for employers?
Yes. If test results suggest a mental disorder and are used to disqualify a candidate, or if results differ by gender or race and lead to elimination, the outcome can be scrutinized under EEOC regulations.
Why might candidates not answer these tests honestly?
The personal and sometimes offensive nature of the questions creates pressure to respond in a way that seems favorable rather than truthful, undermining the reliability of the results.
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