Logic tasks during an interview. Conducting psychological tests when applying for a job

Any employer wants to see exceptionally reasonable, hardworking, responsible and prudent people on its staff. Successful completion of various types of tasks requires not only specific skills and abilities, but also special personal qualities. However, to learn such a volume of information about a candidate for a vacant position, you need to observe him for a long time. For these purposes, probationary periods are established for newcomers. And yet, despite the ability of an employer to say goodbye to an employee in a matter of months if he is disappointed, most managers want to create a stable staff with minimal turnover of workers. To carry out a competent and successful personnel policy, many bosses have in their arsenal such weapons as psychological ones. Let's consider what their essence is, what information they will help reveal about the candidate and in what forms they exist.

Wishes of managers

To begin with, let’s clarify the wishes of employers regarding the composition of their staff, namely, we will determine what qualities they use psychological techniques to establish when hiring. Firstly, this is, of course, the competence of the individual, his professional suitability for the vacancy. Despite the fact that in order to occupy certain positions, it is unconditional to have diplomas of appropriate education, employers want to know both the level of intelligence and the possibility of applying the obtained theoretical bases in activities.

Secondly, the correct personal characteristics of applicants are important. These include qualities such as hard work, accuracy, communication skills, stress resistance, dedication, rationalism, honesty and politeness. Thus, the employer, using various psychological ones, identifies both professional and personal qualities of his potential workers.

Main types of impact

In order to get to know a candidate for a vacancy better, many methods are used. Specially formed departments or centers in organizations deal with issues of competent personnel selection. The main techniques used by personnel workers are various questionnaires, tests offered to applicants, and interviews. It is necessary to consider each of them in detail.

A little about the survey

There are a number of questions that the candidate is asked to answer independently. As a rule, the questionnaire is a fixed list of questions about the main characteristics of the applicant. These include the date and place of birth of the potential worker, his education, address, contact phone numbers, marital status, and citizenship. Questionnaires are a lifesaver for HR departments due to the ease of use and completeness of the information received. However, the employer wants to ask candidates for vacancies not only the above questions.

Questionnaire questions about professional qualities

Information about the education received by the applicant, as well as other information related to the level of competence of the potential employee, is established first. If the candidate does not have the necessary knowledge, and in some cases, the relevant experience, then, despite his possibly outstanding social qualities, the employer will not be interested in working with such a person. To be able to assess an individual’s professional suitability for a vacant position, a number of questions are asked in the questionnaires.

Firstly, the employer is interested in learning about the education received by the applicant. The questions that are present in the questionnaires of almost all organizations concern the place, time and form of training, the name of the specialty, qualifications, the topic of the diploma, academic degrees and titles, additional education, and knowledge of foreign languages.

Secondly, it is important to determine the candidate’s experience. In order to obtain relevant information, the questionnaires indicate periods of work, positions held, responsibilities, salary levels, and reasons for leaving companies. The answers to this range of questions clarify for the employer how often and for what reason the person left previous jobs, and how the responsibilities assigned to him changed.

Thirdly, the employer is certainly interested in versatile and easily trained people, so questionnaires often include questions regarding the availability of not only specialized skills, but also other professional skills. These include, for example, the degree of proficiency in a PC and other office equipment, and the presence of a driver’s license.

Help of questionnaires in establishing psychological qualities

In order for the head of the company to form a complete and comprehensive opinion about a candidate for a vacancy, the questionnaires ask psychological questions when applying for a job. They relate, firstly, to the motivation and incentives that drive a person when joining a specific organization. What exactly influenced a person’s choice of a company: a good team or the prestige of the company, the level of remuneration, the opportunity for self-realization, acquiring new knowledge or career prospects, stability, proximity to the place of residence? What goals does the candidate set for himself for the coming years? All this information will certainly be appreciated by the employer.

Secondly, the psychological one contains a number of questions about the hobbies of applicants. At first glance, the employer’s desire to know how a person prefers to spend his free time seems strange. However, it is the answer to this question that clarifies the individual’s activity, his diversified development, thirst for life and ability to rest.

Thirdly, psychological techniques when applying for a job are designed to determine information about a person’s self-esteem. Nowadays, it is not uncommon to find in questionnaires requests to indicate your best and worst characteristics, your main personality traits. The answers to all these questions are subsequently necessarily assessed by the head of the enterprise.

Pros and cons of surveys

Questioning is the most common technique used by employers to get to know their potential employees. Its undoubted advantages are simplicity, the ability to indicate many diverse questions in the questionnaire, speed, ease of use, as well as the completeness of the information reflected in it. However, there are also serious drawbacks to this technique. Thus, when filling out a questionnaire, the easiest way for a candidate to deceive a potential employer is to indicate only positive information about his personality, which the employer wants to see. In addition, compiling a list of questions is a responsible matter. In order to obtain complete information about the applicant and avoid possible double interpretation of candidates' answers to the questions posed, companies have to involve a wide range of specialists in the preparation of questionnaires - lawyers, psychologists, sociologists.

Psychological tests when applying for a job

The person gives answers to the questions contained in the questionnaires consciously. This means that the reliability of the information received cannot be defined as unconditional, because there is always the opportunity to embellish the true state of affairs. Therefore, in order to obtain the actual characteristics of candidates, firms use psychological tests when hiring. A person performs their tasks unconsciously, which means the results obtained can be interpreted as corresponding to reality. In addition to psychological tests, tests can be used to determine the level of intelligence and evaluate a person’s professional qualities.

IQ test

Nowadays, it is very common to ask candidates for vacancies to complete tasks that will indicate the degree of development of logical and spatial thinking, the ability to memorize several facts at the same time, and the ability to compare and generalize certain knowledge. The most famous and well-written is the IQ test, which was compiled by Eysenck. The result of completing this type of task will give a more detailed answer about the candidate’s intelligence, in particular compared to a questionnaire where the subject describes himself independently.

Tests that reveal personality traits

It's not just the level of intelligence of a potential employee that employers want to know. Currently, psychological testing is also used when hiring. Representatives of the personnel service offer applicants to complete certain heterogeneous tasks in which there is no correct answer in the traditional sense. In this case, the subjects act unconsciously, so the percentage of deception is extremely low. Here are some examples of psychological tests when applying for a job.

The first one is determining your favorite color. A potential employee is asked to arrange 8 multi-colored cards in order from the most pleasant shade to the least liked. In order to pass the psychological test when applying for a job correctly and to please the head of the company, you need to know the essence of this experiment. Here the colors represent specific human needs. As a rule, red is activity, a thirst for action. The yellow card symbolizes determination and hope. Green color indicates needs for self-realization. Blue is liked by stable and often attached people. Gray color describes a state of fatigue and a desire for peace. The purple color of the card indicates a desire to escape reality. The color brown symbolizes the desire to feel protected. Finally, choosing a black card indicates that the applicant is depressed. Of course, the first 4 colors are the most favorable, and therefore they are in the beginning.

The second testing example is drawing. On a piece of paper, applicants are asked to draw a house (symbol of the need for security), a person (the degree of fixation on one’s personality) and a tree (characterizes a person’s vital energy). It should be remembered that the elements of the drawing must be proportional. Don’t forget about such elements of the composition as the path to the house (communication skills), the roots of the tree (spiritual connection with people, the team), and the fruits (practicality).

Advantages and Disadvantages of Testing

The advantages of this technique when determining the personal, as well as professional qualities of the applicant are surprise, interestingness, and the possibility of obtaining the right result. But not everything is so simple. It should be remembered that when taking these types of tests, the results can be affected by a person’s mood. In addition, everyone evaluates the elements of reality differently. For example, for one, black certainly indicates depression, and for another, it indicates superiority, sophistication and courage.

Psychological interview for employment

Direct communication between the head of the company and a potential employee is also an important step in assessing the personality of a candidate for a vacancy. During the conversation, you can ask clarifying questions, and also evaluate the interviewee’s speech skills, his self-control, self-confidence, and reaction. During the communication process, you can find out information about both the personal and professional characteristics of potential employees.

Interview: pros and cons

Of course, employers like this method of getting to know a candidate for a vacancy, because in this way they can evaluate not only the internal qualities of a person, but also his appearance. Unfortunately, there is a lot of subjectivity here, because managers often have stereotypical ideas about the ideal employee, and if the employer has not assessed the candidate’s appearance, then he will not want to find out about his internal qualities.

Impact beyond recruitment

Psychological techniques, in addition to the initial stage of communication with potential workers, are also used by employers in the process of joint labor activity. In addition, they are used not only by company managers, but also by other categories of workers in their professional activities. For example, there are various psychological techniques for working with children. A child is not always frank with his parents and teachers, so sometimes various tests or questionnaires are used to determine the reasons for his unethical behavior. Employers, in turn, also use psychological techniques to deal with violations of discipline. As evidenced by various factors, people and the productivity of their work activities are influenced to a greater extent by incentives and favorable relationships, but not by censure from their superiors.

Psychological testing- a psychology term denoting the procedure for establishing and measuring individual psychological differences. In Russian psychology the term “psychodiagnostic examination” is also used.

Psychological testing is used in various fields: career guidance, professional selection, psychological counseling, planning correctional work, research activities, etc.

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The rules for organizing and conducting psychological testing are described within the relevant field of psychology - psychological diagnostics. Psychological testing in organizations is regulated in the Russian Personnel Testing Standard.

This is largely due to the fact that testing does not allow for any psychological factor on the part of the employee, and each applicant has more opportunities to get the desired job, since absolutely the same conditions are created for them.

However, even though this method has many positive aspects, it cannot be called perfect.

But even one such test will allow the employer to see which candidate has the minimum knowledge required to perform the job. In addition, the test result will immediately give the necessary idea of ​​​​this applicant as a person, which is no less important for a boss who respects himself and his employees.

What constitutes psychological testing when applying for a job will be discussed in our article.

Main categories of employment tests

There are several types of tests used when hiring:

  1. Qualification tests. They help to find out whether he has any knowledge in the area in which he plans to perform his work functions.
  2. Intelligence tests. Such tests help to determine attentiveness and level of mental development.
    • Accounting knowledge test.
    • Computer skills test.
    • Literacy test.
  3. Psychological tests. Such tests allow you to find out the personality traits, as well as his psychological stability.

Main purposes of employee testing

It is carried out for the following reasons:

  1. Conducting an objective assessment of the candidate, in no way dependent on the bad mood and personal sympathy of the employer or special HR manager.
  2. Selecting the required candidate who best meets all the stated qualities.
  3. Selecting an employee who will be most comfortable working in an established team.
  4. Screening out employees with mental problems. This will avoid the long hassle associated with their dismissal.
  5. Screening out applicants who are clearly unsuitable for the job. This is especially true if there is a large competition for a similar vacancy.

The most important thing when conducting a test for an employer is that he understands exactly what the test of this test is.

Many large and well-known companies first of all want to determine, using this test, whether a particular candidate has any personal leadership qualities, as well as dedication and the desire to receive promotions.

However, sometimes the purpose of testing is completely different if the employer, first of all, will require an executive employee who will not claim any leadership positions.

Advantages and disadvantages

Like any other activity, testing also has a number of advantages and disadvantages:

  1. Advantages:
    • Possibility to compare answers with existing normative samples.
    • Objectivity of the final assessment.
    • The ability to quickly select the right candidate if there are too many applicants for a position.
  2. Flaws:
    • The complexity of carrying out the entire procedure for an HR employee.
    • Low quality of foreign tests, or rather, their translation and adaptation to the mentality of the Russian person.

Why do employers conduct pre-employment tests?

Testing a candidate for his suitability for a future position is quite important, but not the only source of information for the employer.

There is also a separate practice for selecting candidates based on the following parameters:

  1. Summary.
  2. Questioning.
  3. Preliminary interview.

Quite often, after passing the required testing, the candidate for the position will also have an interview. And those who fail the test are not allowed to do this.
According to statistics, testing accounts for thirty percent of all information an employer requires about a given candidate.


What indicators are revealed?

Most often, when conducting such testing, the employer is not at all interested in what specific personal qualities a given candidate has. He requires that he, first of all, correspond to a certain list of qualities inherent in the desired position.

By conducting it, the employer will be able to highlight the following professional aspects and skills::

  1. Leadership skills.
  2. Ability to competently manage the entire team.
  3. Ability to adapt to any changes and manage them.
  4. Human controllability.
  5. Ability to learn.
  6. Level of communication skills.
  7. Stress resistance.
  8. The ability to withstand any stressful situation.
  9. Ability to perform repetitive work.
  10. How does a person feel about constant control?
  11. Receptivity to information.
  12. Ability to quickly analyze all incoming information.
  13. Candidate creativity.
  14. Presence of any bad habits.

Key points when applying for a job for various professions

Any testing is carried out directly in front of the computer. Most often, such testing is the first step for a candidate who wants to get a vacant position.

However, the same test allows the employer to weed out all people who, according to the test results, will not be able to perform the duties assigned to them.

There are a number of professions for which the test is carried out on an individual basis, taking into account the specifics of the job functions performed:

  1. Accountant. First of all, during testing, attention is paid to how quickly and easily the candidate can operate with any numbers, as well as how much he knows reporting forms and the basics of accounting. For example, during testing, a candidate may be asked various questions, such as: what number will need to be multiplied by initially in order to obtain a result that is ten percent larger. In addition, questions on taxation and payroll are especially popular.
  2. An employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the FSB. Of course, such a test is not officially published anywhere, so you can only find out what exactly is stated in it from the candidate who took it. According to such stories, the testing test lasts the whole day. In this case, special attention is given to the following criteria:
    • Memory.
    • Savvy.
    • Intelligence.
    • Existing priorities in life.
    • Tendency to lie.
  3. Civil service employee. In addition, almost all candidates are also tested for knowledge of the basic skills that will be required to perform the assigned job functions.
  4. Programmer. Such tests are aimed primarily at checking the personal qualities of each candidate. At the same time, during testing, special attention is paid to the fact that a programmer must always find a way out of any situation, even the most non-standard one. That’s why the testing questions they most often have are some kind of humorous ones, when answering which the candidate shows his ingenuity and resourcefulness.
  5. Employee with knowledge of English. Quite often, the employer needs to check the level of knowledge of each candidate in English. There are all kinds of online tests that take quite a bit of time and are quite simple. If a candidate is applying for a high position, then a more in-depth, international test is required. Such testing is most often carried out on the basis of a higher educational institution and does not cost a penny.

Possibility of using the result during an interview

There are two main ways you can use your results in an interview:

  1. Degree of trust. You will need to seek help from psychologists to get a complete picture of your test results. The reliability of the test will be equated to a range from 20 to 70 percent - it all depends on the qualifications of the specialist involved in the interpretation. It is believed that the more tests each candidate has passed, the more reliable the final result will be. That is why, before an interview, each candidate is most often given a whole pack of testing variations.
  2. Personal assessment. Testing, of course, cannot become the main criterion for hiring. Each result must receive a personal assessment from the head of the organization himself, because only he alone knows what the current situation is in the team.

In addition, it is thanks to such a personal assessment that a kind of contact can be created between the future employee and the employer. After all, it is quite likely that the person who, according to the test results, became the most ideal candidate for this position will turn out to be such a specialist with whom it will be simply unpleasant to communicate not only for the manager himself, but also for all his subordinates.

Is testing legal when applying for a job?

Testing each candidate is a completely legal activity. If any of the applicants is categorically against passing this test, he may well refuse it.

But the chances of him getting the desired position will become almost zero. It is likely that the employer will not even want to talk to such a candidate during an interview.

However, refusal to test or poor results cannot be a reason for refusing a potential applicant.

The employer will have to come up with another reason for not hiring him.

Among the most popular:

  1. Insufficient level of professional skills.
  2. There is a more suitable candidate for this position.
  1. Need to act as calmly as possible, be focused and answer all questions sincerely, without hesitation or long pauses.
  2. If very little time is given to complete it, and the candidate realizes that he will not have time to answer all the questions put to him, he should skip questions that cause difficulties. Most often, the final test result depends on the number of tasks completed, and none of the HR employees expects the final result to be one hundred percent.
  3. Concentrate and be attentive. This will allow you to correctly understand the essence of the task and not make mistakes when performing it.
  4. If any question in the assignment is not clear, it is better to skip it rather than poke at it at random. You can put an extra box and describe yourself as completely insane with a large number of mental deviations.
  5. If possible, it is better to find out in advance what tests will be carried out.
  6. Before the actual testing, you should get a good night’s sleep and wear comfortable clothes so that nothing distracts you from completing the tasks.

These simple tips will allow you to count on getting the desired position. And if you still have any doubts, you can cheer yourself up with the fact that most employment tests are American.

Of course, the residents of this country themselves find it quite difficult to pass them when applying for a job, but in our country any schoolchild can easily cope with such tasks.

When hiring, many employers use special tests. We will define their types, purpose, and rules of conduct.

The dream of every employer is to see highly qualified, responsible and loyal personnel in their organization.

Therefore, when conducting interviews, various methods are used to evaluate candidates for a position.

The task is to find out not only the skills and abilities of the employee, but also to determine how good he will be at work. For this purpose testing is carried out.

Key Aspects

Everyone knows what tests are. But how many people have had to deal with them when finding a job? Let's find out when testing is carried out and what can be determined with its help.

What do you need to know?

Employment test - specially prepared tasks, situations and questions for them. HR managers analyze the test result and report it to the manager and heads of departments.

The result is also stored in the HR department. Testing is carried out to simplify the selection system. It is possible to give an objective assessment of a person’s basic professional skills and determine his personal qualities.

But you shouldn’t rely only on test data. The overall assessment is given after a personal meeting and interview.

But, as practice has shown, people who score the minimum in the test are unlikely to show their best side at the interview.

The information content of the test will be high if you understand what the purpose of it is. It is better to entrust the analysis of the test to a full-time psychologist.

This way you can make sure that the reliability of the result will be at least 50 percent (it all depends on what level the psychologist has).

It is believed that the results become more reliable if a person takes several tests. The test result is assessed by the supervisor.

He makes the final decision whether such an employee can become an integral part of the team.

Sometimes, during a personal conversation, management may notice qualities that do not allow a person to occupy a certain position.

Employment tests have a number of advantages and disadvantages. Pros:

If we are talking about a professional test, only a minimum score is established, having scored which a person is considered to have successfully passed the test.

With personal qualities, not everything is so simple, since the decision must be objective and balanced. Ideally, tests are developed for each enterprise, taking into account the requirements for specific positions.

For example, it can be used for a test for a personnel officer, an accountant, etc.

Test classification

The success of testing depends on the correct choice of the test itself. Testing can be carried out even at the time of the interview, and the candidate for the position will not even know about it.

For example, describe a hypothetical situation that happens to a third party, and offer to understand this topic.

The person will relax (since it was not about him, but about a third person) and mentally try the situation on himself, describe how he would act.

There are several types of tests:

Professional (qualification) test Allows you to determine the level of knowledge in a particular industry. Suitable for those people who perform mental work - for a secretary, lawyer, cashier, economist, etc. During testing, technical, psychological and motivational qualities are determined. An example of this type of test:
  • checking whether the person owns the basics of office work;
  • for an accountant - testing knowledge of accounting, the ability to carry out operations with accurate data, knowledge of types of reports, the presence of analytical thinking;
  • checking whether a person is familiar with a PC;
  • literacy test in the field of economics, jurisprudence
Intelligence test It is not related to a vacant position, but is aimed at identifying intellectual abilities. Pay attention to whether a person can think logically and is attentive
Psychological test Motivational and personal. Personal qualities are assessed, it is determined whether the candidate is stress-resistant, communicative, can remember large amounts of material, is creative, what kind of temperament and character does he have?
Interpersonal tests can be included in the same category (psychological tests). Aimed at determining how much a given person can be worked with. That is, this way you can identify how the relationship with the candidate might develop. That is, conflict is determined, human-to-human communication is determined. Example of psychological tests:
  • Rosenzweig frustration test;
  • Luscher color tests;
  • Markert tests;
  • test developed by Cattell;
  • Myers and Briggs type indicators, etc.
Geometric The candidate chooses a figure from those proposed. Each figure is interpreted in a certain way. The first chosen figure characterizes the person being tested. The latter is a person with whom it is difficult for a person to establish contact

Who needs to pass?

The employer pays attention to:

  • Do you have leadership qualities?
  • can a person control the situation;
  • whether the person can communicate;
  • is it stress-resistant?
  • whether the candidate for the position is able to perform routine work;
  • can work subordinated;
  • how promising the face is;
  • whether the person has mental abilities;
  • whether he strives for career growth;
  • Is it quick to learn?
  • how quickly he perceives information;
  • whether the person is drug or alcohol dependent;
  • whether it can analyze a large volume of data;
  • has creative thinking, etc. (total 50 criteria that can be assessed by the test).

That is, if all or some of the listed requirements are put forward for a position, then testing will help select a suitable candidate.

The test will exclude the influence of such factors as the sympathy of the commissions and the mood of the manager.

Legal regulation

The legislation does not prohibit testing of a potential employee.

But there is also an indication that employers cannot or will not hire him based solely on the test results.

Usually another reason is voiced, for example, lack of experience or failure to meet the requirements for the position.

There are no rules in the Labor Code about this method of evaluating employees, such as testing. This means that if a candidate refuses to take the test, no one can force him.

That is, testing is carried out voluntarily. Refusal to solve test tasks reduces the chances of finding a job, but it is almost impossible to prove this. After all, the employer may find other grounds for refusing to hire.

Nuances when passing tests during a job interview

It’s worth finding out what kind of tasks the tasks will be What qualities will the company’s specialists test, what is the meaning of the tasks, what time is given to complete the tasks
Solve similar problems at home For example, you can use a collection of Eysenck tests (IQ), where there are ready-made answers. To train your memory and attention, use simple exercises. Update half-forgotten concepts (if you need to show knowledge of a subject). Repeat the rules
In some cases, employers post training tests On your website
You also have the right to ask for a practice test Even before testing
You must be provided with conditions Which will be favorable for testing
When training, try to complete tasks as quickly as possible. Since during testing you will be given a minimum of time
Get enough sleep before testing To have maximum speed and be attentive
You can request that your test results not be disclosed
Test duration No more than a few hours. If you have been assigned to carry out instructions from your manager for several days as a test, this is a temporary job, and perhaps they are trying to deceive you

How to take the test:

  1. If something is not clear to you, ask a clarifying question.
  2. There's no need to rush. Answer confidently and accurately.
  3. Don't linger too long on one question. If you are in doubt about how to answer it correctly, skip it, and if you have time, come back to it.
  4. Read the instructions. It is not correct to assume that you are already familiar with this.
  5. Watch the position of your arms and legs when performing tasks.
  6. You should not be afraid of the lie scale when testing. Don't try to appear correct. Just be honest.
  7. Don't overdo it. Sometimes being overly professional can prevent you from getting the position you want.
  8. Check your answers.
  9. Re-read the question 2 times. Sometimes questions have a catch that you may not immediately notice.
  10. Start by solving those tasks that seemed simpler to you.
  11. If you finish answering early, recheck yourself (do not take the test early).

There are also some recommendations for employers:

  1. When conducting testing, it is worth explaining to the candidate its purpose.
  2. Read the instructions or hand over a printed copy of the assignments.
  3. Use tests that contain no less and no more than 20-25 tasks.
  4. State that you have 1 minute to complete one task, and after the time runs out, the test will be stopped.
  5. If you see that a person is not clear about a task, provide an example of such a task.
  6. Answer all the candidate's questions.
  7. It is your right (but not your obligation) to inform the potential employee about the result.

Employers often use the following tests, which are common in Russia and abroad:

Eysenck test Consists of 57 questions, the answers to which determine a person’s temperament
Eysenck IQ test There is a limited time to respond. There are 40 questions in total. The more correct answers, the higher the level of intelligence
Amthauer test Which is used in determining intellectual abilities. It is presented with more questions than the Eysenck test, but it also takes 3 times more time. The results of this test are more accurate
Leary test They determine conflict tolerance and the ability to establish relationships with employees. The applicant must compare the statements and determine how well they correspond
Max Luscher color test A table is offered that consists of 8 colors, in which the color is selected from most to least pleasant. Temperament is determined
Cattell test To determine the personal qualities of the applicant
Szondi test With its help, you can determine whether there are psychological deviations in the candidate’s character
Rorschach test It is popular among American psychiatrists because it allows one to identify the disorders of a serial criminal. When selecting personnel, it is used to identify any psychological deviation
Holland test It is used to determine how suitable a person is for a certain position. That is, a professional suitability check is carried out
Belbin test Which is aimed at determining the level of sociability of the applicant. You can find out whether a person is suitable for a management position, and also whether the person has leadership qualities
Bennett test Determines whether the candidate has a mathematical mind. Conducted to evaluate an employee in a technological profession
Thomas test Determine the candidate’s conflict tolerance and ability to join a new team
Schulte test You can determine whether a person is attentive and can concentrate on details for a long time

brain teaser

Logic tests are conducted to determine how smart a candidate is. With their help, you can reveal the behavior of an individual in unusual situations.

At first glance, the logical test seems absurd. For example, the task may indicate that the mountain is a snail, and the snail likes to smoke. This means that all mountains love to smoke.

A person’s task is to be attentive, build logical chains, explain them, without paying attention to either the mountains or the snails.

This way, the specialist will find out whether the candidate is capable of logical reasoning and innovative thinking. They pass logic tests when hiring and joining the new police force.

For attentiveness

Often, special care is required when performing work. To do this, use the following tasks:

  1. It is suggested to re-read the written words and identify typos.
  2. It is worth looking at 2 drawings and finding the differences, finding the hidden object.
  3. It is required to remember a certain number of depicted objects in a short period of time.
  4. Determine the sequence of actions, etc.

Such tests are carried out for drivers.

Verbal

Verbal testing is useful when testing a person who is applying for the position of teacher, translator, or secretary.

It is assessed how a person can work with text:

  • does he understand?
  • does it understand;
  • evaluates the information provided;
  • can a conclusion be drawn?

Candidates can get a job if they have perfect knowledge of their native language, can speak logically, competently, and have a wide vocabulary.

To complete the tasks of the verbal test, a person has more time than in other cases. The answers to such tests are letters and words. The test taker must choose the correct option or answer independently.

There are tasks of this type - a person reads an informational text and several statements. The task is to determine whether a statement is true or false.

Verbal testing allows you to find out whether the test taker speaks concisely and can defend his position.

Tasks used:

  • grammatical;
  • for spelling;
  • to complete a sentence;
  • understanding of the design

For stress resistance

Stress resistance is understood as personal qualities, in the presence of which one can endure intellectual, volitional, and emotional stress without harmful consequences for activity and well-being.

High levels of stress resistance indicate that a person is quite callous, and this also negatively affects the quality of life.

When passing the test, the employer will determine your readiness for work that involves stressful situations.

Math test (numerical)

Allows you to determine how much you can operate with digital values. Tasks that require:

  • fold;
  • subtract;
  • multiply;
  • divide;
  • make a number series.

Simple mathematical operations can take place and numerical data is used. The test may contain tasks where data is presented in the form of a table, chart, or graph.

The task is to understand the essence, find and interpret the necessary information, and make calculations. If you analyze a chart, pay attention to the information that is in the axes of the chart.

Such tests focus on developing the correct way to solve problems rather than on mental arithmetic ability.

24.7 * 4 = ?

  • 84.5;
  • 90.1;
  • 98,8.

The correct answer is c). It is easier to find the correct solution by rounding the numbers.

The use of mathematical tests is advisable when it is necessary to assess the ability for mathematical thinking and the ability to manipulate information.

Relevant when selecting financiers, administration specialists, bank employees, etc.

Intellectual (for quick wit)

Intelligence tests are aimed at determining IQ. The following types of tasks can be used:

  • spatial;
  • numerical;
  • verbal.

Most of the tests were created by Eysenck. With such testing, the employer will determine the level of education, logical thinking, ability to quickly react and make decisions.

There are also Amthauer tests, which are characterized by simplicity. The tasks consist in the fact that a person is given a verbal series in which he needs to find a word in accordance with the instructions.

The psychologist proposed to determine mental abilities according to 9 criteria. After passing the test, you can determine whether the applicant has a mathematical or humanitarian mindset.

You can also find out which of the 49 professions is more suitable for him. An employer can use not only logic tests, but also tests of a narrow focus. Then we are talking about professional tests.

If on a polygraph

Large enterprises use the Polygraph mobile hardware complex when hiring employees. This is a lie detector. Moreover, the law does not prohibit such verification of employees.

On the contrary, the Labor Code of Russia states that the employer has the right to receive information about the employee that will not raise doubts.

But the applicant may refuse to undergo such testing if he believes that his human dignity will be humiliated.

What is the essence of the audit? Questions of 3 directions are used - tuning type, correctional, factual.

If a person gives honest answers to the last 2, then the personality parameters are the same. They will transform if the person is lying. All this information is reflected by the device.

;

Many candidates ask the question: is it possible to refuse tests? Undoubtedly. But it’s worth considering that the chances of getting a position will decrease significantly.

Each company determines its own employee selection methods, and you do not have the right to set your own rules.

You may simply decide that the company did not meet some criteria. In this case, refuse the vacancy and look for another job.

In the work of an HR specialist when selecting personnel, the use of various tests is of great help. Tests help to objectively compare candidates with each other. Tests help to avoid subjectivity towards the applicant on the part of the recruiter. Tests help test those skills or knowledge that cannot be tested in any other way during an interview. The main requirement for tests is validity. There is no clear Russian translation into one word of this term, which is why the English one is used. It means the following: “this device actually measures what it is supposed to measure.”

It is important to warn novice HR's - let's turn to the quote from the book by A.A. Krymov. " ":
“In fact, the use of tests is only useful in combination with other, more familiar selection tools: biography analysis, interview, observation. But there is also a danger: after reading the interpretation of the test, you can get a “halo effect,” that is, you begin to look at the person through the test results. So it’s better to talk to the person first and then test: here the test is more likely to help confirm or refute your personal impressions.”

Today we have - attention tests. They can be used in the selection of secretaries, personal assistants, various kinds of clerks, the same personnel inspectors (in addition to checking professional knowledge) and other specialists whose responsibilities include working with documents and other data that require concentration.

The most commonly used is the Munsterberg technique. The technique is aimed at determining selectivity and concentration of attention. The test was developed by the German-American psychologist Hugo Munsterberg (1863-1916), a representative of practical psychology (psychotechnics), who taught at Harvard University.
Munsterberg studied the issues of enterprise management, vocational selection, career guidance, industrial training, adaptation of technology to the mental capabilities of a person, and other factors for increasing the productivity of workers and the income of entrepreneurs. Munsterberg received an international certificate for this test in 1934 in London, his technique is still very popular.

The test is good because it is easy to use, gives an almost instant result - it takes only a few minutes from giving a task to a candidate to receiving a result.

Munsterberg technique (selective attention)

The technique - Correction test ("Bourdon test") has a certain popularity.
The “Corrective Test” method for studying attention was created by B. Bourdon in 1895. In the experiment, the subject is presented with a page filled with some random characters. These can be numbers, letters, geometric shapes, miniature drawings. The task of the subject is to find a certain sign and somehow highlight it - underline, cross out, mark. Which sign and what needs to be done are specified in the instructions.

Bourdon test(test and instructions in Word format)

Another frequently used test is.
The study is carried out using special forms, on which there are 25 red and 24 black numbers. The subject must first find the black numbers in ascending order, then the red numbers in descending order.

Red-black table technique (switching attention)(test and instructions in Word format)


  • Bourdon test (DOC 58 Kb)
  • Münsterberg technique (RTF 57.101 Kb)
  • Red-black table technique (switching attention) (RTF 72.123 Kb)

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If you ask yourself which companies use tests when applying for jobs online, then you can safely list all the more or less large Western companies, as well as many domestic ones. Fortunately for young, smart, talented specialists, the largest corporations recruit local personnel for their branches in Russia and the CIS countries; in other words, Russians, Belarusians, Kazakhs, and Ukrainians have a chance to become part of the corporate world.

Among Russian companies, leading banks, fuel and energy companies, and other firms use testing when hiring online. Western-style selection allows you to select the best candidates, and if the employer needs smart and capable employees, and not a lot of incompetent relatives, then he uses online recruitment, which consists of several stages.

Selection process

It would be strange if companies did not take advantage of the World Wide Web, but some still conduct pre-employment testing in the office. There are fewer and fewer such companies, because special programs save a significant amount of time usually spent by HR employees on processing the data of each applicant, comparing results with “colleagues,” etc. When tests are carried out online, all the data is distributed by the program, which also analyzes and compares them, and everything is done in seconds.

First, the candidate submits an application, also remotely, it is reviewed by the “HR department”, and if successful, he sends a link to the page with the tests, where the deadline is indicated. The applicant can start whenever he wants, whether at night or during the day, it is up to him to decide when is the best time to take the most important tests.

For success, a certain number of examples must be solved, a certain minimum provided by the employer, but there is also a condition - the overall result of the group. If the majority of applicants pass successfully and their scores are high, then the minimum score will not be able to guarantee passage to the next stage.

After testing, there will be a series of interviews with hypothetical colleagues, possible managers, depending on what vacancy is open. It is also possible for candidates to participate in the assessment center, where applicants’ presentations and teamwork are assessed. You can receive a job offer only after a final interview with the manager, which reaches 2-3 applicants.

Testing online

Employment tests are standardized, everything is known about them, but the examples themselves are not distributed free of charge, there are only some samples, and they are much simpler than real tasks. There are three types of tasks, as well as an English language test, which is also done via the Internet. Sometimes a psychological test is used when applying for a job online, but you don’t need to prepare much for it, you just need to choose the answer you like.

Three types of tests are used:

  • logical (pictures);
  • numerical (mathematical);
  • verbal (text).

Numerical tests when applying for a job online involve simple arithmetic operations with data. It is important for the applicant to understand what the initial data is, this may be difficult at first. If the tasks are of a high level of complexity, you may need analytical skills, that is, before solving you will have to understand which numbers need to be correlated with which, so online mathematical tests for employment look simple on the surface, but in reality, even without preparation, they are more difficult.

Verbal tests consist of a short text and statements to it. The text describes a certain situation in science, medicine, industry, and the statements can be “false”, “true” or “uninformative”; it is the applicant who will have to choose one option.

Logical tests look very simple, but are very difficult to solve. They consist of a series of pictures where the figures change according to their own laws, and in a short time you need to understand this dependence, calculate how the missing figure should turn and choose an answer. The solution becomes more complicated when the picture combines objects “embedded” in each other.

Sberbank testing when applying for a job online, tests of other employers are quite complex, they are not publicly available, but you still need to train. If you try to take a job application test online without preparation, then most likely the attempt will end in failure. You are given a minute to solve the problem, and a hitch with one example can be worth the entire attempt.

Another problem is the unusual design of the tasks, which cannot be called overly complex, but without preparation, “strange” statements and cleverly changing figures unsettle many beginners. The best preparation is practice, but it is impossible to pass job tests online for free at the required level. You can find isolated examples for free, they are very simple, but for training it is better to use special online testing prepared by some training sites.

Applying for a job online is easier than the rather nerve-wracking test in the office, where there may be noise and interference from employees, but you should prepare well for the test so as not to lose your chance of getting a position in a top company. Thus, according to information from the employees themselves, only a few were able to pass Sberbank’s online test when applying for a job the first time without preparation; the rest were helped by the training process.