Are There Any Job Applicants Like George Washington?
In today’s business climate, when the U.S. unemployment rate is at a 16-year high, many employers are flooded with job applicants. When looking to hire and find that ‘perfect match,’ employers obviously want to avoid learning too late that an employee has completely misrepresented his or her skills, qualifications, experiences or background. As mentioned in my last Insight, employers can find that some applicants may engage in self-serving misrepresentation because of the competitive nature of job-seeking situations. The applicant’s goal is to get the job; whereas the employer’s goal is different—to find the most qualified person for the job. During this process an employer should be aware of the potential for what the scientific testing community refers to as response distortion or misrepresentation. Here is how employers can set out to diminish the effects of assessment misrepresentation and how testing can validly be utilized in the workplace. Assessment questionnaires must be well
