Why are organizations regaining an interest in employment testing?
Human Resource Executive Magazine reported that, “Executives cited a variety of reasons for increasing their use of pre-employment and personnel assessment tests, including the introduction of the Americans with Disabilities Act, business expansion, and the need to select quality candidates.”9 One reason for the recent resurgence in testing is that studies of the various personnel selection tools have consistently found that tests are the most valid predictors of job performance. As shown in the chart below, one of the broadest studies reported the comparative validities of a variety of predictors for entry level jobs. This study demonstrated that personnel assessment testing is far more effective than traditional selection techniques. Predictor Validity Ability Composite (Personnel Assessment Test) .53 Job Tryout .44 Biographical Inventory .37 Reference Check .26 Experience .18 Interview .14 Training & Experience Ratings .13 Academic Achievement .11 Education .10 Interest .10 Age .01
