Job Candidates Hate Assessments… Right?

Assessing candidates before hiring them is becoming increasingly popular practice and isn’t forecasted to slow down any time soon. If you think you’re doing candidates a favor by not having them partake in pre-employment assessments, think again.

There’s an assumption that job seekers don’t like pre-employment assessments, which prevents some employers from using them in their selection process. However, it’s just that – an assumption. In one study, 71% of candidates didn’t object to pre-hire assessments, 25% had a neutral attitude towards them, and only 4% said they object to hiring assessments. This is consistent with STM’s experience administering assessments to over 15,000 individuals in 30+ years in business. On average, we only have two or three individuals balk at taking the assessments each year, and seldom is it because they flat out refuse to do so.

The most common reasons why people don’t like pre-employment assessments in general are because they’re too long, they don’t understand its purpose, and/or they felt it wasn’t relevant to the job they’re applying for.

The solution is simple: Make sure candidates understand why they’re taking the assessment.

At STM, our assessments are designed to ensure the person you’re considering to hire is a good fit for the position and your company. They don’t only benefit the employer. They work both ways: the employer only benefits when they have high performing employees who enjoy their jobs and fit the culture in which they work. Assessments also increase objectivity and reduce human bias in the selection process, improving the candidate experience.

At the end of the day, if you come across a candidate who doesn’t want to participate in a pre-employment assessment, it’s a RED FLAG. If they won’t do this one simple task they “don’t agree with” before they’re even hired, what makes you think they’ll do what’s asked of them when they are on your team? As we like to say, you just got yourself a free assessment!