Testing

Using personality tests to screen applicants? Heed these warnings

03/29/2023

Bad hiring decisions can be among an employer’s most expensive mistakes. That’s one reason many hiring managers rely on personality tests to assess the qualities and aptitudes an applicant might bring to the job. These personality tests may also be helpful to managers who want to dig deeper and understand the strengths of their team members.

EEOC cracks down on pre-hire strength tests

12/22/2021

The EEOC is filing—and winning—lawsuits on behalf of female applicants who complained they lost out on jobs for which they were otherwise qualified because they failed a post-offer, pre-employment strength test.

Ensure post-offer tests are job-related and necessary

09/23/2021

Making a job offer is a de facto acknowledgement that you believe the applicant was qualified for the position. If you make the offer contingent on passing some sort of pre-employment test, make sure the test is job-related and consistent with business necessity. Otherwise, you are courting lawsuits that likely favor applicants who fail the test.

How to lose a good job applicant in just 10 days

03/09/2021

One-third of senior managers surveyed said their company is taking more time to hire in today’s coronavirus environment, despite having access to a deeper talent pool. We won’t say employers are stringing candidates along. Robert Half calls it “breadcrumbing.”

Court upholds EEOC rule on retention of employment-related testing records

08/09/2016

A federal court has ruled that the EEOC can require employers to retain employment records for its inspection and specifically demand that those records include a wide range of information about employment-related testing, test results and the impact of the results on protected classes.

Follow 3 rules of pre-hire medical tests: Timing, privacy, job descriptions

02/24/2016

If you perform pre-employment medical tests on applicants, take your cues from the following case to avoid running afoul of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Minnesota drug testing law doesn’t protect airline employee

10/28/2015

If it stands, a recent federal court decision could provide some clarity for Minnesota employers.

Target pays $2.8 million, agrees to drop hiring tests

10/28/2015

The Target retail chain has agreed to stop using three pre-employment assessments that the EEOC claimed were discriminatory.

Make sure testing is related to actual job duties

07/13/2015

Employers that use general tests to screen applicants run the risk of facing a disparate-impact discrimination lawsuit. If that happens, you will have to prove that the test measures qualities that relate to actual job duties.

Ensure physical tests are fair for women

06/29/2015

Some professions require applicants to prove a certain level of physical fitness. When employers demand passing a physical test as a qualification to be hired, they need to make sure that protected classes such as women don’t fail at rates that indicate the test has a disparate impact on otherwise qualified applicants.