Survey Reveals How Personality Tests Improve Candidate Experience

Article by Hogan Assesments

In a competitive job market, companies are focusing more than ever on creating a positive candidate experience to make their brands more attractive. Businesses must be prepared to pull out all the stops to attract the best and brightest talent. To be more competitive, companies are starting to focus more on the candidate experience and the way a job seeker perceives an organization throughout the entire hiring process. To help companies build a better candidate experience, Hogan Assessments – the global leader in workplace personality assessment and leadership development – surveyed over 2,000 current and recent job seekers around the world to get their perspective on what companies should (or shouldn’t) do to leave a positive impression. This survey revealed that almost 41% of respondents find that the hiring process has an extreme effect on how they perceive companies seeking to hire.

Personality tests give the candidate experience a cutting-edge feel

According to Hogan, the hiring process shapes candidates’ view of a company. In fact, only 6.5% of survey respondents said the hiring process does not affect their view of a company. 42% of candidates surveyed said that interviews are their preferred method of being evaluated and that the most enjoyable method of assessments are personality tests. This indicates that personality assessments and cognitive tests are a company’s best shot at creating a positive impact. Nearly 60% of candidates describe personality tests as state-of-the-art and professional, 58% say they are creative, and 53% characterize them as scientific and serious. By extension, candidates who undergo personality testing will also view their candidate experience as state-of-the-art, professional, creative, scientific, and serious.

Personality tests will not deter applicants

For any job, it is important to understand the purpose of an assessment. Hogan’s survey revealed that 32% of candidates would rather be assessed after their application has been reviewed by the hiring company. On the other hand, most candidates want to complete assessments before being contacted for an interview, regardless of their job level.

It is important to note that long assessments don’t scare candidates. Nearly 60% of job seekers would not stop applying for a job because of an assessment requirement. The time commitment required to complete assessments is also an important component of the candidate experience. Hogan’s core personality assessments take about 15 minutes each to complete, making the candidate experience and the application process a more efficient one.

Fairness of personality tests boosts the overall candidate experience

More and more organizations are utilizing pre-employment assessments to select the best candidates. Job applicants want the hiring process to be fair and to ensure a fair hiring practice, assessing all candidates for relevant job-related skills and competencies is key. The same survey showed that 73% of candidates most value a fair application process. Candidates’ focus on fairness explains why they prefer personality tests to other hiring methods as the predictive power of personality testing ensures that the hiring process is equitable and objective. In contrast, slow responsiveness to applications leads to a negative experience for 26% of candidates. Another 26% of candidates said they have a negative perception of companies that do not handle offers and rejections with sensitivity.

Creating a positive candidate experience is not all about fun and games

Gamification has been one of the fastest-growing trends in the assessment industry over the past few years. According to Hogan’s survey, traditional assessment methods are preferred over game-based assessments, with 60% of respondents not placing importance on the application process being fun. Candidates prefer fairness in the hiring process and nearly two-thirds of respondents think that traditional assessments are fairer than game-based assessments. Similarly, 60% of candidates believe that traditional assessments represent their qualities as a candidate better than game-based assessments.

Ryne Sherman, Chief Science Officer at Hogan Assessments adds: “Candidate experience has become increasingly important to companies seeking to hire and a crucial factor in attracting top talent. Companies that are already using personality tests for selection can rest assured that they are doing the right thing as candidates consider it to be mutually beneficial. Meanwhile, companies that have not yet delved into using personality tests for hiring purposes should reserve a spot for it in their next candidate experience audit. These can help organizations ensure the hiring process is fair, accurate and also more enjoyable for the candidates.”