Basic Pre Employment Screening Interview Preparation Guide

Download PDF

Pre-employment tests are used to screen job applicants and can include testing of cognitive abilities, knowledge, work skills, physical and motor abilities, personality, emotional intelligence, language proficiency, and even integrity. Drug testing can also be utilized as part of the pre-employment process. Companies use testing to find the candidates most likely to succeed in the open positions and to screen out those who are unqualified.

Employee theft and fraud costs a company on average $9 per day per employee in the US. Pre employment testing often includes integrity or honesty tests. These are used to evaluate an applicant's honesty and trustworthiness including attitudes towards risky workplace behavior, theft, lying and unethical behavior.

Questions are designed to examine the applicant's attitude and approach towards misuse of company resources, email and internet abuse, use of drugs and alcohol, trust with confidential information and personal responsibility.

While there can be dramatic benefits gained from using testing in the employee selection process, there are potential issues companies need to understand prior to implementing any tests. The first issue is validity; whether or not the test measures the specific criterion it is supposed to measure and can predict future job performance or success. An employer should be able to demonstrate that those who do well on the test do well in performing the job and those who score poorly on the test perform poorly on the job. For example, if an employer can demonstrate that a typing test and skills tests using Microsoft Office software products constitute a fair sample of the content of an administrative assistant job, then the tests will probably be considered content valid.

By helping companies identify the candidates most likely to perform well on the job, pre-employment testing can lead to additional company benefits, such as saving time and cost in the selection process, decreasing turnover, and even improving morale. According to a survey by the American Management Association, "Almost 90 percent of firms that test job applicants say they will not hire job seekers when pre-employment testing finds them to be deficient in basic skills" (Greenberg, 1996, p. 24).

Some interview questions are looking for indications of problems you may have had in the past. Never lie about it if you were fired from a previous job, since such information is often uncovered before you are hired. It's best to give an honest answer that minimizes any problems you may have had. When asked "Why did you leave your last job?" you could answer that you and your old boss did not see eye to eye, and then move on to how eager you are to gain a fresh start. Never badmouth a previous employer or co-workers.

You may be asked almost anything in an interview, but some types of questions are more common than others. Be prepared to respond to questions such as "What would you do if your best friend stole something and he asked you not to tell?" or "What brings you joy?" Other common questions are "How would you handle it if you were asked to do something you know is unethical, but is not illegal?" or "How important do you think it is to be on time to work every day?" or "Do you think it creates a problem for others if you miss work?"

These are becoming more and more frequent as employers are encouraged to establish drug-free workplaces.

These tests are designed to determine that the applicant has the ability to perform the job successfully. They are usually written or oral and include evaluation of reasoning ability, numerical, written and verbal skills.

They differ from skills tests in that the aptitude test determines the applicant's potential ability to perform the job functions when trained (the applicant's capacity for learning the required skills) while the skills tests determines the applicant's current or existing level of skill.

It's important that we know which people, team and leadership skills you are most proficient at, in order to ensure that this job fits your skill profile. Referring to the job skills and knowledge areas listed in the job description for this job (if it is not available, just list the skills that you utilize in your current job) rank the people and leadership skills that you excel at (in descending order). People, team and leadership skills that you excel at

We like to provide candidates with an opportunity to highlight any skills, knowledge areas, or experiences that, although they are not directly utilized in your current job, may provide value in our organization. Examples might include language skills, knowledge of equipment, sales or leadership skills, etc.

Pre employment testing is commonly used to screen out unsuitable applicants and minimize hiring mistakes. A large number of companies currently make use of employment tests.

Employment screening tests typically include a number of assessment tools. The five most commonly used employment assessment tests fall into 5 categories - personality tests, skills tests, aptitude tests, integrity tests and drug tests. There are many different types of tests in each category.

These tests attempt to determine an applicant's personality characteristics and if they relate to the personality requirements of successful performance in the defined job.

Research estimates that nearly 65 percent of employers use some sort of pre employment skills test which is designed to confirm that applicants have the skills they say they have. These tests can range from simple employment typing tests to a complex mechanical construction.

Not only technical skills are tested, an applicant may be asked to develop a marketing strategy for a new product, to write a report or lift a heavy load to demonstrate physical strength. The most important requirement is that the test genuinely assesses skills necessary for job performance.

In many jobs, it is possible to demonstrate your expertise and capabilities by providing samples of your actual work. Can you describe or name your best work that could be demonstrated, read, or reviewed by others? Examples of work might include reports, presentations, plans, metrics, software you've written, descriptions of processes or products, pictures of things that you have designed, sales scripts, websites we can visit, etc.

In order to ensure that this job utilizes your best skills, it's important that we know which of the skills and knowledge areas that you are most proficient at. Using the job skills and knowledge areas listed in the job description for this job (if it is not available, just list the skills for your desired job), rank the ones that you excel at in descending order.

In order to ensure that this job allows you sufficient opportunity to perform the duties where your performance as clearly excellent, we need to know which jobs duties and responsibilities that you are most proficient at. Using the job duties and responsibilities listed in the job description for this job (if it is not available, just list the responsibilities for your desired job) list the #1 responsibility that you do best. Then list the remaining job duties in descending order. Job responsibilities and duties that you excel at

Employers are increasingly using pre-screening and assessment techniques early in the interviewing process typically after one or more initial phone screenings and before the first face-to-face interview or between the first and second interview. Sometimes they are used only when the field is narrowed down to just a few candidates. Ira Wolfe, author and president of Success Performance Solutions, cites surveys that indicate more than 84 percent of Fortune 500s use assessments for executive positions and says that small businesses also use them. "Utilization, however, is growing," Wolfe says.

Pre employment screening serves two purposes. First, it allows you to reduce the number of applicants to a more manageable group. Second, it starts the process of adding the critical data necessary to make quality hiring decisions.

In addition to interview about you, employers often include information that will be necessary for the upcoming interview in the questionnaire. This information may include details on what to wear to the interview, security clearances you will have to go through, and materials you will need to bring.

Before you send back or submit your questionnaire be sure to proofread your responses to make sure there are no typos or grammatical errors. Also be sure the information you submitted matches your resume and/or your job application. Discrepancies will be a red flag for an employer and could cost you the interview.

☛ Where did you see our posting?
☛ Would you be willing to participate in a telephone interview?
☛ What is the minimum starting yearly salary that you will accept for this position?
☛ What are your minimum expectations?
☛ Is there anyone that you would like to meet or talk to during your visit for an interview?
☛ What decision criteria will you use to decide whether you will accept this job offer, if it is offered to you?
☛ What other companies have you applied to recently?
☛ What is your availability? When could you begin work?
☛ Can I contact the references you listed on your resume?

☛ What are the key motivators that encourage you to perform at your best?
☛ What makes a job fun?
☛ What types of management style frustrate you the most? What types of management style help to motivate you?
☛ Why specifically did you quit your last job?
☛ Describe a time when you were asked to work overtime without compensation?
☛ How did you manage the situation?
☛ Where do you expect to be in two years? Five years?
☛ Are you interested in further professional development?
☛ How does this position fit in with your long term goals?

☛ What are your key strengths?
☛ What are some of your weaknesses?
☛ What job responsibilities do you excel at?
☛ What knowledge areas and technical skills are your strongest?
☛ What team and leadership skills are your strongest?
☛ Do you have any additional skills or experiences that you did not include in your resume that we should know about?
☛ Can you provide us with a sample or demonstration of your best work?

Pre-interview questionnaires allow employers to gather more information about you than is provided on your resume, cover letter, and letters of recommendation. The goal of the questionnaires is to find out if you are a good fit for both the job and the company, as well as to ask questions that might not be asked during the interview.

These tests enable an employer to ascertain if the applicant has the right ethics to work in the organization or not. An applicant may be tested on caste study type of questions that prompt him to state his action concerning issues related to confidentiality, drugs, alcohol, 'white-lies', company property etc.