Author: Andrew LaDuke
Job Interview Questions? Know How to take
Corporate Personality Tests
Web: http://www.personalitytestinc.com
If you're just getting into the job market, trying to advance your career, or are an executive trying to land that career making position, chances are extremely high you'll be asked to take a corporate employment test, or personality test.
You've spent countless hours preparing your resume, practicing for interview questions, and picking out the right interview clothes to wear. You know what to say, what not to say, and how to communicate your interest through body language.
Why risk questionable results from the pre-employment personality test?
It's not uncommon. The hiring manager will insist that you are "the one." But if negative test results come in, any corporate executive manager will recommend that the hiring manager "...go with the other candidate."
That's because managers want to avoid risk. Nobody wants to have to explain why they were the one that hired the guy that had "skewed" results on the personality profile. So they will choose the candidate that the test results show to be the best choice.
Don't let a quiz take control of your career direction. Here's why personality tests are unreliable:
They only measure different attitudes about things from different people. Your attitude about something in general cannot be used to predict how you'll react to business situations.
They cannot predict behavior because behavior is context sensitive. People act differently in different situations.
They associate success with different personality types. In fact, personality requirements are different for different jobs.
YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW YOUR ANSWERS WILL BE INTERPRETED BY EMPLOYERS!
How would you answer the most common question?
"I have never told a lie."
No one could ever make this claim while being honest. Not Abe Lincoln, not George Washington. So when you come across this question, you'll have five answers to choose from:
1. Strongly Agree
2. Agree
3. Neutral
4. Disagree
5. Strongly Disagree
If you answer #1 or #2, you're going to set off some red flags. In fact, you'll probably set off some fireworks. Your best answer is #4: "Disagree."
Ironically, this will tell the employer that you're actually a very honest person for answering the question truthfully.
What you need to do is prepare, and study, and understand the psychology behind these tests.
So why are so many employers using these tests today? The answer is simple.
Corporate use of the pre-employment screening test has increased 300% in the last five years alone because of complex computer modeling that employs powerful mathematical algorithms, making the results far more accurate than ever before.
Another reason employers love these tests are simply because there is nothing else out there to evaluate you with. Your previous employer will refrain from saying anything negative about you because they may risk litigation. So today, your previous employer(s) will only confirm your dates of employment.
You may be asking yourself "Is it ethical to learn how to take these tests?" Absolutely. People will tell you "just answer the questions honestly." But you're only human. If you're taking a test for a job that can really advance your career, you can't help but be a little apprehensive when you take the test.
So what's the next step? That's easy. Let's take a further look at some example questions, and examine exactly how your answers will be interpreted.
Let's begin by putting our questions into segments. For demonstration purposes, let's assume the segment is "reliability." Here are some questions from this area:
How thorough are you?
Will you complete assignments?
Are you the type of employee who always arrives on time?
These are some questions the employer will have about you.
Don't be surprised to see questions like this:
"Work is the most important thing in my life."
How should you answer? Put yourself in the employer's shoes. They have objectives to meet, and are looking for employees that are dedicated. They want to know that you'll be perfectly willing to go the extra mile. They don't want someone who puts their hobby, kids, housework, or pets at the same priority level.
So absolutely select "agree" or "strongly agree" as the answer to this question.
Here's another question:
"I would be interested in learning how people handle stress at work."
This is a trick question. Agree and you could be saying that you can't handle stress. Disagree, and you might think you could be admitting that you don't like to learn new things. In this case, the best choice is actually "neutral."
This means you're it's not an important issue to you. So while you might glance at an article about stress, you don't seek out therapies, books, alcohol, etc. as a way to relieve stress.
Almost all employee experience tension at work. Employers want to know that you won't have extreme reactions like yelling or screaming and that the tension won't affect your health and make you seek medical or psychological assistance.
Like any other part of the job search process, you need to do your homework. You've already selected a conservative but sharp outfit to wear during your interviews. You've spent hours and hours reading about interview questions. You know what questions to expect, and how to respond.
Your resume is honed and polished, and it highlights all of your accomplishments beautifully.
So why risk losing the job on the personality profile test results?
You don't have to. Do your research on personality test questions, and in no time you'll know exactly how to respond.
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