An Example Essay on the Most Effective Hiring Tools

After reviewing this job posting and identifying the necessary skills, I believe the most effective hiring tools would be a personality test followed by an interview and an assessment center test. This order is most accessible to most difficult to administer, reducing complications and time. Additionally, this order is from least selective to most selective, creating a narrowing selection pool and reducing cost, as the final test can be expensive.

Beginning with a personality test is essential because this company’s primary income is from selling events. Thus, they need to hire people who are personable and professional. In addition, their employees should be able to work under pressure and against deadlines. The ideal candidate is also a good leader and can manage and direct a team of people without hassle or aggression. These facets of one’s personality can be assessed through a quick personality test when one applies for the job. One of the pros of using this tool is that it quickly narrows down the selection pool.

By putting this as part of the application, it provides a quick yes or no for the application based on a quantifiable test.  It also gives insight into the applicant’s personality and fit for the company. Unfortunately, those applying may lie about their personality, temperament, or team skills. Thus, it is essential to have an interview after the applicant passes the personality test. A face-to-face meeting will show the applicant’s demeanor and ability to be professional and charismatic in a natural setting. Well-structured interviews, in this case, are compelling because this job requires constant interaction with clients and team members. An interview would also allow management to see how well this person might sell something and what demeanor they give off. These aspects are essential, especially when picking someone who will lead groups of people. In addition, the applicant’s work history and qualifications can be discussed. Possible issues are biased against people based on their appearance and those with accents.

After these two selections, an assessment center test would indicate how well someone would do in this job. I chose this after the first two because the test specialization tends to be expensive. Thus, you should reserve it when you have fewer applicants to weed out. This test would show who can perform under pressure, manage teams well and interact positively with clients. By placing people in groups to manage, completing timed tasks, and possibly having client role-plays, management can better understand how this person would perform. Additionally, a skills test of the required software can be performed here.

The downside of this type of test is the lack of quantifiability, as they instead are more holistic. Thus, getting a definitive answer as to the best candidate can be challenging. However, the upside of an assessment center test is the involvement of a third party, which reduces possible bias. The assessment firm gets paid the same no matter whom they recommend. However, they may get a low recommendation if they recommend someone unqualified, so they are invested in highlighting the best possible candidates.

Overall I believe the pros of this method outweigh the cons. The primary issue with the selection process is biased against how people look. This is why it is essential to have both a manager and a third-party testing agency review the applicant. The addition of a third party reduces bias. The rest of the job requirements, such as using company software and measuring effectiveness based on a company-measured standard, can be taught onsite and should not be used to judge applicants as it would produce unfair results. Thus, a personality test, followed by an interview and finally an assessment center test, is the most effective way to gauge a person’s fitness for this particular job.