Due to the current economic climate, competition for job vacancies is higher than ever. Employers are turning to new measures in order to speed up the recruitment process and filter down the highest quality applicants. Many employers, particularly for large organisations, are choosing to utilise online tests to determine which candidates to put through to the interview stage. Although these tend to be fairly straightforward, as with any test there are some very basic pitfalls that some applicants fall into.
Read the question
This is a statement that’s probably been echoed to you since an early age, but one that’s undeniably true. Misreading the question is by far and away the most common and easily avoidable mistake people make in online recruitment tests. However, the type of question can trip people up, as in some cases you might not be familiar with what the question actually wants you to do.
Recruitment tests can feature psychometric, logic or numeracy among other questions, in any number of combinations. This variability can sometimes make it hard to follow, so do some preparation. There are plenty of practise tests online where you can try out examples of these question types.
Spelling and Grammar
Again, ridiculously obvious but something you might forget when in a pressure situation. Employers will pay special attention to these little details. If it looks like you’ve rushed the test and not bothered to check your answers, it will reflect badly on your application. Thankfully, the questions will be mostly multiple choices, so you won’t have to worry too much about your spelling, but still be aware just in case.
Gaming Your Answers
Always answer as naturally as you can. There will often be a personality based section of the test where you are required to respond to a series of statements. These statements probably won’t have any obvious right or wrong answer, so just go with whatever you think is the right answer for you, not the employer. In fact, some tests will include questions designed to test your honesty, such as “True or False: I have never sworn”. Chances are everyone has sworn at some point in their life, so answering False would make what you’re trying to do blatantly obvious to any employer.
Environment
Sitting the test in a comfortable environment is another important factor. If you’re stressed out or too nervous, that’s when mistakes creep in that you might not normally make. The advantage of online tests for applicants is that you can sit them in your own home, without any distractions (apart from maybe the TV or games console). If you’re serious about the job, you want to be in the right frame of mind to give yourself the best chance possible. Get a comfortable chair, a drink and leave plenty of time to complete the test. Most tests allow you to take a break and come back to where you left off without any problems, but make sure you read the instructions which will detail this at the start.
Follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to the interview stage of the recruitment process.