How To Hire Applicants Who

rganizational CultureObsessive-Compulsive Company Culture
Another pre-employment test client of mine also
Pre-employment tests clearly tell you if a jobhad me test its best employees in many jobs, so
applicant could ‘fit in’ yourit could hire applicants with the highest probability
company’s culture.  But, you must carryof (a) ‘fitting in’ its culture and (b) being
out an important step.  This article reveals whathighly productive workers. 
to do.Again, pre-employment test benchmark scores
PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTS ACCURATELY TELLrevealed that company’s culture was
YOU IF APPLICANT WILL ‘FIT IN’ultra-perfectionistic.  In every job, the best
YOUR COMPANY’S CULTUREemployees’ benchmark test scores
Pre-employment tests clearly tell you if a jobincluded
applicant could ‘fit in’ your*  high test scores on Following Rules,
company’s culture.  But, you must carryFact-Focus, and Handling Small Details scales
out an important step. *  low test scores on Flexibility and
Specifically, pre-employment tests first need toEmotion-Focus scales
be benchmarked for each job in your company. Clearly, this company’s culture relied on
For instance, let’s say you want to hireemployees being obsessive-compulsive. 
great sales reps.  Start by having some of yourWhen that company hired applicants who got
sales reps take the pre-employment test.  Usepre-employment test scores similar to its best
this to find the “benchmark” or typical testemployees, it hired winners — productive
scores of your best sales reps.  Then, testemployees who ‘fit in’ the
applicants.  Applicants who gets test scorescompany’s culture.  But, when it hired
similar to your best sales reps have a goodemployees who got test scores different than its
likelihood ofa.  being productive workersb. best employees, they failed on-the-job.
‘fitting in’ your company’s cultureWARNING:  3 WAYS APPLICANTS TRICK YOU
EXAMPLES of PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTIN JOB INTERVIEWS
BENCHMARKS REVEALING ORGANIZATIONALThe problem with interviewing job applicants is
CULTUREthis:  Most interviewers make mistaken
The pre-employment tests I created are used byjudgments about applicants they interview. 
many companies.  So, in my consulting work, IResearch backs up this assertion.  Here are
conduct huge numbers of benchmarking studiesconniving ways applicants trick interviewers:
to help companies hire the best.  The benchmark1.  Trained how to job-hunt — so applicant
research uses two pre-employment tests:knows good answers to your interview questions
1.  Behavior Test — to forecast 52.  Study your company — so they act
personality traits, 3 interpersonal styles, and 5like they have what you want
motivators3.  Charm — so interviewer gets
2.  Cognitive Ability Test — to forecast 5‘carried away’ with appealing applicant
mental abilities or brainpowerOOPS:  8 WAYS MANAGERS HIRE THE WRONG
Here are examples of pre-employment testPERSON
benchmarks revealing companies’ cultures.Plus, interviewers and hiring managers make
1st Example = Friendly, Service-Focusedmany dumb mistakes — resulting in
Company Culturemistakenly thinking a lousy applicant is a good
One company using pre-employment tests fromapplicant.  Here are five ways interviewers make
me benchmarked many of its jobs.  In everydumb mistakes:
job, the company’s best employees got1.  Gives away ‘good’ answers
these test scores:— tells applicant what interviewer is looking
*  high scores on test’s Friendliness,for
Teamwork, Optimism, and Helping People scales2.  Blabbermouth — talks too much
*  low scores on test’s Aggressiveness,— tells applicant what interviewer wants to
Rigidity, and Power Motivation scaleshear
The pre-employment test benchmarks clearly3.  Desperate — interviewer wants to hire
reveal that company’s corporate culture. someone NOW
The test helps that company consistently hire4.  Lazy — hiring manager too lazy to find
productive employees who ‘fit in’ itsmore and better applicants
friendly service culture. 5.  Bullheaded — ‘wants to hire whom s
2nd Example = Knowledge-Driven Companyhe wants to hire’ — despite warning
Culturesigns
Another company sells cutting-edge technology. Interviewers also make three dumb mistakes
Its growth potential is huge — but only if itwhen it comes to pre-employment testing:
hires the right sales reps. 6.  Wrong Norms — uses national norms
In the pre-employment test benchmarking study,— rather than company customized
I found the company’s finest sales repsbenchmarks
consistently got7.  Fails to Test Applicant — thus does not
*  high scores on test’s Learninghave most accurate, revealing evaluation
Motivation and Problem-Solving Ability scales8.  Ignores Test — bets against
*  low scores on test’s Money Motivationcompany’s custom-tailored benchmark
and Creativity Motivation scalesscores
The pre-employment test’s benchmarkPRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTS MAKE IT EASY TO
scores stunned the company’s VP-Sales. HIRE EMPLOYEES WHO ‘FIT IN’ YOUR
He mistakenly thought his best sales reps wereCOMPANY’S CULTURE
creative and pay motivated.  But, actually, theFact:  Each time you hire someone you are
best ones excelled at (a) learning about thebetting.  You bet your career and your
technology plus (b) intelligently problem-solvingcompany’s financial success.
ways the technology would help prospective clientPre-employment tests using customized
operate more profitably. benchmarks for your company’s jobs
Wow.  The pre-employment test benchmarkmake your bets easier, cheaper, faster, and more
scores were an eye-opener — and muchlikely to succeed.  Tests objectively tell you if an
different than test scores of commission-drivenapplicant (a) ‘fits in’ your organizational
salespeople. culture and (b) has work-related qualities similar to
These pre-employment tests enabled thatyour good employees.  Job interviews seldom tell
company to peer into applicants’ mindsyou these important, profit-impacting insights. 
— to reveal which applicants would ‘fitYou get such profit-improving insights from
in’ its knowledge-driven culture.correctly researched, benchmarked
3rd Example = Perfectionistic,pre-employment tests.