Hiring new employees is a game of luck, as every employer who has done the task knows. If you succeed, everyone will be pleased. A catastrophe may occur if you make a mistake.
Roughly five times an employee’s compensation might be lost due to a poor hire. Then there are all the additional issues, including low morale on the team or broken connections with clients due to incompetence. Finding the correct employee is critical. There may not be a foolproof method, but cognitive ability tests are a valuable asset to any talent management toolbox as they are more accurate than other predictions and may increase the likelihood of success.
A concise definition of a cognitive ability test
Experts agree that defining cognitive ability tests is simple. It is a tool or battery of tests developed to evaluate a person’s proficiency in certain job-related tasks. This is why there are a variety of cognitive evaluation methods available to recruiters. Test takers’ analytical reasoning, problem-solving abilities, spatial awareness, numeracy, working memory, and other cognitive capacities are assessed.
Cognitive ability assessments have found a welcoming home in the field of organizational psychology, despite its many shortcomings. They are now used in civilian and military personnel evaluations and recruiting processes.
Recruiters and employers have utilized a diverse range of cognitive ability test devices since the 80s, thanks to the advancements made in science and research.
Why assess cognitive ability?
Across all levels of employment and all industries, cognitive aptitude remains the most robust predictor of work success. The candidate’s aptitude for learning, acquiring new knowledge, and problem-solving can be better understood in this way. The use of cognitive ability tests enhances the hiring process, which benefits your firm financially.
Cognitive ability exams are better at predicting future success on the job when the task complexity is high. The word “cognitive ability” encompasses a wide range of competencies that together constitute GMA. Reasoning, solving problems, making plans, thinking abstractly, understanding complicated ideas, and learning from experience are all parts of a person’s GMA.
To acquire a complete picture of how a person’s brain works, it’s necessary to test for many components of cognitive capacity.
Reasons to use a cognitive ability test in the recruitment process
A behavioral interview and personality/behavior assessment instrument can shed insight into a person’s actions and interactions in different contexts. One way to learn about a candidate’s thought process is to administer a cognitive ability exam. To be clear, there are several compelling reasons to think about including cognitive testing in your employment process.
1. The ability to think critically predicts success in the work
For a long time, the fields of psychology and sociology looked at cognitive capacities as markers of work success. One of the strongest indicators of professional success, they discovered, is overall cognitive capacity. Cognitive testing and work performance have a correlation value of 0.51 across all professions, levels, and sectors. Science does not yet possess a perfect, 100% predictor, which would be represented by a score of 1.0.
Based on data provided by the American Psychological Association, The ability to acquire and apply job-related knowledge is a major component of general cognitive ability that impacts job performance. Cognitively gifted people are better able to learn new things, retain what they’ve learned, and put that knowledge to good use.
To rephrase, a cognitive talent test is useful for filling open positions with qualified candidates. The correlation coefficients of 0.18 or even 0.1 for the conventional interviews that concentrate on education and job experience are quite low.
Find competent candidates to fill open positions in your company
It is not necessary for you to thoroughly investigate psychological studies and research articles. Reading the news is sufficient. As a part of their hiring process, some large international firms use cognitive tests. Even when this happens again, they will still do it.
It is only now that smaller organizations have come to comprehend a fact that has long been acknowledged by Fortune 500 companies and their colleagues. An organization’s people are its most valuable asset. Alignment, adjustment, and rapid learning are essential for companies’ driving forces, and their personnel. The economic and organizational landscapes are always shifting, and they must adapt to remain ahead of the competition.
No one disputes the importance of cognitive skill testing as an absolute predictor of success on the job, as one of the most renowned experts in the subject put it.
2. Results from cognitive ability tests are supported by science
Cognitive testing has been used for recruiting purposes since the beginning of World War I, therefore it’s reasonable to assume that scientists had plenty of time to verify the reliability and validity of these tests. Over time, they were also fine-tuned to become essential parts of the hiring process.
Psychological capacity (IQ) is a reliable indicator of:
- responsibility, advancement opportunities, originality, and leadership;
- extrinsic professional achievement (promotions and salary increases are more probable for applicants);
- heightened devotion to the organization (workers are less inclined to seek employment opportunities elsewhere), etc.
- Disregarding the use of any cognitive ability testing would be a disgrace in this scenario. Structured and unstructured interviews are still useful tools, so you should keep them. On the other hand, a corporation is really stepping up its recruitment game when it recruits for cognitive abilities.
3. Cognitive evaluation tools are very adaptable.
In terms of adaptability, they are on par with technical aptitude exams. You get to decide which cognitive ability to prioritize and which to rank as secondary. During the hiring process, recruiters may now pick from a variety of cognitive tools that have been verified.
Using a verbal reasoning cognition test as an example, a recruiter can learn valuable information about a candidate’s skills by:
- Grasp the written and spoken word;
- Comprehend the meaning conveyed by another’ words or writing;
- Be fluent in more than one language;
- Extract relevant data from a body of text or audio;
- Recognize and respond appropriately to the vocal intonation of others;
- Determine a solution by following verbal or written directions;
- Rapidly comprehend and assimilate spoken or written instructions;
- Work out word puzzles;
- Comprehend ideas conveyed through spoken language;
- Express oneself thoroughly and articulately in writing, speech, etc.
The capacity to comprehend and reason about ideas expressed in written or spoken language constitutes verbal reasoning in its broadest sense. It is an essential mental ability for many different types of work.
Put your cognitive abilities to use in the appropriate role
Combine this sort of cognitive ability exam with a focused and individual interview to find the best candidates for customer service positions. This same exam is highly effective when recruiting for a wide variety of positions, including those in retail, marketing, public relations, consulting, advertising, paralegal, and legal services.
Finding top talent for executive roles requires, without a doubt, administering a comprehensive cognitive ability test with all of the tools provided by the test’s manufacturer.
4. Cognitive ability tests are easy to apply, score, and interpret
Long gone are the days of giving applicants paper exams to complete. Additionally, the time spent reviewing charts and manually grading the data to determine the corresponding interpretation is also lost.
Nowadays, there are a plethora of reliable online cognitive tests at your fingertips. The candidate takes about twenty to thirty minutes to complete the questionnaire. The application will show you the findings and how the software interprets them when the evaluation is over. Everyone involved enjoys a quick and painless review process because of this. After the program has finished evaluating all of the applicants, you may choose the best ones.
Using psychological and behavioral assessment instruments, technical skill tests, emotional intelligence assessments, interviews, and other methods, you should naturally choose the top performers for further examination.
5. Using cognitive tests to identify quick learners
Frank L. Schmidt, an early proponent of using cognitive tests to forecast how well an individual will do on the job, found that the capacity to learn new material quickly and apply it correctly was central to this connection.
Candidates who score higher on tests measuring cognitive abilities are more likely to be able to learn new material quickly, according to Schmidt. In a business, they are the top performers. Put another way, they are the resources that any company depends on when they require individuals to effectively apply new information.
6. Hire flexible workers with the use of cognitive assessment tools
Adaptability can be described as a talent, a characteristic, or even a personality attribute. A person’s ability to adapt to new circ*mstances is reflected in it. There are many factors to consider while evaluating adaptability, and cognitive tools make this process easier. Some subsets of competencies to think about are these:
- It is efficiently adapting to new assignments, roles, teams, ideas, methods, expectations, work plans, trends, etc.
- Exhibit first-rate “soft skills,” such as the ability to communicate, solve problems, make decisions, interact with others, think creatively, etc.
- Flexibility in the face of change;
- Having confidence;
- Speedy education;
- Motivation from inside and a sense of agency within oneself;
- Ability to operate in a team;
- Capabilities in leadership;
- The ability to operate autonomously, etc.
In today’s modern workplace, the capacity to adapt quickly is paramount. When you combine cognitive assessments with personality testing and behavioral interview questions, you may learn more about your applicants.
7. Using cognitive tests to find top candidates
Make no mistake: an intelligence coefficient is not the same thing as cognitive abilities. The scientific community has long since accepted the multiple intelligence hypothesis, thus it is safe to say that it will remain in circulation. Even if you don’t have a background in psychology, you’re probably aware that some people excel at verbal and linguistic activities, while others shine at numerical and spatial ones, and so on.
Cognitive evaluation instruments measure distinct mental processes.
1. Pick the best cognitive ability tests: Think about the job description and pick the most applicable exams. A reading comprehension test, for instance, may be administered in conjunction with other skills exams for a position that requires extensive email contact. For more ideas, have a look at our test collection.
2. Establish a standard: Having a standard against which to assess your applicants’ cognitive ability scores will greatly enhance their usefulness. Use the results of your current high-performing staff as a benchmark to determine the characteristics of a suitable applicant.
3. Put your applicants to the test: Using tests to screen prospects allows you to cut down on screening time, which is a huge plus when hiring. Utilize a combination of cognitive ability tests, role-specific assessments, and personality tests to identify the most qualified individuals for the open position.
4. Results evaluation: compare each candidate’s performance to the standard you set. Think about eliminating a candidate from consideration if they fall significantly short of the standard. It may be worth asking them for an interview if they surpass or exceed the standard.
5. Candidates who passed the first round of skills testing should be contacted for an interview. Consider asking the applicant focused questions to go further into any areas of strength or weakness shown in their test results. Additionally, you have the option to address any areas where you may need improvement in terms of references or other relevant abilities.
6. Finalize your choice by weighing the outcomes of the skills tests against those of the interview and reference checks, among other evaluations. There should never be a sole determinant based on cognitive ability exams.
7. Evaluate outcomes and revise standards: As time goes on, keep an eye on the test scores of your top achievers and make any necessary adjustments to your standards. You can make better judgments as your data set grows.
If you follow this strategy, you will quickly begin to employ higher-quality workers.
Final thoughts
Any recruiter serious about making better hires and saving time in the hiring process has to implement cognitive ability evaluations.
Make sure you pick the right assessment type based on the job description, or dedicate yourself to creating your evaluation, to maximize its use.
They are a potent performance predictor and a treasure trove of information that may help your company make smart recruiting decisions when used properly.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
To find the best applicants, hiring managers need information beyond only relevant work experience and skill sets. Hiring candidates with stronger cognitive capacities means they can learn and apply new information on the job more effectively, therefore it’s important to understand how people learn and solve issues.
There is a strong association between test results and expected job performance on cognitive ability tests, which has been proven via studies to have superior predictive validity compared to other instruments used for employee selection.
Adding a cognitive ability exam to a personality questionnaire or other multi-measure test improves prediction even further.
Consistent scores with each reexamination demonstrate the great reliability of cognitive ability tests. You may select a set of criteria in advance to make sure you’re measuring the right things with these high criterion-related tests.
Since different tests use different scoring systems, there is no universally accepted measure of cognitive ability. A person’s test scores could be all over the map depending on the section of the exam they take. Instead of relying on subjective results, businesses should think about setting clear standards when administering cognitive tests to prospective employees.
