Workforce.com published an article this week entitled More Companies Go with On-line Tests to Fill in the Blanks. According to a study quoted in the piece, spending on applicant testing rose 20% last year. Employers spent more than ever on-line assessments to find the best matches for the slots they have.
The author of the study attributes this rise to several factors including more customizable instruments, the volume of applicants, employers’ focus on efficiency, and the need for consistent and defensible selection methodologies. While I understand this reasoning, I have to wonder how far the pendulum will swing in this direction before it becomes evident that these
have created a hiring environment devoid of relationships. I have found it fascinating and troubling that most organizations spend more time choosing the right copier, computer or software package than selecting those who will determine the fate of the firm over time.
Over the past twenty years, I have watched attitudes about the hiring process migrate to one of efficiency and risk avoidance. Yet, everyone now complains about the contractual attitude that many, if not most, people have about their jobs. Software applications now eliminate anyone not having the right keywords in their resume before anyone even takes the opportunity to meet with them. On-line job sites allow candidates to apply to hundreds of jobs with one click, promoting a sort of job-search-lottery system. Vendors offer “solutions” that help HR professionals orchestrate the hiring of hundreds without having to meet anybody.
But the more we focus on doing things efficiently and covering our butts, the more we will get what we programmed into the system. At what point will it become impossible to engender loyalty and productive relations among any employee group if they have all been hired because of the best score on the test? Do we really want the legal community and the software programmers to decide who we should hire in the future? If so, I fear for the future of working America.