Companies such as Amazon, Ford and UPS use employment testing to screen entry-level applicants and managers, while other companies are using the tests to screen applicants for higher level positions. Timed exams help employers assess problem-solving abilities and other traits that may not be reflected in resumes.
Vista Equity Partners, a private equity firm with over 280 employees, has long touted its practice of using employee exams to promote based purely on merit. Vista co-founder and CEO Robert Smith, whose estimated net worth is $4.4 billion, regularly lauds the company’s testing system for finding future senior-level employees in the mail room.
Exams such as the Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test give participants 15 minutes to answer 50 questions that measure problem-solving, critical thinking and learning ability. Shane Frederick, PhD, a professor at Yale School of Management, says he can predict cognitive reflection based on a select few questions included in exams.
“If a bat and ball cost $1.10 total, and the bat costs $1 more than the ball, how much does the ball cost?” is an illuminating question Dr. Frederick uses, according to The Atlantic.
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