Navigating Employee Selection: Insights into Various Ability Tests and Their Relevance - Essay Example

Ability Testing

An organization can use various ability tests to shortlist a few candidates out of the long list of candidates during the selection process. A cognitive ability test is a type of ability test. It involves testing the reasoning, memory, and perception abilities of a candidate. It considers using several questions that involve the mental process to solve a related job problem (Beaujean & Benson, 2018). The test plays a significant role in the selection of an employee. It helps the employer to determine the ability of a candidate to perform a specific job. The individual who qualifies this test portrays great capability during the training process.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Clerical ability test is also considered during the selection process. It defines the ability of a candidate to perform related clerical jobs in an organization. The tested details include basic mathematics, data checking, spelling, and alphabetical filing (Tan & Balasico, 2018). The test is significant to the organization interviewing because it helps identify top-notch employees who have higher capabilities of adapting to office work.

The third significant test that the organization might consider depending on the type of duties is the physical ability test. It is associated with job positions that are associated with physical attention. One should handle physical ability tests with a lot of sensitivity, especially when interviewing a candidate living with disabilities (Johnson et al., 2016). However, it does not mean that people living with a disability cannot pass the test. The disability might not affect the process of executing the specific job assigned. Therefore, this test type is very significant in identifying qualified employees who can perform various physical roles with great perfection.

Ability Test Comparison

Every type of ability test is significant during the selection process, and the job position may determine which ability test to consider more. Every employee should have the cognitive abilities to help them conduct their duties (Anglim et al., 2019). The clerical ability test is specifically for candidates who are applying for clerical jobs in an organization. It is unnecessary to use clerical ability tests in organizational roles that require the employee to conduct their duties manually and physically.

The role of a guest services representative is to receive a welcoming customer to the organization. The role also involves some desk services to the customer. Therefore, when selecting the candidates to fit the roles, the organization should consider that the representative serves as its image (Rudolph & Zacher, 2020). For the company to identify a highly qualified individual, the HR will consider cognitive ability tests and clerical ability tests. The role does not require much physical work; thus, the physical ability test can be omitted.

The role of a front/black office supervisor relies more on cognitive ability and clerical ability. Individuals applying for the position must portray all the two abilities to be competent. They have to apply their creativity and innovation ability to solve the available problems. Hence, the organization has to test its cognitive and clerical ability to ensure that the office supervisor will represent the organization in the best way (Gatewood et al., 2015). The housekeeping services involve a physical job, and hence the organization should consider testing the candidates' physical ability. They should also check their clinical records to identify if the candidates have medical problems that can hinder their work performance. Cognitive ability testing is also applicable to this role because the housekeeper is required to perceive the situation in a more intellectual way. The physical ability test can be omitted in their selection process because they barely conduct clerical services.

Sample Ability Test

My choice of the job position is housekeeping services. The below ability test can be considered during the selection process.

Housekeeping

The role of housekeeping is applicable in hotels and private homes. Sleep Tight Inn is the need for a housekeeper to take on various roles and responsibilities. Your main role will be cleaning the room, disposing of trash, cleaning specific areas, changing bedding every day, and informing the relevant authority of any issue encountered. The candidates should possess an eye for cleanliness and clearing any mess. Additionally, you should be able to lift a minimum of pounds.

Responsibility

• You will be required to collect and throw away any trash on the organization's premises.
• You will be sweeping, mopping, scrubbing, and polishing the floor of the assigned rooms.
• Draperies and carpets will be cleaned using a dry cleaner (Arthur, 2017).
• You are expected to change the bedding of the assigned rooms.
• You will be reporting damaged property within the premises.
• You will be ironing and pressing assigned linen and clothing.
• You will be folding the clothes and storing them in their respective places.

Knowledge and skills

• Your minimum qualification must be the high school level.
• The candidates should be well equipped with the sanitization and cleaning approaches.
• The candidates should have physical stamina and mobility.
• The candidate can bend, pull, push, and lift the required items.
• The candidate keeps timing properly (Armstrong, 2016).
• The candidate should have the ability to interact with Sleep Tight Inn customers politely.
• The candidate should maintain a professional appearance during their working hour.
• The above sample will help the selection team to identify the right employee for the post.

References

Anglim, J., Sojo, V., Ashford, L. J., Newman, A., & Marty, A. (2019). Predicting employee attitudes to workplace diversity from personality, values, and cognitive ability. Journal of Research in Personality, 83, 103865. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2019.103865

Armstrong, M., & Armstrong, M. (2016). Armstrong's handbook of management and leadership for Hr: developing effective people skills for better leadership and management. Kogan Page.

Arthur, J. B. (1994). Effects of human resource systems on manufacturing performance and turnover. Academy of Management Journal, 37(3), 670–687. https://doi.org/10.2307/256705

Beaujean, A. A., & Benson, N. F. (2018). Theoretically consistent cognitive ability test development and score interpretation. Contemporary School Psychology, 23(2), 126–137. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40688-018-0182-1Gatewood, R., Feild, H. S., & Barrick, M. (2015). Human resource selection. Nelson Education.

Johnson, R. D., Lukaszewski, K. M., & Stone, D. L. (2016). The evolution of the field of human resource information systems: Co-evolution of technology and HR processes. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 38(1), 533–553. https://doi.org/10.17705/1cais.03828

Marins, E. F., Cabistany, L., Farias, C., Dawes, J., & Vecchio, F. B. D. (2020 Effects of personal protective equipment on metabolism and performance during an occupational physical ability test for federal highway police officers. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 34(4), 1093–1102. https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0000000000002892

Rudolph, C., & Zacher, H. (2020). Age inclusive human resource practices, age diversity climate, and work ability: Exploring between-and within-person indirect effects. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/ebw6p

Tan, D. A., & Balasico, C. L. (2018). Students’ academic performance, aptitude and occupational interest in the national career assessment examination. PUPIL: International Journal of Teaching, Education and Learning, 2(3), 01–21. https://doi.org/10.20319/pijtel.2018.23.0121