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Work sample tests involve a sample of the work that you
will be expected to do. This may be mechanical, for example, repairing
a piece of equipment. It may involve a specific skill, for example, a
typing exercise where you need to demonstrate your ability to type at
or above a set speed whilst making less than a given percentage of errors.
At the graduate or management level, work sample tests often involve
one or more of the following:
In Tray Exercises
If you are asked to do an in-tray
exercise, you may be asked to assume
a particular role as an employee of a fictitious company and work through
a pile of correspondence in your in-tray. These tests commonly measure
job skills such as: ability to organize and prioritize work; analytical
skills; communication with team members and customers; written communication
skills; and delegation.
Group Exercises
Group exercises involve candidates working together as a team, to resolve
a presented issue. These exercises commonly measure interpersonal skills
such as group leadership, teamwork, negotiation, and group problem
solving skills. Group
exercises may range from 'leaderless group discussion'
formats to problem solving scenarios.
Case Studies
Project Managers may be asked to plan for the release of a new product.
This usually includes: devising a schedule, setting a budget and allocating
resources. This type of exercise measures your ability to: analyze
data, consider a mixture of issues, offer multiple solutions, plan
the project, and finally to present your findings using your presentation
skills.
Role Plays
You will usually be asked to assume a fictitious role and handle a particular
work situation. These types of exercises may measure: oral communication
and influencing skills. Role Plays usually use professional actors
as your co-respondent. They are clearly briefed about their role and
how to respond when you take a particular approach in the role play.
These types of exercise are usually performed at an
'Assessment
Center'. This does not refer to a location, but to a process
which is being increasingly used by organizations to assess staff, either
as part of the recruitment process or for internal promotion. The Assessment
Center develops a set of varied exercises which are designed to simulate
different aspects of the work environment. These exercises usually last
from half-a-day to two full days. They are usually conducted at the employer's
training facility or in facilities provided by the HR consultancy, that
have been contracted to design and conduct the testing. |
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Clerical Level Work Sample Tests
Data checking tests are
widely used to select candidates for clerical and data input jobs, particularly
where accuracy is important.This data to be checked may be either meaningless,
for example account numbers, or may be fairly meaningful, for example
names and addresses. In both cases is vital to check each character rather
than ‘read’ the data normally. You should also bear in mind that there
may be more than one error in any single piece of data.
In addition to data checking tests, concentration
tests are often
used when selecting candidates for administrative and clerical jobs where
mistakes can have serious or expensive consequences. This includes areas
like financial services, legal services and healthcare. |
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