Let’s talk about aptitude test questions and explain what you need to know.
The aptitude test comes in many forms but we will focus purely on using it as a recruitment application.
If you are trying to hire new staff then you should consider how you may apply an attitude test to help you make better, more reliable, hiring decisions.
PeopleMaps provides a personality report on each candidate but it is not until you use the PeopleMaps Work Environment Analyser Tool that you can actually establish aptitude.
Looking at an individual candidate’s personality report only provides you with half the picture.
It’s not until you compare it to your Work Environment Analyser Report can you call it an aptitude test.
The PeopleMaps Aptitude Test
Before you can determine if an individual has an aptitude for the job you are offering, you need to understand the psychological profile of your work environment.
This is where we use the Work Environment Analyser Tool. It will establish what environment you are actually offering. Until you have this you cannot accurately judge if a candidate is going to be a good fit or a bad fit.
There are many factors which determine the work environment, not least being the line manager’s personality.
Each line manager influences the actual work environment. Some are a small influence and some influence it in a significant way.
Aptitude Test Questions
The Work Environment Analyser Tool asks the line manager a series of questions about the environment they currently have. This removes much of the subjectivity you find when asking a line manager what they are looking for in an ideal candidate.
You need to know what you have to offer before you can determine if it is compatible with a candidate.
If you have a North East Work Environment (as per the PeopleMaps Map) then you know that candidates who also reside in the North East of the PeopleMaps Map will find your work environment (including your management style) most compatible.
Other candidates may have good skills and experience however they will find your environment more challenging.
The Personality Aptitude Test
It is only when you have both the benchmark and the candidate’s report can you truly say of the candidate has the right personality aptitude.
Ideally you want to hire people who fit in quickly and easily and who can cope with the environment you offer. Purely in terms of personality, there will be some who do and some who do not.
Of course other candidates can cope with your environment but it will take more effort on their part.
The thing to remember is that the job under one manager maybe different than the same job under another manager. You want to hire people who will cope most easily with your environment; candidates who have an aptitude for your environment, presuming the basics are also in place.
Historically we have ignored this factor, however it is probably the single biggest cause for staff turnover, especially within the first three months.
Over time candidates either get used to the environment or the manager adapts the environment, making it more feasible for the candidate to stay. But if you want people to settle in quickly and perform at a high level, then it is better if they have a natural aptitude for the environment you are offering. This is where a personality aptitude test can prove very useful.