My Recruiting Blog

At a time when the number of available job seekers highly outweighs the number of available jobs, companies are getting creative in the way they find the best potential employees.

It doesn't seem to be enough anymore to simply have candidates submit their resumes and then go through the typical interview process. Instead, employers are starting to use other tools at their disposal, such as personality tests online (Click here), surveys and even "speed-dating" style set-ups with current company employees.

Take for instance Physicians Choice of Arizona, or PCA Skin Inc., a 100-employee company located in Scottsdale, Ariz., that develops clinical skin-care products. In June, the company began asking job seekers to complete personality tests before they would be considered for employment.

The tests, which take about 10 minutes to complete, contain dozens of trait descriptions, which help the company ensure they're getting the right type of employee for the job. So far, the company has filled 17 positions using the personality tests.

"We have had about 65 candidates take the survey," Chief Executive Richard Linder told The Wall Street Journal. "So far, every hire we have made in which we used the survey tool has resulted in a successful placement."

Officials at Fisher, Herbst & Kemble, P.C., a San Antonio-based accounting firm, also are relying on personality tests to help with the hiring process. The tests the company administers take about 15 minutes to complete and consist of questions designed to forecast behaviors such as interpersonal style, outlook and motivators.

Instead of using personality tests, one company in Albuquerque, N.M., has created its own in-person evaluation system. Officials at McKee Wallwork Cleveland evaluate a candidate in person over the course of several days, allowing the potential employee to experience the work culture of the firm and even attend some company meetings.

Another company that has recently shown creativity in its hiring process is I Love Rewards Inc., a 38-person consulting firm based in Massachusetts and Toronto that advises companies that want to implement employee benefits and performance-based rewards.

During its latest hiring effort, the company received 1,200 applications for nine job openings. Instead of reading through all the resumes, the company asked the applicants to attend an open house in Toronto, and only 400 potential employees showed up, drastically reducing the screening process.

For the open house itself, I Love Rewards rearranged its two-story office, with the first floor serving as an area where current company employees could mingle with candidates, and the second floor serving as a "speed-dating" area, where candidates could talk to current employees one-on-one.

Through that process, the company was able to dwindle the potential candidate pool down to 68 people, who will eventually be asked to come back for group and individual interviews.

Labels: Personality tests online