Tests in selection interviews

📌 Interview tests: unnecessary hassle or valuable tool?

Okay, I know. When that moment comes, the temptation is always the same: “But do I really have to take this test? Aren't my resume and the interview questions enough?”

If you've ever been in a job search process and been asked to complete an aptitude, logic, or personality test, you probably thought it was a waste of time or, worse, a way to put you in a difficult position. I understand you perfectly (it happened to me too).

💡 But let me make one thing very clear: tests are not a trap. They are a tool. And like any tool, it all depends on how they are used.

I'll explain to you why For years, with Open Source Management (OSM), we have been using testing in our selection processes, what they really tell us about a candidate and, above all, how you can face them without anxiety and use them to your advantage.

🔍 Why do companies use selection tests?

To put it simply, because the CV and the interview are not enough.

• 🎯 The CV tells what you have done.
• 🎯 The interview shows how you present yourself and communicate.
• 🎯 The test helps understand how you think, how you relate to work and how you face challenges.

It is not a question of “judging” the candidate or testing him for his own sake, but of better understand who we are dealing with and get an idea of how they might integrate into the company context for which they are applying.

❌ Let's dispel a false myth: you don't get "rejected" (horrible word) "because of the test"

Here’s something you need to know: recruiting firms get paid to find people to hire, not to “weed them out.”

📌 Think about it for a moment:

Companies pay us if we find good candidates from the doorstep. No company invests in a recruiting firm just to hear, "Gentlemen, we did a great job: we managed to eliminate 100 candidates... (but you're still without the person you were looking for)!"

The fact is that the final choice “rewards” one candidate over another, and that the test is only one (important) component among many other (equally important) components.

So, NO, you are not excluded from the selection process just because your test isn't "up to par" with that of other candidates.

In fact, let's do a little thought experiment:

👉 Who do you think is most likely to get hired?

🔴 Candidate A: has a “perfect” test, but shows up to the interview without knowing anything about the company he applied to.

🟢 Candidate B: has an “imperfect” test, but comes prepared, knows the company better than the person selecting him and demonstrates genuine interest in the role.

📌 The answer is obvious.

The test result is not enough to get a job and it is not even enough to not get it.Between you and me: Demonstrating that you are motivated, prepared, and in tune with the company is equally (if not more) important, especially in Italian companies that are (rightly) considered by their founders and managers more like creatures than production machines.

🤔 But are these tests really reliable?

Fair question. And the answer is: it depends.

There are valid tests, not just scientifically studied, with a high predictive power of job performance precisely because they're developed in the context of work. And then there are improvised tests, out of context, used without criteria or simply because it's "cool" to include them in the selection process. This is why it is important that those who use them know what they are doing and what they are using.

🔑 Since they are used as part of the selection process, how can you approach tests without stress?

1️⃣ Don't try to "manipulate" the result

📌 Why?

• Quality tests have mechanisms that detect inconsistencies in responses.
• If you force your profile to sound different than you are, you may find yourself in a job that isn't right for you.
• Companies are looking for authentic people, not perfect robots.

2️⃣ Remember that a test does not define your value

📌 A test measures specific aspects required for that specific role in that specific company in that specific production context, not your value.

3️⃣ If you fail a test, always ask for feedback

Serious companies don't use tests as "automatic filters." If your profile hasn't been considered suitable for a specific role, asking for feedback can give you a better understanding. useful indications for the future.

🚀 Do you want to prepare yourself as best as possible for your next interview (even at companies that use selection tests)?

📌 OSM offers a free course to help you improve your skills and increase your chances of success in the job market (even in those companies that use selection tests).

🎓 Find out more here: 👉 Free course by OSM

🚀 Prepare yourself as best you can, enhance your skills, and face every selection with confidence!

📌 Have any questions or concerns? Let me know in the comments! 😉

🔗 Resources for further study