People
skills are becoming increasingly important to business, with more than half of
UK employers now using personality tests to ensure they attract the best staff.
Research
from the Business Test Publishers Association (BTPA) shows that 56 per cent of
employers are now testing the personality traits of potential recruits.
The
poll of 206 UK-based firms found that 80 per cent still used a paper-based
test, while 40 per cent used some form of online assessment.
Richard
Alberg, chairman of the BTPA, said most employers used the tests to assess
people skills, rather than the more traditional hard skills.
“The
increased use of personality testing in British business reflects a marked
trend away from hard skills assessment to a recognition that a candidate’s
personality skills are the key to success,” he said.
The
findings show that nearly 60 per cent of respondents administered tests less
than 10 times a month, with about 20 per cent carrying out tests more than 20
times a month.
It
also found that although businesses were more likely to test new recruits,
there was a growing emphasis on the ongoing testing of existing staff.
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