Gen Z, millennials, and Gen X were all taught a simple formula when applying to jobs: turn in a résumé and cover letter, and hope for the best. But that old-school method may be on its way out.
In fact, by the time Gen Alpha becomes old enough to work, they may never know the pain of having to write down every single responsibility they’ve ever had on their résumé, like previous generations of job-hunters have had to. That’s because already, about 76% of employers are using some kind of skills test in assessing job candidates when hiring, according to a recent report from TestGorilla.
Whether that be the Hogan Assessments exam or Myers-Briggs personality test, bosses are using quizzes to get a leg-up in a fierce talent war. And they’re loving it so far—about 84% are satisfied with the hires they’ve made using skills tests, compared to 80% of happy bosses overall.
Personality and skills tests may even take over traditional ways of screening talent, with bosses already admitting they prefer the newer tools: 71% of employers agree that testing is more predictive of on-the-job success compared to résumés. About 65% have also agreed that workers hired using skills tests stay in their roles longer than those who didn’t take a quiz.
We’re already seeing the popularity of pre-employment tests take shape at some major companies like Olive Garden and FedEx.
The upsides of using skills tests: It’s quicker and more accurate in hiring the right talent
Applicants have mixed reactions to being handed personality tests during the hiring process. Some describe getting fielded “bizzare” inquiries—like how they’d feel about grabbing pizza before others—that make them question the effectiveness of the tests altogether. But the truth is that personality and skills tests aren’t a new fad—they’ve been passed out for decades as employers crave an edge on finding the best talent.
“Personality tests are pretty common in hiring,” Ryne Sherman, chief science officer at performance personality testing company Hogan Assessments, told Fortune. “Every little extra edge I can get, if I can get a bit more extra information, and apply that to my entire workforce, that can have a huge impact on the overall productivity.”
These quizzes have also proved to weed out some bad apples; two in three employers say having skills tests in their hiring process has reduced the number of mis-hires, according to the TestGorilla report. And when time is money, any optimization helps—roughly three in five bosses say that including skills tests in the hiring process has cut down their overall time-to-hire. Employers say the top benefits of using skills tests are verifying cognitive abilities, and technical prowess, alongside being able to easily rank candidates based on scores.
The examinations are also helpful in scoping out soft skills as AI takes over the grunt work. About 69% of employers say they’re using soft skills tests this year in hiring, compared to 50% using cognitive ability quizzes, and 35% handing out self-report exams.
Olive Garden, FedEx, and others already using personality tests
About 80% of the Fortune 500 use personality tests, with more than 80 million Americans completing an employment-related quiz every year, according to a 2023 report from Deloitte. But they’re getting more attention for being too wacky than a lifesaver for bosses.
Olive Garden has been using a personality test distributed by Paradox.ai, which makes applicants answer “more than 60 slides featuring a blue alien called Ash,” according to a journalist Emanuel Maiberg.
Mailing giant FedEx also went viral for administering the same “bizarre personality test” to job candidates featuring the blue animated avatar. One applicant was told they “tolerate mediocre work from others” after sitting through the exam, which they described as “blatantly prejudicial.” They received scores across five personality traits at the finish, which they felt were inaccurate.
Paradox.ai boasts working with other billion-dollar clients like McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Citizens, but it’s not guaranteed that all use the personality test feature.
Plus, not all pre-employment tests are as out-there as Olive Garden’s and FedEx’s. Refrigerated cookie dough company Sweet Loren’s also uses assessments in hiring; CEO Loren Castle said the business hands out the CliftonStrengths quiz to every candidate applying to the company. The 30-minute exam is made by American analytics company Gallup, and analyzes unique skills, thinking patterns, feelings, and behaviors. Castle is looking for employees with a few core traits: They need a positive attitude, passion, and teamwork skills.
“We have less than 30 people on our team, and we run a profitable business,” Castle told Fortune. “So we really need smart, passionate people on the team—you can’t kind of hide.”
