If you’re applying for a job at a global company, you may be asked to take an aptitude or personality test. Hearing this, you may be nervous about your test-taking or language skills. Don’t be. We spoke to several experts in global testing, and here’s what they told us.
What Companies Want to Know. Companies use tests to determine either aptitude (such as your skills as a Java programmer) or to rate personality traits (such as your ability to work within a team or under intense deadline pressure). It’s important to remember that in most cases, the company isn’t using the test to cull applicants - it’s using it to determine for which positions applicants are best suited. Employers often realize that candidates with different backgrounds may be more or less comfortable with questionnaires or tests, explains Dr. Karine Schomer, president of Alameda, Calif.-based Change Management Consulting & Training. “The company can’t assume the U.S. mindset,” says Schomer, “where people know they need to be as straightforward as possible.”
In some countries, such as India, Schomer says, applicants may focus on discerning a single correct answer. It’s important to remember that there aren’t necessarily “right” answers and “wrong” answers - just honest answers that come from your experience and background.
How The Tests Are Localized. If your native language isn’t the same as that of your potential employer, you may worry that you won’t understand the wording of the tests. After all, even English has multiple variations, depending on whether it’s spoken in Australia, India, South Africa, the United States, or the United Kingdom. That’s why global companies usually hire local testing firms to adapt their tests for the geography in which the recruiting is taking place. These firms specialize in what’s known as psychometric testing and ensure that the tests are translated properly. They also make sure that those translations avoid references to cultural ideas or touchstones that are unfamiliar in the local culture or region.
Other elements of localization include making sure that situational questions such as “what would you do in the case of …” are culturally appropriate. For instance, in the U.S. and Eastern Europe, employees usually don’t hesitate to challenge their bosses. It’s unlikely there would be a question in those geographies along the lines of, “How would you tell your boss you thought he/she was wrong?”
When You Feel Unsure About A Test. Don’t be shy about speaking up. You may not have been brought up in a culture - such as in China or the U.S. - where tests are administered frequently. “In some cultures,” says Sheila Crosby Peña, senior manager for the global recruitment team at consulting firm Accenture, “people have been taking tests since kindergarten, and they’re comfortable with them.” You may ask for more time to take the test, or to get a better sense of what the test will encompass; that’s okay.
Some candidates may also feel uncomfortable taking a test on a computer if they haven’t had much experience with them. Companies are more frequently administering initial aptitude tests via computers, notes Peña, but they have to remember that not everyone has the same level of familiarity or comfort with computers. You may be qualified for a position, and if it doesn’t require computer skills (or if the company is willing to teach you), go ahead and asking to take the test on paper.
Remember that the test is just one method of judging whether you’re suited for a position, and your ability to communicate your attitude, skills and capabilities may be even more important.
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