Analysis of Recruitment Process: Candidate and Hiring Manager Feedback

This report presents an analysis of questionnaire responses from both candidates and hiring managers, focusing on their experiences and perceptions of a recruitment process. The candidate questionnaire explores aspects such as the perceived difficulty and fairness of technical tests, the support received from recruiters, the consistency of job descriptions with test content, and suggestions for improvement. Key themes emerging from candidate feedback include time constraints during testing, the need for clearer communication and feedback, and varying opinions on the relevance and clarity of test questions. The hiring manager questionnaire delves into their involvement in test design, the alignment of cognitive ability questions with job requirements, and the perceived success of psychometric testing in attracting suitable staff. The findings offer valuable insights into optimizing recruitment strategies, enhancing candidate experience, and ensuring effective assessment of required skills and competencies. This document is available on Desklib, a platform offering a wide range of study tools and solved assignments for students.

Appendix 1: Candidate Testing Experience –
Questionnaire Results
1. Before you start the survey, please read the following items and tick the appropriate
box below to indicate that you agree to take part in this study.1) I have read the
information sheet in full; I understand the purpose of this research is to investigate
the rationale for psychometric testing, consider applicant experiences of
psychometric/technical testing and explore any implications for the organisational
recruitment process. 2) Any questions I had have been answered, and I
understand I may ask further questions at any time. 3) I understand what is
involved in participating, that it is voluntary, and that I may withdraw at any stage
during the survey. 4) I understand the research results as an executive summary
without demographic information will be shared with Evidera.5) I understand the
results may be used for academic publications, such as dissertation, thesis or journal
articles. 6) I agree to take part in this study under the conditions set out above.
ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSE
S TOTAL RESPONDENTS
I agree to take part in this survey 100.00% 8
I do not agree to take part in this survey 0.00% 0
2. How did you find your technical test?
RESPONDENT
CODES RESPONSES
RESPONDENT 1
“I didn't think much about my feelings but rather meeting the
requirements. It was generally what I expected with respect to
testing basic approaches to activities that the role called for.”
RESPONDENT 2 “I definitely found it challenging and stressful.”
RESPONDENT 3 “Difficult to complete in the time given”
RESPONDENT 4 “It was challenging, but clearly solvable within the allocated
timeframe.”
RESPONDENT 5 “I found it challenging but fair.”
RESPONDENT 6
“Overall, good but there was not enough communication about what
the rest would be like/what to expect and the questions were not
well written.”
RESPONDENT 7 “Very well”
RESPONDENT 8 “Interesting”
3. What challenges did you experience taking the test?
RESPONDENT
CODES RESPONSESS
RESPONDENT 1
“The limitations in the instructions in my judgement were
problematic. The test instructions suggested that the tests would
take 2 hours but took much longer than this.”
RESPONDENT 2
“I was stressed due to the time constraints of the test and there
were some questions I did not understand. It was hard not being
able to ask for clarification about what a question was asking.”
RESPONDENT 3 “Mostly the time. Not enough time to think through all the questions

and various factors.”
RESPONDENT 4
“Not many. I tried to write a program for one of the questions but
realized later that it is much easier to solve. As a consequence, I
was a bit time constrained with the last question but managed to
solve it anyway.”
RESPONDENT 5 “I did not have enough time to finish coding the test. I was able to
write my thoughts out about what I was planning on doing.”
RESPONDENT 6 “Questions were not clear”
RESPONDENT 7 “None”
RESPONDENT 8 “Time management, focusing on two or more things at the same
time.”
4. How supported did you feel by a recruitment member prior to taking the test?
RESPONDENT
CODES RESPONSESS
RESPONDENT 1 “My recruiter was very supportive and encouraging.”
RESPONDENT 2
“I was stressed due to the time constraints of the test and there
were some questions I did not understand. It was hard not being
able to ask for clarification about what a question was asking.”
RESPONDENT 3 “Very. I was really appreciative of the transparency I received
during the recruitment process.”
RESPONDENT 4 “Very supported.”
RESPONDENT 5 “She was quite helpful. Overall, I think it is hard to give actual
support for these types of tests.”
RESPONDENT 6 “Very well.”
RESPONDENT 7
“Well supported. I felt like I could reach out to the recruiter if
needed, but since there was no interview or communication before
the test, I didn’t feel a strong sense of rapport or like I mattered.”
RESPONDENT 8 “Full support.”
5. How consistent were the job description requirements with what was presented
during the test?
RESPONDENT
CODES RESPONSESS
RESPONDENT 1 “They were consistent”
RESPONDENT 2 “Somewhat. I knew I would be doing more database management
and have not yet delved into the analytics side of my position.”
RESPONDENT 3 “It seemed pretty consistent to me.”
RESPONDENT 4 “I thought that it was supposed to test my excel skills, but it was a
bit more than that. More like an IQ test based on MS excel.”
RESPONDENT 5 “Very consistent.”
RESPONDENT 6 “Fair.”
RESPONDENT 7 “Very consistent.”
RESPONDENT 8 “Fully consistent.”
6. Do you feel you understood the purpose of the test within the recruitment process?
RESPONDENT
CODES RESPONSESS
RESPONDENT 1 “To some degree, I understood the purpose of the test but not clear
about what was being evaluated.
RESPONDENT 2 “Yes.”

RESPONDENT 3 “Yes, I do.”
RESPONDENT 4 “I think so, but probably just after taking the test.”
RESPONDENT 5 “Yes”
RESPONDENT 6 “Yes”
RESPONDENT 7 “Yes, I do”
RESPONDENT 8 “Yes.”
7. On the whole, how did the test match the expectations you had of what was
assessed?
RESPONDENT
CODES RESPONSESS
RESPONDENT 1 “I am not clear on this question as I am not clear what you mean by
expectations. I will answer that it matched well.”
RESPONDENT 2 “Since I have not begun the SAS side of my position, I don't feel I
can answer this appropriately.”
RESPONDENT 3 “I would say it matched my expectations beside show little time was
given.”
RESPONDENT 4 “I expected that it will test much more Excel skills.”
RESPONDENT 5 “It matched 100%.”
RESPONDENT 6 “It matched well.”
RESPONDENT 7 “Very well””
RESPONDENT 8 “Yes.”
8. Based on your experience, do you have any suggestions to improve the
organisation’s recruitment process?
RESPONDENT
CODES RESPONSESS
RESPONDENT 1
I was not a successful candidate so I am not sure I can be very
helpful about the recruitment process. I would suggest that
feedback given to candidates be more structured and thoughtful.
Feedback was given after the first test and it was not clear if these
could or should be addressed (or what the candidate could do in
preparation for the next test). If feedback is given, the hope is that
the candidate can make use of this. Similarly, for the second test,
the feedback was less structured, and I was told that "she may not
be used to using excel spreadsheets". Hard to know what to make
of this as I use excel daily (so I wondered if I had attached the
wrong file, had I made an error). Whether this is the actual reason is
perhaps not the issue. Rather, if you wish to provide feedback,
consider stating this in a way that will assist the candidate to
improve their future job searching. In this way there is something
positive we can take away even if they are not the successful
candidate.”
RESPONDENT 2
“I would suggest incorporating it into an interview, where the person
can at least have a recruiter or staff member available to ask
clarification questions.”
RESPONDENT 3 “I would say a little more time even just 15-30 mins or focus the
questions a bit more if you want to stick to an hour.”
RESPONDENT 4
“Depending on the actual needs of the organisation, it should focus
more on actual Excel skills. If the goal is to test the candidates'
mental agility then the test is fine as it is.”
RESPONDENT 5 “I felt that the process was very well organized. Everything was

planned out accordingly.”
RESPONDENT 6
“Do a screening interview first. It helps to have some kind of
relationship with the recruiter/hiring manager before sending the
skills test.”
RESPONDENT 7 “Nothing to change. The process was quick, smooth and
professional””
RESPONDENT 8 “No.”
9. Do you consider yourself to be a member of a diversity group? If yes, would you feel
able to say which diversity groups you identify with from the below?
Gender:Female, Male or Prefer Not to Say
Race/Ethnicity:American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian, Black or African
American, Hispanic or Latino, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Two or More
Races or Prefer Not to Say
Disability: Individual with Disability, Individual without Disability or Prefer Not to Say
ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSE
S TOTAL RESPONDENTS
Female 75.00% 6
Male 25.00% 2
Prefer Not to Reveal My Gender 0.00% 0
ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSE
S TOTAL RESPONDENTS
American Indian or Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Asian 12.50% 1
White 37.50% 3
Black or African American 25.00% 2
Hispanic or Latino 12.50% 1
Other Pacific Islander 0.00% 0
Two or More Races 12.50% 1
Prefer Not to Reveal my Race/Ethnicity 0.00% 0
ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSE
S TOTAL RESPONDENTS
Individual with Disability 12.50% 1
Individual without Disability 87.50% 7
Prefer Not to Reveal My Gender 0.00% 0

Appendix 2: Hiring Managers – Questionnaire
Results
1. Before you start the survey, please read the following items and tick the appropriate
box below to indicate that you agree to take part in this study.1) I have read the
information sheet in full; I understand the purpose of this research is to investigate
the rationale for psychometric testing, consider applicant experiences of
psychometric/technical testing and explore any implications for the organisational
recruitment process. 2) Any questions I had have been answered, and I
understand I may ask further questions at any time. 3) I understand what is
involved in participating, that it is voluntary, and that I may withdraw at any stage
during the survey. 4) I understand the research results as an executive summary
without demographic information will be shared with Evidera.5) I understand the
results may be used for academic publications, such as dissertation, thesis or journal
articles. 6) I agree to take part in this study under the conditions set out above.
ANSWER CHOICES RESPONSES TOTAL RESPONDENTS
I agree to take part in this survey 100.00% 5
I do not agree to take part in this survey 0.00% 0
2. How involved were you in the current psychometric (cognitive ability) test design for
your team?
RESPONDENT
CODES RESPONSES
MANAGER 1 “I was actively involved in the design and selection of the questions
on the test.”
MANAGER 2 “Not at all.”
MANAGER 3
“I played an integral role in the cognitive ability test design of my
team. I was also the initial interviewer and determined whether the
candidate should advance through the process for consideration.”
MANAGER 4 “I have been involved in the design of the technical testing.”
MANAGER 5 “Very involved.
3. How do you think the current cognitive ability questions on the tests are linked with
the job requirements?
RESPONDENT
CODES RESPONSES
MANAGER 1
“The cognitive ability questions reflect the ability of the candidate to
perform problem solving responsibilities on the job, which is critical
to our client work.”
MANAGER 2 “I can't answer this because I am unaware of the questions.”
MANAGER 3
“The cognitive questions are critical to the job requirements. The
role requires team members to be able to problem solve, be able to
reason and learn from experience.”
MANAGER 4 “The technical test tries to simulate a client problem situation so are
quite close to the day-to-day role for the job.”
MANAGER 5
“The current tests ask participants to complete exercises very
commonly performed on the job to see if they have appropriate
background in the subject matter and also critical thinking skills.”

4. How successful do you think the current psychometric testing (cognitive ability) is in
attracting staff to your team?
RESPONDENT
CODES RESPONSES
MANAGER 1 “I don’t think the test plays a role in attracting staff to the team.”
MANAGER 2 “I can't answer this because I am unaware of the testing.”
MANAGER 3 “I think the current cognitive ability test is a set expectation for all of
our staff. It is not supposed to attract people to the team.”
MANAGER 4
“Successful. The formal psychometric testing focuses on the
technical skills which are necessary for the role. If an applicant is
not successful, this means they are not qualified to perform the
role.”
MANAGER 5 “I'm not sure if the testing is having significant impact on attracting
staff to the team.
5. What would happen if a candidate failed the psychometric testing? What do you
believe is the reason for candidates to fail the test?
RESPONDENT
CODES RESPONSESS
MANAGER 1 “If a candidate does not perform well on the test, they would not be
suitable to continue with the interviewing process and their
application would be unsuccessful. We would however consider
their transferable skills for any other teams.”
MANAGER 2 “I can't answer this because I am not familiar with the test.”
MANAGER 3 “Candidates may not be advanced through the process if they fail a
psychometric test. I believe failure could be attributed to
nervousness which prohibits them of thinking of a real-life
experience/example or they are unable to clearly articulate an
example to showcase the ability to perform the role.”
MANAGER 4 If the candidate failed the technical test, we would consider the
other competency and interview stages to evaluate the candidate
level. The candidate may still meet the requirements for a different
role level in the team.”
MANAGER 5 “If someone does poorly on the test in a way, we do not deem is
coachable we would not proceed with interview. If they do seem to
be coachable then we would proceed to interview.”
6. How do you feel about using another type of assessment method in conjunction with
the psychometric testing? If you are not using psychometric testing as part of the
recruitment process, what other selection methods are you willing to switch to?
RESPONDENT
CODES RESPONSESS
MANAGER 1 “I am partial to the language and behavior profile method. This
requires training and it is not feasible to train all interview panelists
to use it. It would be a good idea if the recruiters didthis for
consistent feedback across all candidates”.
MANAGER 2 “We use writing examples and tests of writing and data
comprehension tests.”
MANAGER 3 “I would be open to considering another type of assessment. I
would need to review it.”
MANAGER 4 “I think we can combine the test with another assessment, perhaps
a technical interview test (role play on client situation with a

member of staff).”
MANAGER 5 “I would be open to other types of testing to evaluate candidates”
7. What do you understand by validity and reliability of a psychometric test? What does
it mean to you?
RESPONDENT
CODES RESPONSESS
MANAGER 1 “That the test has been proven through research methods to be
valid and reliable. There are likely a number of tests on the market
that haven't undergone any testing whatsoever.
MANAGER 2 “Validity refers to whether a test is measuring what it is intended to
measure, and reliability refers to the consistency of the test - are the
answers similar at different time points, do different observers
provide similar responses and do the test questions hang together
in a cohesive predictable fashion regardless of the population they
are being used on or different uses.”
MANAGER 3 “I understand validity to mean does if a test is applicable to a
population. Reliability means consistency.”
MANAGER 4 “Validity: does the test measure what it is supposed to measure for
candidates? Reliability: does the test give consistent results across
candidates?”
MANAGER 5 “As a psychology major, I'm quite familiar with the validity and
reliability of tests.”
8. Do you think that unvalidated psychometric testing might have a positive or adverse
impact on the selection and assessment of the workforce in a global company?
RESPONDENT
CODES RESPONSESS
MANAGER 1 “Such a test would not reflect well on our reputation of rigor and
quality.”
MANAGER 2 “I think that depending on the test, even if unvalidated, if widely
used, it could still prove to have a positive impact on hiring
practices.”
MANAGER 3 “I believe the unvalidated psychometric testing could have a
positive or adverse impact. The validation testing would assist in
determining if it is a good or bad measure. Without the validation,
you could be using a bad test to evaluate staff which could have an
adverse impact.”
MANAGER 4 “I would say adverse impact due to differences in languages and
interpretation. It would be important to use a validated test..”
MANAGER 5 “Adverse effect as there would be no assurance of measurement
stability.”
9. Do you think the current testing is valid and reliable?
RESPONDENT
CODES RESPONSESS
MANAGER 1 “Such a test would not reflect well on our reputation of rigor and
quality.”
MANAGER 2 “Don't know as I am unaware of any tests beyond writing -those
have not been assessed however and the scoring is left to 1-2
individuals from the team.”
MANAGER 3 “I think the current testing is valid and reliable.”

MANAGER 4 “We have taken feedback from candidates for our interview process
but have not performed a formal research evaluation. The
psychometric test in the process hasn't been assessed.”
MANAGER 5 “We've not had it validated but it does seem to be reliable in terms
of task completion.”
10. Do you have any suggestions for improvement in relation to the current use of
bespoke psychometric testing?
RESPONDENT
CODES RESPONSESS
MANAGER 1 “This would be a conversation to initiate. I have not heard this come
from HR/recruitment. I've mentioned it years ago and been told the
recruiters cannot take this on.”
MANAGER 2 “Select candidates that the team is looking for.”
MANAGER 3 “No, I don't have any suggestions.
MANAGER 4 “No suggestions.”
MANAGER 5 “No further suggestions.”
Appendix 3: Table of Themes
SURVEY EXTRACT CODE THEME
Yes, psychometric testing has link with
diversity and it can promote diversity in
recruitment process.
Respondents
There is any link between
psychometric testing and
diversity?
It matched with or expectations as it
consisted all questions related to job
requirements and excel. There is only
one area on which company needs to
focus is: time management.
Respondents
How did current test matched with
your expectation regarding this?
Yes, current method and questions
were related to job requirements but
there is need to focus on excel skills
more than normal mental ability
questions.
Managers
Is there link of current testing with
job requirements.
Yes, current testing strategy is effective
but there is requirement to focus on
time. As per the complexity of
questions and number of questions,
managing time was quite difficult.
Respondents
Reliability and effectiveness of
current psychometric testing for
promoting diversity in recruitment
process.
Screening interview of candidates
before giving them test and providing
them training regarding ways of using
Managers Recommendations for improving
overall process of recruitment.

psychometric test.
Appendix 4: Recommendation &Cost
Implementation Plan
RECOMMENDATION 1: monitoring
and validation
ACTION OWNERS PROPOSED
TIMELINE
COST or RESOURCE
IMPLICATIONS
TOTAL COST EVALUATION
CRITERIA
validatio
n should
be
carried
out of
test use
by
compan
y
Manager
2 months Software and many
other technology
equipments
23.00 This could
keep carrying
out for
working with
many and
proper
estimation
which could
led them for
working and
make sure
about the
given results.
RECOMMENDATION 2: feedback
ACTION OWNERS PROPOSED
TIMELINE
COST or RESOURCE
IMPLICATIONS
TOTAL COST EVALUATION
CRITERIA
De-fined
more
offered
to all
candidat
es,
external
,
internal
as they
are
Hiring
employee
1 months Various technology
designed scheduling
and software
12.12 While this
could keep
the feedback
in using given
various
feedback.

being
successf
ully in
their
applican
ts or
not.
RECOMMENDATION 3: test use
ACTION OWNERS PROPOSED
TIMELINE
COST or RESOURCE
IMPLICATIONS
TOTAL COST EVALUATION
CRITERIA
Personal
ity test
and
keeping
clear
guidelin
es for
keeping
test
informa
tion
Employee
3 months While this could keep
the use of
psychometric testing.
14.21 Keeping steps
which could
keep the use
of testing
information
and always
reaching out
some of the
points of
interviewing.