Resources
The Client
AVS Technologies is leading the Canadian Consumer Electronics industry through excellence in their products and service to their customers. AVS’ success could only be achieved with the highest quality employees.
AVS Technologies is an equal opportunity employer and their human resources priority is always to recruit and develop the best caliber people in their respective fields.
The Products
Hay Aptitude Test Battery: AVS Technologies uses the Hay Aptitude Tests to measure the analytical and critical thinking skills of all job candidates. The Hay Aptitude Tests help recruiters identify those candidates who can manage large volumes of detail work with few errors. Aligning the right candidates with these core positions helps improve their efficiency and profitability.
The Hay tests include:
- Warm-Up Test
- Number Perception Test
- Name Finding Test
- Number Series Completion Test
Wonderlic Personnel Test (WPT): AVS Technologies uses the WPT to rate the skills of potential management candidates. The 50-question 12-minute timed test, which has been used by thousands of organizations since 1937, measures a candidate’s ability to learn a specific job, solve problems, understand instructions and apply knowledge to new situations. This test provides AVS with objective information about candidates, which they use to shape interview questions and make more informed decisions. Minimum test scores enables AVS to eliminate more than half of the initial candidate pool before the interview process begins saving them time and reducing the possibility of making a bad hiring decision.
Comprehensive Personality Profile® (CPP®): This personality assessment helps AVS Technologies measure and manage people according to the person/job fit. The CPP provides a 15-page report that describes a candidate’s personality in terms of job-related strengths and weaknesses.
The selection report allows AVS Technologies to match personalities to position requirements to optimize the person/job fit. Management reports suggest job structures and motivational tools that can increase each individual’s productivity.
16PF® Personality Profile: This personality assessment evaluates creativity, independence, leadership ability and emotional self-control. It offers in-depth information describing an individual’s personality traits and how those traits relate to successful management performance, leadership and creativity.
The profile reveals 16 primary and 8 secondary managerial traits that identify personal qualities that influence work-related behaviors including problem solving, sensitivity, assertiveness, self-discipline, drive and interpersonal style. The 16PF helps AVS Technologies ensure that an individual’s personality is compatible with their management team and goals.
Investment in Testing Results In Higher Quality Employees
AVS Technologies is a customer driven leading Canadian importer and marketer of brand name consumer electronics. AVS does not take any chances with its new hires. Before they bring anyone into the fold they want to be sure that the person is smart, has an analytical mind and is able to work well with numbers, says Michael Plotnick, Senior Marketing Manager. “We need our staff to understand the basic business model, as well as, be able to think critically.” That is why AVS uses a series of Wonderlic tests, including the Wonderlic Personnel Test (WPT), The Hay Aptitude Test Battery, the Comprehensive Personality Profile (CPP), and the 16PF Personality Profile, to evaluate a candidate’s skills, abilities and personality, before making any hiring decisions.
AVS commonly receives 300 or more resumés every time they post an ad in the newspaper or at monster.ca, says Sandy Riggs, Sales and Marketing Assistant. The recruiting team goes through every resumé individually to choose those candidates who have the highest likelihood of succeeding in the specific position. The recruiting team then conducts brief phone interviews. If interest is still there on both parts the candidate is invited to the company’s head-office to do testing.
Before these candidates meet with anyone for interviews, they complete the first two Wonderlic assessments, says Riggs. They begin with the WPT, a 50-question, 12-minute timed test that measures a candidate’s ability to learn a specific job, solve problems, understand instructions and apply knowledge to new situations. Then they take the Hay Test Battery, which consists of three short tests of speed and accuracy that measure a person’s ability to compare numbers and names, use short-term memory effectively, and quickly identify numeric relationships. The results reflect both the speed and accuracy with which the candidate performs these basic clerical tasks. “These tests really help us identify if a person is analytical, whether they are good with numbers, and whether they will work well under pressure” Plotnick says.
The tests are tallied immediately and if applicants don’t achieve the necessary minimum scores—unless documented work experience or phone interview information warrant further investigation—they are not considered for the position, Plotnick says. For management and most marketing positions applicants need to score a 26 or higher on the WPT to be considered, and he estimates half or more don’t make the first round of cuts. “We have high standards for test scores and because of that our turnover is low,” he says.
“We have high standards for test scores and because of that our turnover is low,” Plotnik says.
“A lot of people don’t score as high as we require,” Riggs adds. “Sometimes they score badly because they don’t finish in time,” she says, “but speed is part of the test.”
If they do make the scores, candidates go through two or more interviews that day with managers and supervisors. If the interviews go well they take the personality tests, usually the same day.
The CPP is the first personality assessment they take. It measures seven primary personality traits: emotional intensity, intuition, recognition, motivation, sensitivity, assertiveness trust, and good impressions. When candidates finish this test, Wonderlic provides a summary profile with the test results identifying candidates as one of four common personality types; Driver, Supporter, Thinker, or Motivator. Wonderlic also provides a 15-page report that describes a candidate’s personality in terms of job-related strengths and weaknesses.
The final test, called the 16PF, offers in-depth information describing an individual’s personality traits and how those traits relate to successful management performance, leadership and creativity. It reveals 16 primary and eight secondary managerial traits that influence work-related behaviors, including problem solving, sensitivity, assertiveness, self-discipline, drive and interpersonal style.
“The high quality of the work we get from our employees is the direct result of hiring the right people for the job. We think the return on the investment in Wonderlic testing is well worth it.”
— Michael Plotnik, Senior Marketing Manager
All together, the selection process can take three and a half hours or more, says Riggs. “It’s an intense process but it works for us,” she says. “Everyone we’ve hired has really done well.” Plotnick agrees. “The high quality of the work we get from our employees is the direct result of hiring the right people for the job. We think the return on the investment in Wonderlic testing is well worth it.”
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