If I applied for a position with an organization that I really wanted to work for, and found out that they used handwriting analysis and honesty testing part of the selection process, I would not feel that comfortable but I would find it inevitable to go through the tests offered.
Various organizations are ready to invest money, time and other resources in order to hire the best candidate. So, I think employers deserve the right to apply any assessment techniques to choose the one. Besides, competing with each other, many jobseekers are willing to prove their superiority by all means.
According to Heneman (2008), an employer may use various methods of selection, among them are:
Substantive assessment methods (personality tests, ability tests, emotional intelligence test, integrity tests, etc.),
Discretionary assessment methods (i.e. methods to be used when selecting the best possible candidate from the list of finalists),
Contingent assessment methods (i.e. drug testing, medical exams) (p.426-491).
In my opinion, the essence of candidate measurement and its importance and use in staffing are obvious. It is a real pleasure to recognize that usually employers demonstrate great latitude in the process of choosing the most effective selection instruments.
However, on the other hand, to verify specific skills required for the job, candidates are not necessarily required to go through the testing which has nothing to do with their performance or professionalism. It just would not prove anything.
Some sources state that ‘there are a great many meta-analyses of the criterion-related validity of various constructs in the prediction of job performance and many thousands of primary studies’ (Farr, 2010, p.64). Nevertheless, I believe, that it is not always that legal and ethical for an employer to use some of the techniques as they may ‘lack content validity’ (Heneman, 2008, p.358) and may be connected with employer’s legal responsibility.
References
Farr, J.L., Tippins, N.T. (Eds.). (2010). Handbook of Employee Selection./ New York: Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.
Heneman, H.G., Judge, T.A., (2008). Staffing Organizations. New York: Irwin/McGraw-Hill.
