Efficient HR work is crucial in times of talent shortages. The lack of qualified applicants in Germany forces companies to look for smart solutions. Consequently, the demand for reliable instruments for personnel selection and development is increasing. Accurate and valid aptitude tests bring significant benefits, as they “can be used as relatively stable personality traits for predictive purposes and play an important educational role in training and development measures.” (Müller G., 2000)
Online Assessments for Identifying and Developing Talent
Individual potential, performance, and abilities can be effectively assessed through online assessments. This benefits both companies and employees:
- Companies gain professionalism in HR processes.
- Employees receive tailored job offers and development opportunities.
Ultimately, individualized solutions save time and money.
Another advantage: companies can choose from a wide range of providers. Some come from the field of diagnostics and psychology, others from IT-driven software solutions. Anna Burschik from Lumesse explains:
“As a software provider, we work with different content partners. If clients already cooperate with a content provider, we can integrate their content.”
From her perspective, online assessments are a core element of talent identification and the basis for strategic processes such as career and succession planning.
Use Cases of Online Assessments in HR
- Recruiting and selection
- Applicant management
- Training and development
- Talent management
- Succession planning
- Performance management
- Goal tracking
- Competence measurement
- Leadership development
Big Data and Measuring Talent
Data from diagnostic processes can be used efficiently. Providers differ in how they automate and integrate this data into HR systems. The goal: a holistic view of talent.
Oliver Dangel, Solics GmbH:
“Often, a lot of data is generated but not fully analyzed. We built a tailored reporting system for one client to evaluate almost 40,000 competence assessments per year – supporting succession planning, staffing, and L&D.”
Matthias Dietrich, rexx systems:
“Our web-based rexx HR provides a holistic picture of talent through skill management, performance data, career history, and potential assessments. Online assessments are seamlessly integrated – participants can be preselected, invited, and their results stored and combined with other HR data.”
The challenge remains: IT integration and data protection. But strategically applied, online assessments amplify their impact across organizations.
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Interfaces Between ATS and Diagnostics
Applications arrive via online forms, email, or even paper – all must flow into applicant tracking systems. On top: social media and mobile devices.
Example: milch & zucker’s recruiting platform integrates:
- Automatic data import from social media (if the applicant agrees)
- A platform for communication between leaders and talents
- Full mobile optimization
Impact of Online Assessments
Assessments provide value when they fit the problem context. Standards such as DIN 33430 / ISO 10667 define how selection becomes valid and reliable.
Key points:
- Tests must be job-related and explain over-/underperformance.
- Results should be verifiable through observation or interviews.
- Used well, assessments raise awareness, trigger reflection, and even shift company culture.
Thus, diagnostics go beyond selection – they become part of strategy and learning.
Aptitude Diagnostics as a Lever
A coaching or development process starting with a potential analysis saves hours of interviews and enables faster, more precise staffing. Diagnostics should be aligned with business goals and vision, ensuring that selected employees understand and pursue company objectives.
The Selection Process – Requirements First
Performance is strongly linked to personality-job fit. As Confucius said:
“Choose a job you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”
Professional diagnostics identify what people like and do well.
Key: knowing what needs to be diagnosed. Validity is central – assumptions must be reliable.
Example: “A salesperson must be extroverted.” → Not always true. The Critical Incident Technique helps identify behaviors directly tied to job success.
Pitfalls in Selection
Selection without clear requirements doesn’t work. Biases and projection errors reduce quality. Common mistakes:
- Looking for “the best” where “the right fit” is needed
- Overvaluing grades over real competencies
- Ignoring role requirements
- Considering irrelevant criteria
- Overlooking potential
- Hiring unsuitable candidates
Modern systems must deliver relevant info quickly, with requirements first – then technology.
Preselection – Let IT Do the Heavy Lifting
Application files are poor predictors. Up to 90% of recruiters judge based on superficial criteria (typos, format).
Modern assessment technology:
- Asks tailored preselection questions
- Scales job-specific criteria in minutes
- Evaluates hard skills first, then soft skills
This creates comparability and ranking – stacks of CVs become obsolete.
Requirements Profiles as a Two-Way Street
Talent scarcity means candidates also test companies. Still, matching remains key. Assessments help align employer, role requirements, and candidates – not just one-sided testing.
Intelligence & Personality Tests
Despite proven accuracy, psychological tests are underused. Nils Benit’s study found the issue lies not in the tests, but in the gap between science and practice.
Usage rates:
- Intelligence tests for apprentices: 24%
- Personality tests for leadership development: 16%
- For external hiring: personality (21%), intelligence (34%)
Data Protection: Relevance First
Data protection = individuals control access to their data.
Oliver Dangel, Solics:
“We always ensure compliance with data protection and works councils.”
Key principles:
- Only job-relevant data may be collected
- Stored data must be secured
- Candidates must consent to processing
Co-determination depends on test type (questionnaires, guidelines, selection criteria). Standardized rollouts usually require works council approval.
References
- Burandt & Kanzek, 2010
- Nachtwei & Schermuly, 2009
- Benit & Soellner, 2013 (Scientist-practitioner gap study)
- Hossiep, 2000
- Kersting, DIN 33430
- Prof. Uwe Kanning, University of Osnabrück
- Wikipedia: Datenschutz
- Kanning, “Business Horoscopes”, Süddeutsche Zeitung, 2014
Source:
HR Performance – Business Partner for HR Managers
, Special Issue, May 2014.
Title: HR zukunftssicher gestalten
Recognizing Personal Profiles – Online Assessments, Aptitude Diagnostics, Talent Management
Publisher: DataKontext GmbH, Cologne.