Optimize Hire for Manufacturing

At Optimize Hire, we’ve had the unique and exciting chance to study how customized manufacturing assessments affect performance and turnover in real time, at real manufacturing companies and companies in related industries. Specifically, we’ve analyzed three different tests at three different companies and learned that testing a combination of personality traits and work behaviors sets up manufacturing companies for the best outcomes in pre-employment testing.

Usually, Optimize Hire tests personality traits. Personality traits are things like conscientiousness and emotional stability. They’re generally pretty job agnostic. That makes sense when you consider that the definition of conscientiousness is being hardworking, dutiful, and organized. It’s hard to imagine a job where you don’t want someone to display those traits.

On the other hand, testing work behaviors is a way that we essentially set expectations for job applicants. Research shows that people are more likely to succeed in a job when they know what they’re getting into, and indicate that they’re positively inclined toward those work behaviors. This makes sense. Let’s say on your pre-employment test someone indicates that they would prefer working at a computer, and your job involves several hours of manual labor per day. It tracks that that employee is more likely to quit or be terminated sooner. 

Testing for these two categories of behaviors is really simple, can be quite quick, and saves companies enormous amounts of money. Consider the results from the three companies I mentioned earlier:

Company 1
This company didn’t use work behaviors in their assessment, only personality traits. Their results show a strong correlation between high scores and success on the job, but it’s notably lower than the assessment also using work behaviors.

Company 2
This company used the most robust number of work behaviors we’ve yet created. The results were astounding, and some of the best we’ve seen in our 11 years as a company. High scorers were 49% less likely than low scorers to turn over.

Company 3

This company has had two tests. They used the first test for a year, and after we saw results, we collaborated with the company to hone the test to predict for the traits that we knew from our study were the most highly correlated with success. High scorers were far more likely to be rated as high performers in production as their low scoring counterparts

How can I do this for my company?
The process of adding work behaviors to your assessments is simple, and tailored to your unique company needs. Not every company may need to assess work behaviors in order to get strong predictive value from their assessment. Start by scheduling a demo, and we’ll work together from there.

Why Optimize Hire, particularly?

Optimize Hire behavioral tests are 8-10 minutes long and have a 96% national completion rate. Created by Dr. Adam Grant and customized by experts at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania our tests have been validated to show improvement in turnover and other job performance outcomes.

What experts recommend

All applicants are tested on behavioral traits and ranked by score. Psychologists recommend choosing the highest scorers to go on to resume review and interviews. It works the same way as the SAT. The higher the score, the greater likelihood - on average - of success.

cognitive ability

personality

motivation

Traits of reliable manufacturing employees

The following traits are proven predictors of job performance and turnover for manufacturing employees according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and decades of psychology research. The Optimize Hire Manufacturing Pre-Employment Tests can assess any combination of these traits and others that are specific to your company needs.

Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks

Analytical Thinking — Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems

Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations

Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical

Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace

Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges

Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude

Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations

Self Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations

Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks

Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles

Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done

Innovation — Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems

Leadership — Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction

Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job

Social Orientation — Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job

Popular manufacturing positions tested

Engineering Technician, Experimental Machining Lab Manager, Final Operations Technician, Metallurgical Lab Technician, Quality Assurance Technician, Quality Technician, Service Technician, Support Technician, Tool Room Supervisor, Value Stream Manager, Brake Press Operator, Computer Numerical Control Machine Operator, Machine Set-Up, Advanced Manufacturing Engineer, Advanced Manufacturing Vice President, Facility Engineer, Manufacturing Director, Manufacturing Engineer, Manufacturing Engineering Director, Manufacturing Engineering Manager, Plant Engineer, Process Engineer, Process Improvement Engineer

Our clients

To learn what we can do for you, give us a call at 800.330.2020.