Should I Tell Candidates About the Written Test in Our Interview Process?

Hi, I am an HR Representative for a software company. I do a lot of recruitment activities. One of the tasks is to contact candidates to set up interviews. I have been telling all candidates that they will have a written test as part of the interview agenda. However, one of my managers asked me not to inform the candidates about the written test.

My question is: should I or should I not disclose the information about the test to the candidates?

Thank you!

Yes, you should surely inform candidates in advance about the complete selection process. It has two advantages:

1. The candidate can plan his/her day accordingly; if you tell them later, they might not have the necessary time available to appear for it.
2. It enhances the brand of your organization since you portray your organization as a 'transparent' organization, not as one that believes in hiding things until the end. Clear communication increases candidates' confidence immensely.

Operations Managers generally look for shortcuts in the selection process that do not work in the long run, so you need to go back and address this with them.

Amit

I agree with Amit on the two points brought out by him regarding planning the day and brand image/transparency.

It is good to inform candidates about the selection process so that they are aware of what they have to face and can come mentally prepared. However, the negative aspect is that candidates sometimes fear a written test and may not turn up at all. This may result in losing out on candidates for selection, and the available candidates may become limited.

All the best,

Col Rajaram

Hi,

What I would say is that you must inform the candidates about the written test. This not only ensures that they are prepared but also helps maintain their trust in you. Otherwise, they'll lose confidence in you, and if this happens repeatedly, it could harm the goodwill of your organization. Transparency should be maintained with the candidates, which will assist in brand building. Put yourself in the candidate's position and consider how important clear communication is.

Best regards,
Jeene

Hi Ngan,

In my opinion, you should inform the candidates about the written test you are going to conduct. This would be a very loyal way to demonstrate your company's loyalty to the candidates. Otherwise, they might develop a negative perception about your organization, which could adversely affect your company's reputation.

Thanks, have a nice day :)

Lalithaj

Hi Amit,

If you tell candidates they need to be mentally prepared, otherwise once they receive a shock, they may not be in the mood for evaluation. Consider this from a psychological point of view.

Regards,
Vinay

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