By Michael Mercer, Ph.D. Slacker is a common word nowadays to describe a person who exudes - laziness - lousy work ethic - aEURoedonaEUR(TM)t careaEUR? attitude Slackers * avoid working * goof off a lot * encourage other employees to avoid working and goof off Managers and executives must do everything possible to avoid hiring slackers. Your company and career depend on keeping slackers off your payroll and also hiring highly productive employees. PRE-HIRE ASSESSMENTS TO PREDICT IF APPLICANT IS SLACKER You can use pre-employment tests and other methods to assess job applicants so you do not hire slackers.

1. PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTS

For white-collar jobs, use two types of pre-employment tests. First, use a personality or behavior test to predict the applicantaEUR(TM)s interpersonal skills, personality traits, and work motivations. In my research, I often find slackers get personality test scores like the following:

1. super-high score on Friendliness

That means they will socialize rather than work!

2. low score on Following Rules, Policies, & Procedures

They will rebel against your companyaEUR(TM)s proven work methods!

3. low score on Subjective Reaction to Pressure

They love doing 3 actions: Whine, Moan, & Complain!

4. low score on Optimism

They love wallowing in problems, not solutions.

5. high score on Emotionally-Focused

They crave personal drama, drama, and more drama.

6. high score on Creativity Motivation

They hate using your companyaEUR(TM)s proven work methods! Second, also give pre-employment intelligence tests. After all, you must know if an applicant has enough brains to (a) learn the job and (be) correctly think through situations they encounter on-the-job. Make benchmark pre-employment test scores based on test scores of your companyaEUR(TM)s best, superstar employees in each job. Then, you objectively can compare your best employeesaEUR(TM) qualities versus the applicantaEUR(TM)s qualities, and see if they are similar or different. You, of course, prefer applicants whose pre-hire test scores indicate they have qualities similar to your best employees. Got blue-collar or lower-level or laborer jobs, give a test of dependability or responsibility. Such a test delves tells you about many work-related qualities, especially Work Ethic. You certainly want to focus on hiring applicants who get high pre-employment tests scores on Work Ethic.

2. JOB INTERVIEWS

Make sure you ask a lot of open-ended questions. Such questions help you discover the applicantaEUR(TM)s thoughts, needs, feeling, opinions, goals and experiences on job-related factors.

3. REALISTIC JOB OBSERVATION (RJO)

If applicantaEUR(TM)s pre-employment test scores are similar to your companyaEUR(TM)s benchmark scores for the job and also applicant impressed you in job interview, then do RJO. To do RJO, have applicant spend a half-day following one of your employees doing the job while the applicant observes. From this, your employee can see if applicant expresses enthusiasm for doing the actual work. And the applicant can see the work actually required on-the-job which may or may not be to the applicantaEUR(TM)s liking. SLACKERS NEVER SHOULD BE ON YOUR PAYROLL Pre-employment tests, in-depth job interviews and realistic job observations can help you do pre-hire assessments. Then, you can focus on hiring applicants who are likely to be highly productive and low turnover. And, in doing so, you avoided hiring slackers! COPYRIGHT 2016 MICHAEL MERCER, PH.D., MERCER SYSTEMS, INC. Michael Mercer, Ph.D., wrote 6 books, including aEURoeHire the Best & Avoid the Rest(tm)aEUR? and aEURoeTurning Your HR Dept. into a Profit Center(tm) aEURoe Dr. Mercer created 3 pre-employment tests aEUR" the aEURoeForecastera,,c Tests.aEUR? These pre-hire tests assess job applicants for intelligence, personality, and dependability. He is a frequent speaker at conferences. Subscribe to aEURoeDr. MerceraEUR(TM)s HIRE THE BEST Newsletter,aEUR? and see info about the 3 pre-employment tests, at www.Pre-EmploymentTests.com , for additional information, please contact Dr. Mercer at (847) 382-0690 or drmercer@mercersystems.com