Question

What are some of the arguments in favor and against certain pre-employment tests being illegal or an invasion of privacy? (Please answer in 7-10 sentences)

Answer 1

Many employers require employees and applicants to take personality testing. Others are seriously considering adding this as a component of their hiring and employee engagement efforts. Companies want to get a sense of an individual’s opinions, attitudes, feelings, motivations, preferences, interests, emotional makeup, and style of interacting with others. This information, some believe, can help employers make predictions regarding job performance and success. At the very least, it allows employers to get to know an applicant through more than just the traditional interview process. These tests, however, raise many legal issues, particularly in the areas of potential discrimination claims and privacy concerns.

For example, if an applicant can show that the personality trait for which the employer screened was really a mask for discrimination of a protected class, the employer could be found to violate federal discrimination laws. So, if the employer is screening for a personality trait it connects with a protected class and makes its decisions based on that trait (possibly as a proxy or substitute for that class), that can constitute discrimination.

For example, Title VII permits employers to administer professionally developed ability tests and take action based on the result. But, such tests must be implemented in a way that does not discriminate against protected classes, and ideally validated in advance as not having a discriminatory effect.