Why is honesty or integrity testing controversial? When and how should these tests be used?

Employee integrity tests are meant to measure honesty, dependability and work ethic. They take two
forms: overt and covert. Overt integrity tests refer directly to dishonest and counterproductive
behaviors (theft, cyber-loafing, absenteeism etc.) Covert testing is personality based. They assess
integrity by proxy (e.g. conscientiousness.)

Are integrity tests effective?

There’s a large body of research with interesting results. Overt employee integrity tests have been
shown to be valid and somewhat better in predicting job performance than personality tests or
unstructured interviews. Covert integrity intesting, on the other hand, can predict absenteeism better
than overt tests. There’s also evidence that employee integrity testing is generally less biased and more
cost-effective than other forms of assessment. And there’s positive feedback from employers who state
that integrity tests have reduced worker’s compensation claims among new hires

Why controversial?

it could be invasive to some individuals, the answers of the test could be faked, some honest people
could be labeled dishonest.

Honesty and integrity tests are controversial: concerns have been raised about both their effectiveness
and the consequences of their use.

False positives are always a concern. Past research found that employee integrity tests result in honest
people being labeled dishonest. Some studies even show that overt integrity tests can sometimes
misclassify almost half of honest candidates.

When to use? Employee’s theft and negligent hiring

honesty tests can be used in companies that have a high rate of inventory theft

mostly are used to screen job applicants in workplaces plagued by employee theft

Integrity tests are used for several reasons. First, test publishers, some employers, and some researchers
believe that the use of integrity tests can stem employee theft and counterproductive behavior

Second, there has recently been increased concern over so-called “negligent hiring” lawsuits, in which
plaintiffs seek damages for losses attributed to employers’ hiring of dangerous or incompetent
employees. While integrity test publishers do not necessarily claim that their instruments can detect
potentially violent or hazardous behaviors, they do suggest that firms can point to the use of integrity
tests as evidence of a broad strategy of conscientious pre-employment screening

Third, if machine-scorable paper-and-pencil tests are accurate and reliable, they can be costeffective
tools for employee screening.

How to

Always ask test providers whether their test complies with applicable laws and request proof, if possible.
They should be able to show evidence that they haven’t observed any adverse impact against protected
groups. It might also be a good idea to have a lawyer review tests before you administer them to
candidates.

It’s best to avoid allowing employee integrity tests to make decisions for you. Take some time to look at
answers and interpret results. You can also use integrity tests in conjunction with other assessment
methods. For example, integrity tests have high incremental validity when they’re paired with cognitive
ability tests. This means that using integrity tests can enhance the predictive validity of cognitive tests.
In fact, research suggests that those two tests together have the highest predictive power for job
performance.