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I am currently in the process of hiring a salesman and I am required to submit my final applicants to a series of tests plus background check and drug screen. Lots of hurdles! The company I work for pushes the "measure twice cut once" school of hiring. I now understand why it took them more than three months to get me hired.

In my case, it was worth jumping thru hoops. I love working for my current employer. I am left almost entirely alone to run my division. I have complete P&L responsibility. My compensation is largely determined by my own efforts, as I get a cut of the profit from my division. I am making about 40% more than I did at my previous job. So, while I didn't like the hassles that came along with getting hired, in retrospect I understand them. My employer has invested a tremendous amount of trust in me. The drug screen, background check, and personality tests gave them a foundation on which to build that trust.

Is the testing always reliable? NO. But it is tough to avoid inconsistencies over multiple tests. I didn't even attempt to "cheat" the test by answering the questions with my employer in mind. I just answered honestly. I am pushing 40 and I have no time for putting on an act. In the immortal words of Popeye the Sailor Man, "I yam what I yam."