Personality assessment tests are common in the business world but they are now beginning to be used by franchisers and others who are recruiting new entrepreneurs.
Changing demographics are also helping to drive the popularity of these tests. Today's prospective franchisees tend to be midlevel or senior corporate managers with lots of experience and definite ideas about how to run a business. Franchisers need to know whether a candidate "who interviews well really has the mind-set to exchange some of his or her independence and autonomy for a recognized brand and business plan" says Matt Shar, president of the International Franchise Association in Washington, DC.
The bottom line is you can't spend a couple of hours, or even a couple of days, with someone, and know if that person will fit into the entrepreneurial role. You need to have the help of an assessment tool to better understand the candidate's thinking and reasoning style, behavioral traits and occupational interests during the interviewing process.
For an entrepreneurial reality checklist, go to: http://home.att.net/~coachthee/Archives/realitychecklist.html
Source: The Wall Street Journal, September 19, 2005