Machine Operator

Pre-Employment Tests For Machine Operators

Top Skills and Abilities:

  • Monitoring
  • Operation Monitoring
  • Active Listening
  • Manual Dexterity
  • Near Vision

Top 3 Tasks:

  • Sort, grade, weigh, and inspect products, verifying and adjusting product weight or measurement to meet specifications.
  • Observe machine operations to ensure quality and conformity of filled or packaged products to standards.
  • Monitor the production line, watching for problems such as pile-ups, jams, or glue that isn't sticking properly.

Overview

Machine operators work in factories and production plants, using machines and tools to make many different kinds of products. Most machine operators are trained in the basic use of a variety of machines, though some specialize in a particular operation. The job can require long hours of repetitive motion, such as pushing a button or pulling a lever, which is why employers will often rotate operators between machines to prevent fatigue. Though most employers require only a high school diploma, machine operators who possess vocational experience have the opportunity to work their way up to a machinist position.

Assessments for Machine Operators

To help managers hire the most qualified machine operators, Criteria Corp has developed the Criteria Mechanical Reasoning Assessment (CMRA), a pre-employment test geared toward entry-to-mid-level positions. Applicants are tasked with answering questions that measure mechanical and spatial reasoning, as well as understanding of physical principles. The CMRA is perfect for assessing an applicant's preparedness for work and predicting their "trainability" on the job, by testing traits that are highly correlated with job success in mechanical contexts.

Besides evaluating mechanical reasoning, many employers hiring machine operators want to ensure that their new hires will have specific aptitude for working with machinery and equipment. Criteria's customers use the Workplace Safety Profile (WSP) for this purpose. The WSP is designed to assess safety awareness and risk avoidance in a manufacturing or production setting, which is essential for roles that involve operating heavy machinery.

Employers wanting to screen production personnel for behavioral risk factors also will sometimes utilize personality-based pre-employment tests as well. The Employee Personality Profile (EPP) is a personality assessment that measures a range of traits, including dependability, conscientiousness, and rule adherence, and helps companies reduce their risks related to counterproductive work behaviors. 

If you're an employer interested in previewing these tests, start a 14-day free trial or book a consultation to learn more.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor

 

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