Attention, class: 76% of companies with more than 100 employees use testing mechanisms as part of their process for hiring talent. Why? Employers are finding that well-designed aptitude and personality tests are effective ways of zeroing-in on top talent and weeding out candidates that don’t cut the mustard.

Using testing and assessments for new hires isn’t just being reserved for junior-level employees, either. Estimates suggest that tests are being used for staffing as many as 80% of senior positions.

What are employers testing for? Here are three areas where testing has proved effective when hiring talent:

• Competence – aptitude tests are great ways of assessing a candidate’s raw reasoning and learning skills.

• Work ethic – self-report questionnaires help gauge how reliable new hires might be as well has how well they’ll fit in a company’s culture.

• Emotional intelligence – personality testing is one way employers can get a feel for how empathetic and self-aware future team members might be.

So class, please take your seats. Testing during the hiring process is here to stay – 88% of companies are expected to introduce it in some form over the next few years.

Whether it’s administering tests to identify new hires or just finding ways to enhance your company’s brand image, tell us your HR priorities for 2016.