If you only have time for one screening signal beyond a CV, use cognitive assessment. Across 100+ years of I/O psychology research, general cognitive ability is the single strongest predictor of on-the-job performance — Schmidt and Hunter's classic meta-analysis put it at r = 0.51 across all jobs.
Personality tests, by contrast, sit at r = 0.10–0.15 for most outcomes. They're popular because they feel insightful, not because they predict. The Myers-Briggs in particular has no demonstrated workplace validity.
Modern cognitive assessment doesn't have to mean 60-question Wonderlic-style tests. HRBlade's adaptive battery covers pattern recognition, working memory, task switching, processing speed, spatial reasoning, prioritization, ethical dilemmas, attention to detail and numerical reasoning — in 10 minutes total.
Adaptive difficulty (CAT) means each correct answer raises the difficulty band; each wrong answer lowers it. The model converges on the candidate's true ability fast, no padding required. Drop-off rates fall from ~30% on classical 60-question tests to under 8% on the adaptive format.
