As the Olympic Games approaches, few viewers will appreciate that there are more than 700 administrative staff working behind the scenes to ensure it runs smoothly.

Working across 20 logistical departments, these people are responsible for monitoring, sponsoring, licensing, ticketing, spectator services, media and the medal ceremonies.

Two years ago, the Athens Organising Committee turned to Thomas International, the testing company, to ensure it recruited the right type of staff. Applicants had to display numerical ability, attention to detail, verbal ability and a high level of stress tolerance, and the tests were used to root out these qualities.

The committee used Thomas’s Personal Profile Analysis and Human Job Analysis, which take just a few minutes to complete. “The huge number of people we needed to recruit meant we had to have an assessment that was not only fast but extremely accurate,” said Athanassia Vlachaki of the Athens Olympic Committee.