I have no qualms over a test. We all need to take tests.
Give all applicants a few written tests on the job they are hiring for.
The people who do well on the test are given the job on a probationary basis.
I might even exclude references, and schooling?
This sounds terrible. Not everyone can take tests well (even if they strongly understand the content), and few people can afford to accept a job that's probationary.
Tests have issues, but in general, the statement: "if you're a "bad tester" you're not an excellent performer" is pretty true.
The caveat being that, IMO, most of the time, institutions are using the wrong test.