Introduction
When many people hear the concept
of Psychometric Testing they become confused or sceptical about using them. The
biggest reason for this is probably because they do not understand what
Psychometric Tests really are. When one is confused about something, trusting
it is hard. Have you ever lost out on something big because you did not know
what it was about? As a result, did you look back and think to yourself that
you should have known better or asked for some clarity on it? Yes, I am sure
each person has that moment at some point in their life. Do not let this happen
to your business as business mistakes can be very costly for the company. This
article will draw an outline on what Psychometric Test are and get managers of
businesses (and anyone else interested in knowing more about them) to
understand why they are important for the success of their company.
What are Psychometric Tests?
A psychometric test is an
assessment that is conducted in order to evaluate a person’s performance and
includes, but is not limited to, skills, knowledge, abilities, personality traits,
attitudes and job/academic potential. There are different types of Psychometric
Tests but there are three major ones that are well known and used by most
companies:
- Aptitude
Tests: These
tests have the goal of assessing various cognitive abilities from numeracy and
literacy skills to spatial awareness and more. - Behavioural
Tests: These
tests are intended to highlight specific personality traits that could indicate
suitability for specific roles. These can come in the form of personality
questionnaires, leadership tests, motivation tests and situational judgement
tests. - Assessment
Centres: Assessment
centres are based on human interaction assessments. Various exercises utilise
job-specific skills and simulations and are usually carried out by assessors/psychologists.
Many companies use Psychometric
tests so that they can bring in the best candidate for the position that is
open in the company.
Why Use Psychometric Tests?
Psychometric tests
are psychological tools used by employers to benchmark candidates suitability
for a role against each other, to find the best fit for their company. These
tests range in subject matter and content to measure a variety of desirable
skill sets. Some of the most popular psychometric assessments used today
include those for numerical, verbal and logical reasoning.
There are two major
reasons companies use psychometric testing:
- The
first one is to improve and reduce HR and recruitment costs and the - To
ensure that only quality of candidates is on board, thus avoiding employee
turnover. The main goal of an aptitude or psychometric test is to ensure that a
candidate possesses the amount of skill and cognitive ability to perform the
duties of a job/role.
Types
of Psychometric Tests
- Numerical Tests
- Verbal Tests
- Logical Tests
- Technical Tests
- Spatial Reasoning
Tests - Concentration Tests
- Mechanical and
Electrical Reasoning Tests
These different
types of tests are used in assessing different candidates depending on the role
that they are applying for in the company. For example, not all roles require
candidates to be assessed under technical tests because that skill is not
necessary for them to successfully complete their job if they are chosen. There
are although, some positions such as a Software Developer that would require
that a candidate have these skills.
Benefits
of Using Psychometric Tests for Potential Employees
- You do not only rely
on interviews: Although interviews
are good for assessing potential candidates for your company, it is better to
have another source of information income. At times interviews may not provide
a holistic picture of what the candidate is capable of. Some candidates could be
absolutely perfect for your job but they just don’t interview well. This could
be because of nerves, because of a lack of previous interview practice, or the
candidate might just be having a bad day. On the other hand, some candidates may
be very confident in interviews and may have a range of well-rehearsed answers
to your questions. Does this really mean that they are perfect for the job? Not
really. A job will not only require a person’s personality but the ability to
actually execute the tasks that are demanded of them in that position. When
using Psychometric Tests followed by an interview, you get a more refined
result. - Psychometric Tests
Save Time and Money: By using
Psychometric Tests at the beginning of the recruitment process, the company
saves a lot of time and money. This is as a result of shortlisting the right
candidates from the beginning. Without using Psychometric Tests, the
recruitment panel takes a long time sifting through unworthy candidates for the
job that could have been done with the use of Artificial Intelligence at the
beginning. In the future, managers look back and see how much they saved by
using these Tests. Initially, it may seem like a very costly exercise to
undertake but the expense of hiring the wrong employee is far more than the
initial cost of ensuring that the right candidate is brought into the
workplace. When head-hunting for a new employee for your company, think long
term. It may be expensive now but it will really save you later. - Providing a true
reflection of the candidates: Psychometric
testing gives a good overall picture of your candidates. In addition to
assessing the skills and abilities of the candidates, you as a manager gets an
insight of them as a person as well. Why? Because when a Psychometric Tests is taken,
there is a section that assesses a person’s personality. With this information,
you can see what kind of person they are and if they will be the right fit for
the company. You are able to see someone’s conscientiousness, their openness to
new experiences among others. The truth in this comes from the very nature of
psychometric tests. They are difficult to cheat so the results you get from
each test should be true results in that they show you what your candidates are
really like in the workplace. This means you will also know not only their
abilities but how well they are going to get along with other employees within
your company. Whether or not they will fit into the company’s culture. - Psychometric tests
measure skills and ability not just education: Although
there is an emphasis on doing away with a strong focus on education, many
companies are still doing it. Whilst this is valuable to a certain extent,
psychometric testing can be used to fill in the gap in that academic
achievements are not going to give you a complete picture of what your
applicants are actually capable of in the place of work. Many people do not
usually have the necessarily have the work experience that is needed for the
job that they are applying for but when they are assessed using Psychometric
Tests, it is possible to see their potential in the position.
Conclusion
Now that you know
more of Psychometric Tests, it is important that you rethink using them in the
recruitment process. Save your time and energy and do what is right for the
success of the company. Read more on Psychometric tests and get managers to
talk about them in your workplace.