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Is Psychometric Testing the Backbone of the Success of a Company


Editorial Team
04/03/2020 8:03 AM

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.


Editorial Team

This article was written by one of the consultants at IPC


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