Consider Psychometric Tests
The word psychometric comes from the same root words as psychological and measurement. These tests have been carefully formulated to create a scientific measurement of an individual’s personality and character. When used during the hiring process, they can provide helpful information about where a candidate could potentially fit in a company or organization. However, they are not the only thing a potential employer or recruitment analyst should look at.
A person has three dimensions that contribute to their ability to do a job effectively: skills and experience, personality, and a competent work ethic. All of them must be measured or considered when determining who is best suited to a particular job.
First, understand what the job requires. If psychometric testing is done on a person, it should be in relation to certain criteria that are unique to the position. Second, find out what skills and capabilities the applicant brings to the table.
Tests exist to measure ability in various ways. They can give a general idea about someone’s cognitive skills, ability to remember and reason, performance abilities, and various personality traits or tendencies. Due to the in-depth nature of many psychrometric tests, they require a psychologist and quite a large amount of money to conduct them professionally.
Also understand that, if a candidate knows something about these tests or is conscious of what the job requires specifically, they can attempt to give answers that support these things rather than answer naturally based on their own personality. This means that any personality testing should only stand as part of the interview process.
Besides individual interviews, other options to learn more about applicants include:
1 – Pre-screening of all applicants to weed out those who are obviously unsuitable for the job. This depends upon setting rigid criteria necessary to fill the position positively.
2 – Third-party assessments may include tests, group events, interviews, role-playing, and other activities to narrow down the selection of those with potential. These are frequently used for higher level management and for job openings with an excessive number of candidates.
3 – Skill-based tests can quickly check the accuracy of claims made on resumes and help you say “No thank you” to people who do not have the basic skills necessary to accomplish everything in the job description. For example, if someone says they can type 70 words per minute or use a particular piece of software, a quick test can find out whether this is true or not.
4 – Conduct background checks on applicants of interest. These include checking references, but it is often quite difficult to get an accurate reference from those listed on a resume. Of course, the applicant will only include comments from people who say positive things. In most cases, references are only ideal for checking employment claims. Also check for degrees, awards, or other qualifications.
Psychometric and other testing is done primarily after the candidate pool has been narrowed down. A company does not want to pay and organize 200 typing tests to see if all the applicants are telling the truth about their skills. No one type of test will give a company representative enough information to hire or pass over a particular candidate. In fact, all of the tests together still do not do that.
Various types of tests used in conjunction with the interview process give you a fuller and more representative look at who the people are and what they can bring to the company. You want that three-dimensional look at each applicant of interest. The answers you find will not only make the recruitment process easier but can help you interact and work with the chosen person once they become part of the team.
