Psychometric testing is not a new concept, but you might not have heard this impressive terminology. It also goes by behavioral assessments and people analytics. Those two names sound a little less intense, but they all circle back to the same thing. That is, using some form of testing to determine things about a person.
We’ve all completed one before. Whether it’s in an online test before an interview, or through some questions in the interview itself, we’ve all been there. The sad truth is though, some of those probably weren’t done well or for the right reasons. Psychometric testing can be so important to hiring. As with any process though, without careful reviewing you could be using outdated tests or doing it for the wrong reasons.
Use Them for the Right Reasons
Take a step back and think about why you’re performing a psychometric test. Think about the test itself. What is it going to unearth about your applicants? And what are you going to do with the information you receive from it? These 2 questions should be asked before you do anything. By using psychometric testing, you want to unearth qualities about a person and other information. It needs to be information that is relevant to the job role, otherwise you’re at risk of invading their personal space. So, assess the tests you’re using and make sure they’re a good fit to what you need. Don’t be one of those people who do a psychometric test just so they can say they’ve done one. Without a doubt, using those words in your end-of-year recruiting report looks impressive, but you’ve wasted everyone’s time if that’s the sole reason you did it.
Shape Your Environment
In recruiting, you may not care too much about what happens after your recruits hit the floor running. You should though, and not just because your bonus might depend on it. These new people can shape the overall environment of the workplace with their personalities. That environment can come back to bite you, because you also need to work in it. Use the information you receive from psychometric testing to ensure that they’ll integrate into the right team. This can be especially helpful if you have to perform some mass levels of recruiting. At high intake mode, you can’t really get to know every person you interview well but these tests can weed out the personalities that will clash within the company. It’s important to make sure that the types of testing you are using are fitting to your environment also. The tests themselves get updated every few years, so keep abreast of that and use the newer models.
In Conclusion
When it comes to psychometric testing, keep it simple. Be upfront with what you’re testing. Know what the business needs and understand what you want to get out of it. Be open about the results. When used correctly, these tests can bring you major success. When they aren’t though, you’ve wasted everyone’s time in the process. It’s best to avoid that if you want to remain in recruiting.
