Psychometric Testing - 5 Benefits of Using our Assessments

It is human nature that decisions we make are susceptible to subjectivity, biases and other influences. When interviewing someone these bias’s may take different forms including expectations and opinions – consequently, you may make a definitive judgment about a candidate based not on their skills and abilities, but on irrelevant personal impressions that cloud your judgement. All people unknowingly use mental shortcuts, that’s why interview bias is in most cases unintentional and unconscious. Therefore, as an interviewer it is important that you are both aware of, and take steps to counteract this subjectivity in order to introduce more objectivity. Psychometric testing is a completely objective assessment, therefore using this tool alongside a traditional interview can tackle the bias. They offer guidance and allow you to more accurately compare candidates. This, in turn, will help you make better, more predictive and more objective hiring assessments.

Each company has a culture: essentially, the values and beliefs by which the company operates; the interactions between employees and the company environment. For most organisations, it is so important that a new hire is a strong cultural fit as this will help to create and maintain a positive environment for all employees, ultimately enabling the company to drive growth and success. A culturally strong team is also likely to mean stronger staff retention rates, which can again be a key component for supporting and driving optimal performance. By looking at certain criteria in a psychometric test you can better match candidates to the role and company.

As detailed above, carrying out psychometric assessments enables you to hire candidates who are matched to your company values which promotes harmony. The happier a candidate is in their work environment, the more likely they are to stay. Psychometric testing not only assesses personality insights, but it assesses ability too. If a candidate possesses the right skills and personality traits to carry out a given role, then not only will they fulfil their responsibilities, they will possess a sense of belonging and feel well-matched to their new role and employer. This is important as companies do not want to invest in the induction of someone new to the organisation, only for them to leave shortly after. Re-hiring for a position costs more time and money, so taking steps to minimise this happening is commercially crucial.

Psychometric tests are a powerful predictive tool; by testing a candidate's cognitive ability and situational judgement. Candidates with higher levels of cognitive ability are better able to plan, solve problems, learn quickly and apply new knowledge. The relationship between cognitive ability and job performance significantly exceeds that of even the most well-designed interview, making cognitive ability the most important variable in employee selection. Situational judgement (having the ability to make sound decisions and accurate judgements) is very important in any workplace and therefore assessing this judgement should play a big part in employee selection. Reliable and valid psychometric tests help to identify top performers; and it’s those high performers that will create a tremendous amount of value over the course of their employee lifecycle.

Psychometric reports can highlight areas that a candidate is particularly strong in as well as those in which there could be significant room for development. Having visibility of this will give candidates an insight into their own typical traits and allow room for self-reflection. Knowing what they need to “work on” in order to improve in a certain area can kick start personal development.