Former PMSL Consultant, Janille James, looks at how Psychometric Assessments can aid your Recruitment process, 2007

Businesses today recognize that attracting and retaining employees who fit in with the culture, clients and stresses of their jobs, is perhaps more important than finding people with the right qualifications and experience.  Employees who fit their jobs are more satisfied, productive and committed.  But how does one measure and predict ‘fit’?

Enter Psychometric testing, which refers to the measurement of those psychological variables that impact on performance.  Already, companies such as Guardian Holdings Limited (finance), Kapok Hotel (hospitality), BPTT (energy) and Caribbean Steel Mills (manufacturing) are using psychometric tests because of their effectiveness in predicting desirable job behaviours and traits.  According to them, these tests contribute valuable information that supports the selection process.  Furthermore, such information can be used beyond recruitment, at every stage of the employee life cycle.

So the question is not whether to use psychometric tests, but what tests to use, and in what circumstances.  Psychometric testing falls into three main types: Ability, Aptitude and Personality testing.  Ability and aptitude tests both measure an individual’s potential, but aptitude tests tend to be more specific and job-related.  An excellent example is the Employee Aptitude Survey (EAS), which efficiently measures 10 different aptitudes, including verbal and numerical reasoning, visual pursuit, word fluency and space visualization.  The EAS is well suited to positions that require specific measurable skills and attract large numbers of applicants.  It is available as individual tests or as a battery.

Personality tests either categorize individuals into personality types or measure specific personality traits.  Type-based tests such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the DISC are very popular as developmental tools.  For decades, such instruments have been used to build leadership, teamwork and conflict-management skills.   Today, these tests continue to provide quick and reliable measures of personal style.

But when it comes to selection, the best choice is a trait-based test, specifically, one based on the Five Factor Model of personality structure - the established paradigm for personality research.  Personality psychologists believe that the following five factors account for normal, everyday differences in personality:

• Need for Stability, how we respond to stress
• Extraversion, our tolerance for sensory stimulation
• Originality, our creativity and intellectual curiosity
• Accommodation, how competitive or how altruistic we are
• Consolidation, how we push towards our goals.

The WorkPlace Big 5 Profile (WB5P) is a Five Factor Instrument, specifically developed for use in the workplace.  Thus, it is valid, reliable, and meets the strictest legal and ethical standards.  The WB5P measures 24 sub traits of the Big Five domains.  The beauty of the WB5P is that it allows employers to custom-build a job profile comprised of the unique mix of traits that is perfect for the particular job.   Each candidate’s assessment results can then be compared to the profile.

Of course some personality tests cannot be neatly categorized as trait-based or type-based.  For instance, the Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation-Behaviour (FIRO-B) assessment is designed to show how a person’s need for inclusion, control and affection can influence workplace behaviour. The FIRO-B is particularly useful in executive coaching, leadership development, and teambuilding.

Another unique and powerful test, The Self-Directed Search (SDS), matches individuals to occupations, based on their interests and competencies.  The SDS is suitable for students and young people seeking vocational guidance or adults interested in a career change.

All in all, psychometric tests provide accurate and objective information that adds value to a range of people management activities: recruitment and promotion, performance management and training, teambuilding, conflict resolution and even retirement planning.  Furthermore, a company that uses psychometric testing sends a strong signal that it is committed to fair and up-to-date people management practices.  Thus, psychometric testing is a wise investment in the development of an organization and its people.

Sometimes a candidate can have the best qualifications and impressive experience, but they just don't fit your position.