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An
ever increasing number of employers are identifying the benefits of
psychometric testing and are reaping the rewards of applying it to their
recruitment process. In 2015, the decision to use technology in order to save time and money in hiring may make or break both recruitment agencies and frequently hiring enterprises.
Gone
are the days where a ‘gut feeling’ provides acceptable justification to decide the fate of one's career and more importantly, business success. Instead decisions
must now be based on tangible data in order to compete with a fast paced environments, and fast paced staff. Furthermore, current research suggests
that replacing a skilled person can cost an employer upwards of 150% of that
employee’s annual salary, meaning even one bad hire can be extremely damaging! This
is where online psychometric assessments can turn things around.
Whilst
there may be many kinds of objective testing on offer, they
all aim to provide scientifically backed data about a person. This data may be on the
candidates’ personality attributes, past behaviours, and intellectual
abilities. This information can then be used to predict future occupational
success in a wide variety of workplace environments, including sales, human
services, and even the defence force. Listed below are some of the benefits and outcomes achieved by using such a process that traditional methods such as interviews, resumes or even years experience cannot achieve:
1.
Predicting
future behaviour
Information
gathered from psychometric tests can be used to predict how well potential candidates
will behave in the future. This can include how well they make decisions
under pressure or how they prefer to manage important tasks. This kind of information makes an assessment report an integral ongoing tool as it can be used post-hire to provide vision into how best to manage an individual and receive the most value from their role (not to mention allows you to identify which directions NOT to point them in!)
2.
Comparing
candidates
Sometimes
it can be hard to choose between your shortlisted candidates. Using
psychometric testing to compare candidates allows you to look past aesthetic disruptions or perceived value shown through interview confidence to highlight number driven abilities and reasoning as it relates to verbal, abstract and numeral skills which have been shown to be far better indicators of job performance.
3.
Evidence
and accuracy
Even
the most experienced interviewers may miss out on small, crucial details
about their candidates, potentially leading to a bad hire. This is not
because they are incompetent, but because simply relying on a resume and
interview alone allows the candidate preparation to tell you exactly what you want to hear,
without any way for you to determine how truthful and accurate the
information really is. It's not the candidate's fault as it's natural to appear more able, more agreeable, and more confident in an interview situation than a working situation where they need to use their reasoning and intelligence to get the job done. Including research based psychometric tests to your
recruitment tool box eliminates such guess work by adding reliable insight into the
traditional hiring model.
4.
User
friendly
Often
employers are concerned about how difficult interpretations of psychometric
tests are. Fortunately, you don’t need a degree in psychology to understand
them! Psychometric assessments are written using a practical language, so that employers can easily understand what is being measured,
why it is important to their goals, and how their candidates compare to the ‘
average’ in any given assessment. This allows employers to determine if that
person is suitable for the advertised role, and how successful candidates are
likely to be.
5.
Specialised
tailoring
Some providers' psychometric
assessments can be tailored to meet the employer’s individual needs
based on the specific attributes and qualities an employer is looking for in
potential candidates. In some cases a consultation can be organised between the employer and the psychometric assessment provider to understand their organisational goals and how these can be achieved through the right balance of talent management.
Such a quality will not only increase the relevance of
the tests, but also strengthen your hiring choices. With candidate's changing organisations more rapidly today, customisation in the recruitment process can ensure you're hiring longer term staff whom already have the required skills needed, saving you from training up workers to a beneficial level only to have them leave.
6.
More
than one application
Not
only can psychometric tests be used for recruiting, they are also often used
for training and retention purposes. These assessments allow you to profile
employees, identifying their strengths, weaknesses and work styles. This
information can be useful when considering promotions and reorganising work-flow.
By
reallocating tasks to employees that suit their abilities, you can increase
productivity and job satisfaction, leading to a happier and more efficient
workplace… and of course, increase revenue!
If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of psychometric testing, or
are ready to add them to your recruitment tool box, contact the dedicated
team of psychology professionals at Psych Press for a confidential discussion about
the variety of psychometric assessments they provide.
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You’ve heard the talk about HR strategy and how it can make your organization better–now it’s time to live it. I want to help you make 2015 the best year yet in that respect, but I need a little help from you to make it happen.
