Are you tall or short? Good or bad at sport? Introverted or extroverted? Your answers will reveal what you believe, based on your experiences.
But your answers, and everyone else’s, will be subjective. The tallest
person in a family of short people might think they are tall. The least
sporty person in a family of national sports reps might think they’re
just above average. A relatively quiet salesperson might consider
herself a bit introverted, if she is party of a loud competitive team. So, if simple self-reporting test asks, on a scale of 1 to 5 - how
tall/good at sport/extroverted are you, your answers will tell you only
where you think you are; other people’s answers will show only where
they think they are. There is no science behind the results. A psychometric test measures more than just self-perception, it measures
actual behaviour, because what people actually do is more important than
what they say, or think, they do. And it compares those behaviours with others, to give a real indication
of an individual’s abilities, strengths, weaknesses and behaviours. So
it will tell you whether, compared with other salespeople, or even the
general public, this person is actually extroverted, deals well with
deadlines and is motivated by competition – and how they are likely to
perform on the job. It will also tell you what difficulties they might have and how to
overcome them, giving them the best chance of succeeding and performing
well in your business.
What are the fundamental differences between psychometrics and other tests?
Often employers don’t know there is a difference between psychometric and other tests, because those selling tests don’t understand the importance of objective, scientifically based assessment. As a result, many organisations use tests that can’t predict outcomes and results.
Many non-psychometric tools produce information that makes the employer and candidate feel they have a good picture of each other, and that will be enough to make a decision. Too often, they find out later it simply wasn’t enough.
Price has a lot to play – organisations think they’re getting value by buying something cheaper. They think it’s a smart move to have saved the money. But isn’t it better to spend a bit more to get better value in return?
Most organisations do not know this. So it’s important to ask:
Many tools claim to be “based on a large number of respondents” or “taken from a large pool of candidates in the XY industry”, but if they are not backed by science, they can be as valid as guessing the weight of a person in a competition. Many assessment tools have very little scientific validity.
Psychometric tests help employers understand the abilities, motivations and personal working styles of their employees, helping them to pick the right person for the right role.
Good psychometric tests reveal how a candidate is likely to perform, how they handle stress, how they relate to customers, and whether they fit the organisation’s culture. Will they keep the paperwork up-to-date? And if they’re not good at paperwork, what’s the best way to keep them on track?
But good psychometric assessments do more than that – they also reveal what motivates individuals and how they prefer to learn. Then you can tailor your incentive schemes and training and development programmes to ensure you get the best out of each individual.
That helps you to build a happier, more productive workforce – which can only be good for business.
When someone is in a job they enjoy, a job that makes the most of their strengths and abilities, that they find intrinsically motivating, that stimulates them without over-stressing or boring them, the rewards are more than monetary – they’re psychological and social.
People who love their jobs work harder and have happier, more satisfied lives.
But when people are in jobs they hate, that stress or bore them, under-use their strengths and require them to behave in ways they find difficult, no one is happy. They put in less effort at work, and the dissatisfaction spills over into their life outside work.
Psychometric testing helps candidates find a job they love, and allows them to avoid jobs that will make them miserable. It analyses their abilities and personality in relation to the demands of a particular job, to find out whether this is a job they fit – or one they’ll have difficulty with.
And it also helps employers understand what help they might need to perform well – and how best to provide that help.
Candidates gain a real insight into their strengths, weaknesses, motivators and preferred working styles so they can make informed decisions about their career and their work life.
Selector’s psychometric-based tests look beyond the numbers to tell you what a candidate’s results mean in your workplace.
Because there’s no point in having insight into a person’s strengths, weaknesses, abilities and personal style if you don’t know what this means in terms of how they will behave at work.
If someone has a low desire to always learn new things, how will that affect their performance in your business? How will it affect their on-the-job behaviour? In some jobs it will help them focus; in others it will hold them back. Selector’s tests will tell you what it means for your role.
Selector’s assessments will also tell you what the results mean for training, development and motivation. Does this person need to learn things by doing them or do they understand written instructions? Will they have trouble understanding some concepts, and what is the best way to overcome this? What will motivate them to give the extra effort?
Our tests provide specific answers relevant to each individual, their role and your organisation. They help you find that ideal new staff member, as well as understand why existing staff might not be performing well, and how to overcome that.
With skilled analysis and interpretation, Selector provides real insight that helps you to hire the right people, provide the right training, provide the right leadership and get the best results.