Right Interim, First Time

The interim market has been described by the press as “buoyant” with an 11% rise in activity at the end of June 2010.  Other articles have stated that daily pay rates for interims has also increased by 4% for full time assignments which is indicative of the increased demand our strategic partners such as Herne Resourcing are experiencing. Read more

Could University Students Benefit from Psychometric Testing?

Psychometric tests are now commonplace as part of any recruitment process and career development in thousands of organisations throughout the UK. There are elements (ability testing and identifying aptitudes) that can support students as they graduate.

This has recently been discussed in an in-depth article in The Guardian which highlighted the struggles of students graduating from university in 2009.  Six students from University of Leeds and Leeds Metropolitan University discussed how they had gone about finding employment over a twelve month period. Read more

Creating a Jobs Market for the UK

We recently read a report from the CBI deputy director-general, John Cridland, who stated that the UK should now be embracing more flexible working. He also wants to block regulations that will ultimately cost jobs whilst focusing on changing the industrial legislation to help revive the economy.

The Private Sector has already weathered the worst of the recession across a significant number of sectors whilst the Public Sector is now in the grips of job losses that could result in over 600,000 jobs being lost.  There is no getting away from the fact that this is a large number of people who will be at risk. Read more

ITV Head Insists on Psychometric Tests

A heated debate is brewing within ITV according to press reports as the new head of ITV, Adam Crozier, is insisting that all of his 150 most senior staff undergo ability and aptitude tests to asses their skills in areas of decision making.

The point of contention appears to be the widespread reaction to being ‘subjected’ to what they are calling “psychobabble”, claiming that psychometric tests offer no help in making good television.

However – we would clearly disagree. Whilst psychometric testing can confirm certain aptitudes it can also identify as yet undiscovered aptitudes.

An existing client recently gave the McQuaig System test to its employees including sales support staff and the marketing staff. The results produced some surprising results in that the existing Marketing Manager was in fact better suited to a sales function. This was due to her communications skills and aptitude towards taking risks and striving to be a leader.

Moreover, by giving this member of staff greater responsibility, she will thrive within the organisation. This would not have been identified by the company had she not undergone an aptitude test. She can now utilize this throughout her career to aid her self-development and help her employers benefit from her development.

For many, the thought of being tested in this way can be daunting. Certain questions are apparently being asked such as how sociable managers are at parties and how they analyse conversations; the former is surely part of the anti Mr Crozier media hype, whilst the latter could play an important part in the development of the managers team’s.

Amongst the column inches is the fact that the psychometric tests are being used to help shape the structure of the company. This can be read in many ways, however, it is important to note that psychometric tests are there to aid and develop organisations by supporting the development of their staff.

This can only be seen as a positive step for employees and managers who are keen to develop their careers and make the most of opportunities that may arise.

The Role of Psychometrics in Coaching

Leadership Challenges Post the Budget

Post the budget many companies are reviewing the implications to their businesses; for some it is going to be a case of how the will be able to reduce their overheads. Read more

Would Psychometric Assessments Support those in Government?

Before going any further, let me stress that this is not a blog highlighting our political views or intentions for next week’s General Election – but more of a “what if?”

By the end of next week we could be waking up to a hung parliament, but what would be the outcome from a personnel perspective and how would the “teams” be supported?  I wonder if anyone has actually stopped to think about how such a scenario could affect the aptitudes of those serving in Government. Read more

Growing Importance of Psychometric Testing

Discussions on recession and post recession are still high on everyone’s agenda and the effects this will continue to have on companies across the UK.  A critical factor for many organisations over the coming months will be staff retention.

Whilst reports suggest the economy is growing there are still a significant number of candidates per role and those that are in existing positions are now facing a more certain future. This is resulting in greater opportunities for those who may be seeking a change in their career making employer engagement a critical factor to success. Read more

Leadership Development For The Twenty First Century

Leadership in the twenty first century must appear to be an unenviable role. With continued uncertainty remaining in our economy those in the driving seat are weathering a prolonged storm. Read more

3 steps to introduce Psychometric Testing into your organisation

Psychometric Testing can sometimes seem like a complex world – a pseudo psychology that demands years of experience and weeks of training. But this isn’t the case. Here are three simple steps to introduce psychometric testing into your company:

1.    Identify the quick wins
2.    Plan to train the appropriate people
3.    Demystify the process

Read more

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