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

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.

Psychometric testing is for life, not just for recruitment…

‘Cradle to grave’; ‘soup to nuts’ – there are many ways to describe a holistic approach. Psychometric testing is the ideal tool to recruit, manage and develop your staff. Here we look at the seven steps of successful selection & retention:

1.    Attract – select a psychometric benchmark and use the wording in the job ad to appeal to the right people. This proven strategy will naturally screen out those who aren’t suitable.
2.    Assess – ask the candidate to complete a psychometric assessment and compare to the benchmark. Research shows this is three times more effective than interview alone.
3.    Interview – use behaviourally based questions to probe into a candidate’s past experience. Use the same interview structure for all candidates to ensure impartiality.
4.    Decide – use psychometric testing as an objective look at a shortlist. First impressions are made within 3 seconds of meeting someone – challenge the reasons you want/don’t want to hire each candidate.
5.    Manage – help line managers to get to know their new team members quickly. Short managing and coaching guidelines will get the best out of new employees.
6.    Develop – build development plans for new and existing employees. Maximise natural strengths and manage natural developmental areas with psychometric reports.
7.    Retain – use psychometric profiling to succession plan for the future leaders of your organisation. Identify the right employees for high potential programmes and leadership capabilities.

Many organisations stop using psychometric assessment after the second interview but to generate a meaningful ROI it should be used throughout the employee lifecycle