Recruitment tools are designed to level the playing field and give each individual that fair fighting chance. You can find your strongest ally and toughest competition within – so make that your advantage. Companies make use of psychometric tests today not just to get the best minds and players in the corporate field but more so, to achieve diversity in the hiring process. Every company wants to hire people who are a composite of the best of what the world can offer.
Screening People IN not OUT
While most companies would usually screen people out, the key to getting the best match for your company’s needs is to screen candidates in. Many corporate giants now see the value of candidates who have that so-called educational adversities or disadvantage because they are more resilient and are able to rise against obstacles as compared to peers who had their business degrees and did not have any problems while going to school.
This sudden maneuver by many companies now is in response to the trend wherein most hiring managers would have that “halo effect” or would gravitate towards hiring people who are like themselves – like for instance if the applicant or employee under evaluation has the same personality, social status, or educational background as the hiring manager, he or she would most likely get more attention as compared to those who don’t measure up.
Yes, there is a serious marginalized pressure that has been going on for many years. Although this works for some companies, the bid towards innovation and diversity seems to boost or improve productivity in almost all industries. A candidate for promotion or hiring could have a masters or doctorate in business degree or equivalent but could actually perform equally with someone who had educational disadvantage.
The New Algorithm of Psychometric Testing
Psychometric tests for corporates uses an algorithm that measures an individual’s aptitude, personality, attitude, and working style; which also takes into account a person’s socio-economic status and educational background. This is how this instrument is able to keep track in providing an objective assessment to calculate how individuals have reached certain measures or standards. Studies have also shown that individuals who happen to have an educational disadvantage emerge to be superior employees in the workplace.
Psychometric assessments assert to identify individuals who have high levels of drives, motivations, and experiences. This aims to put certain individuals into the limelight who may not stand out using regular screening methods but may actually have a lot to offer once hired or given a chance for promotion. A superiorly thinking employee would make a marvel out of a mediocre job – this is what psychometric assessments want to prove this time around.
There is a clamor for change – a changing demand for skills; so-to-speak. While most large-scale companies use psychometric tests as compared to startups – there is a change in that trend these days. The specialized uses of psychometric tests have grown over the years and have included broad scope of organizations.
There are wide ranges of psychometric tests for corporates available in the market. The tests usually cover personality questionnaires, cognitive ability, numeracy, literacy, and tests for specific type of skills and expertise. Certain types of tests and attributes are modified to fit the metrics supported by companies or to find qualities in people that would fit the role.
The widespread use of psychometric tests can be attributed to its objectivity and its predictive capacity of finding suitable candidates. More so, the rising demand for a fairer type of selection has also promoted its use alongside other regular instruments used by hiring managers. There is also a change in the labor market that the recruitment economy wishes to address.
It has been observed too that the formal qualifications for finding the right fit for promotion or hiring may not be that effective anymore. The sorting process that mainly depends on educational qualifications filter out those who may be excellent workers and are highly trainable but fall short in terms of degree. Further investments in terms of training especially in the field of mathematics, technical, and computing are also seen to be of equal important now with that of psychometric testing.
The changes in the use or nature of psychometric testing is speculated to have risen from the need for equal opportunity which also prompts more employers and hiring managers to do test drives before making the final cut. This leads to a fairer mode of selection that gives everyone the chance to land their dream job or get promoted with their efforts.
The Synergy of Personality Assessment and Cognitive Ability
Personality assessment and cognitive measurement seem to bring out the best results in psychometric testing for corporates. While cognitive ability is a good predictor of work performance and competency – personality, drives, temperaments, and motivations are also good predictors of a top-performing employee.
In a robust economy such as ours, there is always a constant demand for skills. The use of psychometric testing for corporates has enabled a lot of companies to draw out the best and real attributes, personalities, skills, and aptitude of candidates who are trying their luck for certain vacancies.
The key skills that most likely stand out and are in much demand include information technology, communication, problem solving, customer service, team management, working with others; and the like. More key competencies or skills are being added to this list depending on industry requirements and market demands.
The changes in the use of psychometric tests have been observed over the years which serve to underpin and highlight the strength in numbers and that value should not be discounted even for those who may be educationally underprivileged but are hardworking and competent as an employee.
While there is no perfect recruitment tool as everything may have a bit of flaw – psychometric tests for corporates help make out an accurate, reliable, and methodological approach to screening individuals. This helps quantify and measure skills gaps and even shortages too. While the concept of “skills” is considered ambiguous at some point, these still stand to be the barometer for success.
