You have probably already heard about psychometric tests! You might even have taken one without knowing exactly how it works or what it assesses. Here’s what you need to know.
What is psychometrics?
Psychometrics is a tool that allows for the assessment of a person’s profile, to understand their personality traits, to identify their natural strengths but also their limitations. We are talking about identifying skills and natural (or less natural) reflexes in a work context.
How does it work?
The candidate completes a test consisting of several parts, usually in the form of a questionnaire. It will often involve, at a minimum, a cognitive aptitude test along with a personality assessment, but also questions about company preferences and values. The results will then be analyzed by a professional in the field who will be able to provide feedback to the client or candidate in a coaching process.
More and more assessment tools are now “self-interpreting”, in order to offer organizations a certain level of autonomy. However, for high-level positions or for positions with certain special features, it is recommended to have the results interpreted. This interpretation can be provided by an organizational psychologist or an expert certified in the use of such tools.
What is the added value of psychometrics in the context of talent selection or potential development?
Psychometrics is useful to organizations in their recruitment process, offering them a better understanding of candidates during the selection phase, but also in the development of their employees, their individual coaching or team building.
Recruitment
The test results will put the candidates’ natural strengths and areas of concern into perspective for the employer. During the selection process, the employer will be able to compare different profiles, but also have points to discuss during interviews. It is recommended to administer the test after the 1st interview in order to have points to consider for the second one. This will allow the organization to place the right individuals in the right positions as well as to identify their needs and ensure a good integration.
The test will answer questions such as:
- Is the person more effective working alone, or are they stimulated by multiple and varied interactions?
- Does the person need to be challenged on a regular basis, or do they prefer to stay in a comfort zone?
- Does the person prefer spontaneity and improvisation, or do they tend to be thoroughly organized to control the situation?
- Is the person more likely to innovate in the heat of the moment using their creativity, or are they more comfortable in familiar situations with proven methods?
Integration and professional development
Psychometrics is also an important ally when it comes to employee retention, mobility, and potential development.
The loss of a resource is the loss of know-how and expertise. It is therefore essential to ensure the motivation and commitment of your resources by focusing on a thorough understanding of their personality and their needs. The relevance of allowing them to evolve within the organization is an important element to consider.
Thank to psychometrics, it is possible to see the development opportunities of each person. It offers a possible line of approach regarding behaviours to emphasize or to avoid. Each personality type comes with its own natural strengths or areas that can be improved through personalized support.
This approach consists of, for example, asking ourselves what actions or challenges can motivate an employee with leadership potential? In what context can an analytical talent or ability to implement strategies shine, in which case it could potentially meet the organization’s needs.
By offering employees the opportunity to grow within the company, managers can significantly boost the employees’ motivation, which in turn ensures better talent retention.
Team cohesion and synergy
By establishing your employees’ profile, the organization can also establish the profile of its teams and thus identify potential issues in terms of collaboration, conflict or performance. A good understanding of all the members of a team will allow for the establishment of complementary relationships where opposing traits are seen as a strength!
A group self-awareness session can, for example, help to understand why two employees work so well together while others have a harder time collaborating! By pinpointing your teams’ strengths and areas of concern, it becomes easier to find concrete solutions and to get a better understanding of each other.
It is important to note that your choice should never rely solely on psychometric tests. Psychometrics is a complement to a thorough recruitment process. The tool should be used as an added value and not as an end in itself as it does not reflect the candidate’s professional experience.
In addition, it is important to understand that a person will rarely be a natural performer in all aspects of their duties and that some skills that don’t come as naturally should not systematically prevent their hire. However, this information is valuable for a manager in order to properly support employees in their employment success, their development and their happiness at work.
At Bedard Human Resources, we can assist you with psychometric testing whether it is for recruitment purposes, assessments, team building or individual coaching.
For more information on these services, we invite you to contact Stéphane Pépin at 450.667.0202 or by email at spepin@bedardressources.com.
A collaboration of François Thibault - Human Resources Consultant at Bedard Human Resources.
