Why psychometric tests should be used in the recruitment process?

Posted On: Oct 11, 2021

Talking about psychometric tests nowadays doesn't cause the same amazement as in the past. After all, as the market grew more competitive and vacancies spread, companies became aware that they would need to do something to keep up with the evolution. A surprising US statistic reveals that each corporate job attracts an average of 250 resumes. And another surprising one is that recruiters spend, on average, only 7.4 seconds to read a CV!

This is why to facilitate the selection process; the psychometric tests have been integrated to help the HR professionals and recruiters to find the perfect candidates for the vacancy. Thus, the importance of psychometric tests is something assimilated by most medium and large companies all over the world. But there are still some companies who are reluctant to use it.

With that in mind, here I'm going to share with you a little about the psychometric test, its type, and its benefits

What are Psychometric tests?

Psychometric tests are psychological tests that assess a candidate's ability and personality, with the aim of identifying whether he or she is fit to perform a given position in the company for which he is applying. The origin of psychometric tests dates back to the year 1870 when they were limited to the educational field. Specifically, it was started by Alfred Binet, a professor at Sorbonne University, at the request of the French Ministry of Education. Its aim was to identify children with higher intelligence than others.

However, over time, the process has evolved and is used recurrently in the recruitment and selection process. The reason is - Psychometric tests allow recruiters or HR professionals to make a more in-depth analysis of the candidate.

In most cases, psychometric tests are a fundamental method used by the company's recruitment or human resources area to assesses the characteristics of the professionals who will be part of the organization.

Objectives of the Psychometric testing

The information obtained through psychometric tests has several objectives, such as:

• Identifying capacities, values, aptitudes, abilities, self-confidence traits, and even tastes of the candidates.
• Predetermine the potential and limitations of each candidate regarding the job position they are going to perform, their growth options within the company, their potential for integration with the team and the business philosophy, etc.
• The psychometric tests enable the recruiters to determine which candidate meets the organizational requirements and can adapt smoothly to the culture of the company.
• Predicts both job performance and behavior for each applicant.

Benefits of Psychometric testing

Now that you have a better understanding of the psychological tests and their importance, it's time to know the benefits of psychometric testing during the recruitment and selection processes.

Mapping of strengths & weaknesses

A professional can have years of experience, a solid background and still have difficulty communicating correctly. On the other hand, an inexperienced person does not have all the necessary knowledge but perhaps presents interpersonal relationships as one of its strengths. In this case, studying the curriculum alone would not be enough to define the best alternative.

Thus, with psychological assessment, it is possible to know the outstanding traits of the individual's personality. And, with profile mapping, it is easier to understand the most developed qualities of both the individuals and what are the weaknesses that need to improved. This helps the recruiters to define the ideal choice and who has the required strength to join the organization.

Their potential in the workplace

With the CV, surely you have already got an idea of ​​what skills the candidate possesses. However, by conducting the psychometric tests, you will know the candidate's potential in the workplace. That is, whether he/she has the openness to attend training or how far the candidate wants to develop the career. All this information will allow a recruiter to know about the candidate if he will be a valuable resource for the organization or not.

Profile compatibility analysis with the vacancy

Given such a complete understanding of professionals and their personalities, psychological assessment in organizations is ideal for getting to know the so-called cultural fit. Basically, this element is to assess the compatibility between the candidate's profile and the vacancy. From the psychological analysis and mapping of their profile, it is possible to explore the main values ​​and concerns of the professional. And, while crossing these elements with what the enterprise adopts in its daily life, it is easy to understand if the choice is adequate or not.

For instance, imagine that an open position creates a lot of pressure on leaders and requires them to deliver challenging results. If the person does not have the motivation, high productivity, and self-confidence to make quick decisions, they will probably not meet the needs of the opportunity.

Increase employee engagement and job satisfaction

The information generated by these reports on the adaptation to the culture allows taking into account the impact that the organizational culture will have on the performance of the candidate. Research has shown that a 10% increase in employee engagement equates to a 6% increase in the effort they employ, which equates to a 2% increase in their performance. So if job satisfaction increases, so do your engagement.

Thus, betting on the psychometric test can help companies to assess several issues that influence work and, thus, ensure the best possible hiring!