Effectiveness of Psychometric Testing in Recruitment Process

 

Psychometric exams are commonly used by organizations to assess the satisfaction of a job vacancy and a strong candidate. This assists the firm in determining an applicant's eligibility by examining factors such as their abilities, talents, and motivation. The knowledge gained from these assessments assists decision-makers in selecting the best candidate for the job by essentially aligning the work criteria to the prospect's intellectual and emotional capacity (Saha,2020). A psychometric test contains a set of uniform questions or stimuli that are given under predetermined circumstances which exhibit personality traits relevant to the job-required skills. The appropriate tests must be chosen in order to minimize the chance of discrimination throughout the selection process. In order to provide consistent procedures in the hiring of employees and to ensure a fair procedure for all candidates, the selection tests need to be modified. Every result should only be used for employment-related purposes. The purpose of each test should be explained to the candidate. Such selecting procedures should only be managed by the authorized personnel (Castillo, Roca and Ramos, 2020). Despite the fact that larger organizations employ psychological tests more frequently than smaller businesses, evidence suggests that interviews are still seen as a crucial last step in the hiring process since it provides for a more thorough understanding of applicants' psychological traits (Sartori, Costantini and Ceschi, 2020).

Psychometric testing is a selection tool that assesses candidates' cognitive abilities and actions, which are critical for future job success. The outcomes of these examinations are used by organizations to make key recruiting and promotion choices (Memon et al.2018). In recent years, the use of psychological exams for hiring purposes has grown. The rising usage of psychological testing can be explained by a number of factors. First, the cost of testing has decreased as a result of psychological testing being widely accessible online. Additionally, testing candidates has become more relatively simple, and results reporting has vastly improved. Second, there is a growing understanding that testing is a crucial component of the best practices for selection that are demonstrably relevant, objective, and fair. Third, people are becoming more knowledgeable about the predictive validity and reliability of particular tests. Finally, now human resource management has become more professional, and that their role in strategic decision-making has expanded (Carless, 2009).

Advantages of psychometric tests

According to Saha (2020), below are some inherent advantages to systems for psychometric testing in the organization:

        ·       Interview Independence:  The main goal of recruiting strategies is to fill positions with the most qualified applicants. Ability cannot be determined solely through interviews. Psychometric testing allows you to compare results of different candidates and provides a quantitative insight of how the organization is currently performing on previous hires.

        ·       Price & Time Efficient:  Psychometric testing eliminates the need to navigate through a variety of submission formats. In an exceedingly saturated talent market, it is preferable to collaborate with the best applicants who have already been screened rather than selecting them from fresh.

        ·       Inherent Traits:  Psychometric study helps to find internal perspectives such as how a candidate would communicate with the office, connect with it or develop it. In addition to the essential technological dimension, this would involve behavioral traits.

       ·       Standardized Testing:  Despite the fact that larger firms perform customized training for their specialties, candidates involved in the study go through the exact same method and without discrimination. This is in direct contrast to interviews, which rely heavily on the respondent's state of mind, which is always subject to fluctuation.

Types of psychometric tests

Many businesses have incorporated particular assessments into their employment processes. These tests assess potential employees' aptitude, personality, abilities, and motivation, allowing managers to make better hiring decisions because this method can predict an employee’s performance (Castillo, Roca and Ramos, 2020).

Cognitive Tests

Mental ability can be generalized across a variety of jobs, so if someone is strong at solving one type of difficulty, they are likely to be good at solving other types of difficulties as well. These examinations may assess verbal and numerical reasoning, critical reasoning, or the capacity to abstractly follow a set of logical steps (Jenkins,2001).

Tests of Specific Abilities

Organizations use this test to analyze the unique tasks required in specific jobs. There are examinations for clerical work that examine verbal and numerical checking skills, office terminology comprehension, and the ability to plan and organize. Technical professions require exams such as technical checking and faultfinding, understanding of electronics, and the ability to understand diagrams (Jenkins,2001).

Personality Tests

There are certain personality traits which are capable of being measured which influence job performance and individuals’ suitability for particular kinds of jobs. In assessing personality, psychologists often refer to the ‘big five’ personality traits: extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness to experience, and emotional stability. Test publishers offer generic business setting assessments as well as personality tests that are more specialized for particular occupations (Jenkins,2001).

Testing for Literacy and Numeracy

These are the tests for examine literacy, written English, numeracy and mathematics (Jenkins,2001).

Aptitude test

Aptitude tests are job-specific tests. These are designed to predict the potential of an individual has to perform tasks within a job (Armstrong, 2009, 571).

Effectiveness of Psychometric Tests

The effectiveness of psychometric testing has been demonstrated throughout the previous few decades. Most private and public sectors are making use of psychometric tests when selecting personnel. Studies are being conducted to determine which tests are more effective in the selection of individuals; they must be low-cost and produce maximum results when picking the right personnel for the desired task. The efficacy of the tests offers a level of satisfaction in the organization because it will recruit people with stronger ability and talents that are compatible with the functions necessary in the position to fulfill the objectives. These tests are effective because they generate changes in the hiring process by measuring the skills that each candidate has mentioned (Castillo, Roca and Ramos, 2020).

Below video explains, how Emirates airline conduct their assessment during the recruitment process.

Source : (Albina Baybekova, 2017)

References

·       Albina Baybekova (2017) Emirates Airlines Assessment Day. [online video] Available from https://youtu.be/Tqdm4_mmCbw [Accessed 22 August 2022]

• Armstrong, M. (2009) Armstrong’s handbook of human resource management practice. 11^th edition. Kogan page: London and Philadelphia.

           ·       Carless,S.A. (2009) Psychological testing for selection purposes: a guide to evidence-based practice for human resource professionals. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 20(12), PP.2517-2522.

·       Castillo, C.C., Roca, G.M. and Ramos, W.V. (2020) Effectiveness of psychometric tests for the selection of personnel in jobs in the retail sector. Management Science Letters, 11, PP.1583-1587.

           ·       Jenkins,A. (2001) Companies’ use of psychometric testing and the changing demand for skills: a review of the literature. Centre for the Economics of Education, pp.18-20.

          ·       Memon, M., Ahmad, F., Queeshi, M.A. and Brohi,N.A. (2018) Effectiveness of psychometric testing in recruitment process. Journal Of Organizational Behavior Research, 3(1), pp.293-294.

         ·       Saha, B. (2020) The significance of psychometric tests in the recruitment process for an organization to induce its effectivity. International Journal of Research in Engineering, Science and Management, 3(8), pp.268-270.

          ·       Sartori,R., Costantini,A. and Ceschi,A. (2020) Psychological assessment in human resource management: discrepancies between theory and practice and two examples of integration. Emerald Publishing Limited, 51(1), pp.284-286.