Psychometric Testing | Aptitude | Personality Traits

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What Psychometric Testing Can Reveal to an Interviewer

One can only learn so much from an interview despite certificates and references. Psychometric testing offers greater insight into character and aptitude. One can be forgiven for thinking these tests are a new concept. While more employers and recruiting agencies now rely on them than in the past, the practice of assessing an individual’s suitability for a given task based on test results is surprisingly ancient.

There is evidence that, as far back as 2000 BC, the Chinese employed a type of psychometric test to assess skill in arithmetic, archery, horsemanship, music, writing and knowledge of rites and ceremonies when selecting candidates for public office. Today, of course, most of those skills are largely irrelevant.

The first serious attempt to design a framework of tests to measure intelligence was in the 1880s by an Englishman named Francis Galton, who also introduced the term “psychometric testing”. Since then, a succession of renowned psychologists have improved on Galton’s model to provide the tests we use today. They are used in various forms for many diverse purposes, including screening military personnel for combat readiness and entrants applying to some private schools.

However, the most frequent application is as an adjunct to the job interview. While references and certificates confirm experience and speak of potential, psychometry looks at less tangible qualities like behavioural traits such as coping with pressure, teamwork and leadership ability.

Some common types of psychometric testing

When advertising a vacancy today, generating several hundred applications is not unusual. Psychometric tests offer a means to whittle that number down and compile a shortlist of the most suitable candidates before conducting time-consuming interviews and document checks. The tests may examine various trends, depending on the nature of the job and the qualities required to perform it. For example:

Aptitude: This form of psychometric test assesses a candidate’s ability to perform some specified task and provides a reliable indicator of competence. The content may address various skills, including verbal and numerical reasoning, spatial visualisation and mechanical aptitude.

Emotional intelligence: The Eqi.2.0 is one of several tests designed to identify how individuals express themselves, handle challenges, control their emotions, form and nurture relationships and make crucial decisions.

Learning potential: These psychometric tests include TRAM and CPP and focus on cognitive skills like problem-solving and making appropriate judgment calls in varying situations.

Integrity: This quality is hard to measure through conversation and perusing a candidate’s supporting documentation. Someone who handles themselves well in an interview may exhibit counter-productive tendencies when working with others. Tests like the Work-Related Risk Profile (WRISC) and IP200 are designed to predict these trends and help employers avoid the chance of a potentially costly mistake.

Career pathing: When planning the next step for existing staff, a psychometric test to assess personality, interests, and aptitudes can help identify those ready to move up and how best to deploy them.

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