Guiding Professional Growth Through Psychometric Assessments

Sadly, many people are destined to spend forty-five years or more repeating the same monotonous tasks daily to earn a modest living before receiving a meagre pension in exchange for their lifetime of service. Others, however, are more fortunate. These are the people who have an employer that appreciates the importance of incentivising staff to keep them happy and productive and employs psychometric assessments to develop exciting career paths that will ensure they achieve their full potential.

Psychometric evaluation provides insights into employees’ personality traits, cognitive abilities, and aptitude to reveal their strengths and expose those areas that could benefit from attention. In short, the findings of these tests can help employees set and pursue realistic career goals that align with their proven abilities and make more informed decisions to drive their professional growth.

What are Psychometric Assessments?

Psychometry employs a series of standardised tests to evaluate an individual’s mental abilities and behavioural traits. Specific tests are designed to measure qualities such as numeracy, literacy, intelligence (IQ), personality, aptitude and emotional intelligence (EQ).

They are used in different combinations to provide insight into how a test subject will tend to think, behave and interact in various real-world situations. Typically, psychometric evaluation is used in recruitment, leadership training, personal growth programmes and career development and can be divided into two main categories:

• Aptitude tests: These tests measure the qualities necessary to perform tasks and solve problems. They assess cognitive abilities such as numerical and verbal reasoning and logical thinking.

• Personality tests: These psychometric assessments explore behavioural tendencies, motivation and emotional responses in various work scenarios to gain insight into the test subject’s character, work style and compatibility with specified roles.

The Role of Psychometric Assessments in Career Planning

To create a realistic career plan for an employee, an employer must make decisions that align with the individual’s interests, personal strengths and long-term goals. These tests provide the tailored insights necessary to ensure that alignment by:

• Matching Career Potential to Personality: Each career has its specific skillset and personality requirements. Just as a psychometric evaluation can help school leavers identify the occupations that best match their abilities and characteristics, it can also determine an employee’s best route to progress within a company.

• Career transitions: Psychometric tests offer sound guidance for anyone considering a career change by clarifying which options are compatible with their existing skills and personality traits.

• Leadership and management development: As employees progress, leadership and managerial roles could become viable options. Tests to evaluate leadership potential can help individuals determine their readiness for such roles by revealing trends like solid decision-making capabilities, emotional intelligence, or conflict-resolution skills.

Psychometric Assessments in Personal Development

Personal development is an ongoing process made easier with the structured framework provided by psychometric tests to formulate realistic personal and professional goals. The results help guide one in selecting the paths necessary to overcome weaknesses and capitalise on strengths while building confidence and the willingness and skills to take on new challenges.

ORGRO has a team of experienced psychologists, psychometrists and problem solvers who can undertake the psychometric assessment tests to ensure your staff perform at their best and help your business realise its full potential.