Understanding and Changing Negative Perceptions about Psychometric Evaluation Tests

Our company, Orgro, consists of a team of professional psychologists, psychometrists and problem-solvers, who help organisations to unlock the innate talents of your company’s most valuable assets – your people, a complex, diverse group of individuals, each with his or her own unique personality and characteristics.

We have extensive experience in assisting some of this country’s leading companies on their journeys to success by starting at the very beginning, ensuring that they have the right people in the right roles, committed and happy in performing their tasks to the best of their individual and group abilities.

Psychometric evaluation testing of incumbent and new personnel is one of the first steps in doing so, but it’s important for employers to understand why and how certain persons react negatively towards evaluations.

Positive Perceptions

Some people look forward to taking psychometric evaluation tests because they’d look forward to learning more about themselves, their natural, inherent tendencies, talents and areas in which they might improve or excel. Such assessments may unlock a host of positive things and even help to remove mental blocks or stumbling blocks with which others have inadvertently stymied or tripped them up at some earlier stage of their lives.

• Orgro agrees.

Fear-Based Negative Reaction

Most experienced psychometrists have come across a host of negative misperceptions and irrational fears about assessment tests. Fear may be created by a lack of information, and understanding. Evaluation test-resistant persons have a different, very negative perception about what these assessments are and what they entail.

• Accurate or incorrect perceptions have a way of becoming a human’s reality. Fortunately, with knowledge, understanding and guidance, misperceptions may be transformed into positive realities.

Mysteries of the Mind

In their minds, “psychometry” is filled with mystery – the mysteries of the human mind, theirs in particular. They’re of the opinion that psychometry plumbs the unknown depths of the mind and whatever it contains. Perhaps their own closely guarded secrets will be revealed. Thus, they don’t want to make themselves vulnerable by having a stranger investigating their minds.

• Not so, knowing and understanding yourself better makes you stronger.

Measurements and Comparisons

Evaluation may be seen as a method to determine how the assessed person measures up against peers and the so-called norm. Above all else, people wish to be “normal”, an accepted member of a group, the same as or better than others with whom they’re compared. They don’t want to fall short of expectations.

• Misperception – testing highlights capabilities and areas into which they may develop, grow and excel further.

Pass or Fail

To them, one passes or fails any and all tests and examinations that are based on questions asked and answers given. There is no middle ground, nor are there shades of grey; it’s black or white, right or wrong. Consequently, they fear failing their psychometric evaluation tests by giving wrong answers to the questions posed by the professional practitioner.

• Complete misunderstanding of Orgro’s psychometric assessment tests, in which there are no wrong answers. Questions are designed to point the person in the right career direction and role, which provides them with job satisfaction and a great deal more.

Orgro’s psychometric evaluation tests are one of the first steps that are designed to and aimed at facilitating individual and organisational development on the road to success. We’d like to partner with you, your people and your organisation on your journey.