So what are Psychometrics Tests and how can I get one?!

What are Psychometric Assessments?

Psychometric Assessments are rigorous, scientific measures of human psychological attributes, often used when hiring candidates or developing employees. They give insights into less “visible” qualities of a person including personality, mental aptitude, emotional intelligence, risk-orientation or motivation.

Psychometric properties are what a test has if it meets a strict and complex set of standards set by a governing body such as the British Psychological Society (BPS). Psychometric assessments take years to develop and are designed by skilled researchers doing complicated analyses. There are a number of sources for these tests but it is always best to use tests which are governed by the BPS.

In their essence, psychometrics aim to prove they can do three things;

1) measure what they are trying to measure

2) measure it reliably and consistently over time

3) predict something useful with that measurement

This is ambitious when you think about it; interviews, the most commonly used method of employee selection, come nowhere near being able to boast the same credentials. But in order for psychometric tests to provide the level of information to make a key decision for your business or the role you want, they need to prove scientifically that they work, and any trained users of psychometrics should know the difference.

It’s not surprising then, that psychometric assessments have long since been recognised by employment researchers and psychologists as one of the most effective ways to predict which candidates are likely to perform if hired.

1) Why aren’t they part of every hiring manager’s toolkit?

Psychometrics are used by savvy employers once three key questions are addressed:

Do they pose a risk to diversity or inclusion?

Do they really work?

How can we guarantee they are used appropriately?

Test construction is a painstakingly laborious process; set procedures are in place at every step to ensure that important questions that could pose a risk to objectivity have been addressed. These are questions like: Have we explicitly and precisely defined what we’re measuring? Is there a sound theoretical foundation to support this? Can we prove that our test questions comprehensively and appropriately tap into it? Have we tested this with diverse groups? Do individual results hold true over time? Does this test predict something logical and meaningful?

In other words, these tests make every effort to be objective and fair. It’s what makes this process a science. And as a professional discipline, test publishers are bound to the standards of oversight bodies. The only objective of a psychometric instrument is the effective analysis of the degree to which a person possesses an attribute deemed to be required for a job role. They have no interest in ethnicity, background, gender or any other potentially discriminating factor.

Psychometric tests then, when used appropriately, boast more defensibility and inclusivity than most other selection methodologies used by hiring managers.

2. Do they work?

This is an easy one because the jury isn’t out. Research has shown again and again that “General Mental Ability (GMA) tests”, or for want of a better description, “Intelligence” tests, are the strongest single predictor of employee performance. What’s more, when combined with assessments of personality, these tools have more power of prediction than anything else in the entire world of psychology.

However, the degree to which they add value can depend on the type of job. The more complex the job in question – highly skilled professional, technical and managerial roles, for example – the better GMA tests are at predicting who the high performers will be.

Cognitively complex roles provide more scope for intelligence to express itself, and so the difference between star performers and average workers becomes more pronounced in these fields. Research suggests that in a typical company, the top 5% of employees can produce 26% of the output.

What this means is that companies that want to excel should prioritise the assessment of general mental ability for complex roles, and supplement this information with personality and motivational data. They should use objective, scientific selection methodologies to stack their teams with high potential individuals – those with GMA levels above industry norms – and using valid psychometric instruments to identify them.

3. How can we guarantee they are used appropriately?

A fair, objective, professional, legal, meaningful assessment process does not begin and end with test construction. The processes of test selection, administration, participant service, test interpretation and feedback of results require that all test users be trained and skilled.

Untrained test users could select inappropriate tests or those that do not meet the required standards of validity or reliability. They could unwittingly introduce bias into administration procedures or discriminate against protected classes of people without even being aware they are doing so. They could insecurely store materials or breach confidentiality or misinterpret findings or fail to feed results back appropriately, leading to a poor user experience.

The European Federation of Psychologists Associations (EFPA) and the BPS are two internationally recognised bodies that set standards for testing. They approve training courses that meet these standards and the BPS certifies individuals who train to the appropriate level.

Here at nbxTalent, we have partnered with Irish psychologists, who provide the right tests for the right roles. You can see these tests below and do get in touch in you want to take any of these tests or if you would like us to bring these tests into your hiring process.

Test Prices range from €40-€80

General Cognitive Ability Test (GCAT)

GCAT is a measure of general cognitive ability and comprises of verbal, numerical, and abstract reasoning categories. Items are randomly arranged, such that no two candidates get the same questions nor in the same order. Candidates can complete any one element of this assessment only (verbal, numerical or abstract) if preferable.

Perspectives

Perspectives is a modern occupational personality inventory based on contemporary neuroscientific research. It measures ten aspects of personality associated with the Big Five and distinguishes between those behaviours that are more stable (i.e., harder to change) and those that are more malleable (i.e., coachable).

Derailers

Derailers is a measure of a person’s least flattering personality characteristics, which emerge when they are under pressure; commonly referred to as ‘the dark-side’ behaviours.

Drivers

Drivers profiles a person’s motivations and effort they are likely to expend in different activities. It is based on widely recognised theories of career development and work values and explores how compatible individuals are with different work environments.

Checking

The checking test presents the test-taker with a large number of items in a short timeframe and requires the ability to quickly and effectively identify errors in detail, compare information, and assess the correctness of that information.

Sales Preference Indicator

The Sales Preference Indicator measures a person’s natural aptitude for, and comfort with, persuading and selling to others. It is a tool to support the selection and development of staff in a sales-oriented environment.

Emotional Awareness

Recommended for management and leadership roles, the Emotional Awareness tool focuses on five broad areas relating to how people interpret and manage their own and others’ emotions. Leaders with strong emotional awareness navigate complex, ambiguous change with sensitivity; will inspire individual and team effort and remain open to their own personal development.

MSCEIT (Emotional Intelligence Test)

The MSCEIT™ measures a person's capacity for reasoning with emotional information. Emotional Intelligence (EI) is proven to be a key predictor of human performance and development. Research has also indicated that EI is far more important than IQ in many roles, especially in leadership roles.

Risk Type Compass (RTC)

The RTC measures an individual’s personality in terms of their preferences for risk-taking. Results relate to how a person perceives, manages, and reacts to risk and uncertainty. This assessment is invaluable for selection in finance, insurance, manufacturing and aviation industries.

Matt Sherlock4 February 2022