Psychometric Test Questionnaire for Quality Hiring

Advantages of Using Psychometric Tests during Recruitment

There are many advantages of using a psychometric test questionnaire by recruiters as a part of the recruitment process. We list below a few of the important ones:

• A psychometric questionnaire reveals quite a lot of information about the personality traits of the candidates which generally doesn’t come out using the traditional recruitment methods. Teamwork capabilities, handling work pressure, problem-solving abilities and more such insights about the candidate can be gained by using this assessment. These inputs result in an improved quality of hiring decisions.
• Psychometric test questionnaires have evolved over a period of time as a result of scientific research and continuous work and improvement in the field. It is almost impossible for candidates to notice any pattern whatsoever in the nature and type of the present day psychometric questionnaire. Therefore, it is difficult for candidates to manipulate these tests. Despite the best efforts, if they attempt to fake the answers, it can be easily detected. That gives the recruiters the confidence to base their candidate selection on the outcome of the results of the questionnaire.
• A psychometric questionnaire can act as a first step in the recruitment process to select the candidates who are suitable for the company and/or role. It helps recruiters focus their time and attention on the relevant candidates. The assessment results also present the strengths and weaknesses of the candidate for the recruiters and interviewers to see and frame their interview questions accordingly and make a satisfactory selection.
• The psychometric questionnaire results act as an impersonal and objective guide for the interviewer and recruiter to make the right choice of candidates irrespective of their own qualifications, experiences, personality traits and personal biases. It can even be used as an objective and effective tiebreaker in case of two or more potential choices. In fact, a psychometric test questionnaire can actually help take the guesswork and gut feeling out of the recruitment process to a large extent.

The aforementioned benefits of using psychometric test questionnaires justify their use during hiring and recruitment.

Types of Psychometric Tests

Psychometric questionnaires can be broadly divided into two major categories namely, ability tests that gauge what a person can do and personality tests that gauge what a person is like.

Ability tests include tests of numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, text editing, ranking, abstract/logical reasoning and critical thinking to name a few.  

Personality tests include tests of motivation and situational judgement.

Traditional assessment practices such as phone screening or in-person interviews make it difficult to gain accurate insights into an applicant’s ability to solve problems, fit into the company’s culture, and ultimately succeed in the position. Factoring behavioural tests into the hiring process can help organisations better understand the temperament of a candidate through a series of scientifically designed questions and scenarios.

Based on their usage, psychometric test questionnaires may be divided as follows:

• Personality Tests: Personality-focused psychometric tests evaluate aptitude areas such as teamwork, decision making, problem-solving, managing stakeholders, coping with stress and other soft skills to help recruiters gauge the candidate’s suitability.
• Behavioral Tests: Behavioural psychometric tests evaluate workplace thinking style, willingness to learn, leadership qualities and other generic personality traits. Appropriate behavioural tests as per the job role such as sales situational personality and customer service orientation help select suitable candidates who are more likely to succeed in the position.
• Leadership Tests: Leadership-based questionnaire is useful during lateral hiring and evaluates the leadership skills, competencies and other soft skills.