Pshychometrics don't be afraid

Pshychometrics don't be afraid

Psychometric tests are used extensively abroad as tools that assist in development, assessment, and more generally, understanding of a person’s personality. But what exactly are they, and how do they contribute to an employee’s performance and an organisation’s success?

Some other common questions: How can you measure and classify an individual’s personality? How can you categorise and evaluate an individual’s plethora of characteristics and attributes and then turn him into a simple set of results, scores and numbers?
The simple answer to this?

We don’t even attempt to understand an individual solely from his / her psychometric test and results. Psychometric tests add value and information to our decisions about employees and work; information that cannot be found elsewhere. It is simply a matter of adding another perspective in order to paint a picture of who a person truly is and how they are likely to behave.

Psychometric tests are divided into two main categories: personality tests and ability / aptitude tests. Personality tests aim to better understand an individual’s personality and behaviour. Depending on the test, they may seek to explore an individual’s idiosyncrasies or evaluate our preferences for behaving in a certain way in various situations, e.g. at work. Ability / aptitude tests attempt to understand an individual’s current level of skill in a particular ability, e.g. numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, abstract reasoning.
As far as the world of work is concerned, psychometric tests are an invaluable source of otherwise unattainable information; such as our preferences of how we work and the work environment we are most comfortable in, the way we interact with others, and our relationships. As already stated, this information can offer us the chance to identify possible areas of development, guidance and coaching concerns, and they can even inform recruitment decisions.

A psychometric test works both ways: it gives the organisation extra information about a person, be it a new recruit or a current employee, and at the same time it allows the person to share information about their preferences and character that may have never reached the light of day with more traditional methods.

Psychometrics can be a valuable enhancement to coaching, recruitment, development and also training. Organisations that are serious about their employees should consider using these methods to create a powerful culture of learning and development.

In conclusion, do not be afraid. All us employees should embrace psychometrics and welcome the chance to partake in them, since this usually shows that the organisation is willing and interested in investing time, energy, and money in its employees.