Fair Chance

01 Oct 2010

Giving Prospective Employees a Fair Chance

Psychometric Aptitude Assessment

A rigorous interview and selection process may seem tedious for both employers and prospective candidates. However, if you implement aptitude psychometric testing in your interview process, believe it or not, you are giving job applicants a fair shot at the job position.

“But, aren’t these tests used to weed out the unqualified employees?” you ask. The answer is: Yes, but aptitude psychometric assessments are also great for determining which candidates are the most qualified as well. When an applicant passes the tests that you chose to administer with flying colours, you know that you have found a viable candidate for the position.

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to shortlist candidates efficiently? That is ultimately the main goal when recruiting new – and suitable – job candidates to fill open positions within organisations. An efficient way to streamline recruiting is to use aptitude psychometric testing. It provides a quick overview of a candidate’s skills and abilities. This method saves the hiring manager’s time compared to lengthy interviews, especially when there are many applicants.

A Smooth Process

The hiring process varies a bit from company to company, however there are typical and common steps that are taken for recruiting by most organizations. Normally, companies provide application forms to the candidate. Then, when the hiring manager is ready to start interviewing, the telephone interviews are pursued. Next are the face-to-face interviews, and then second interviews and final interviews and assessments. The choice might come down to two or three really great candidates – what exactly is the deciding factor? Do you flip a coin?

Narrow Down the Choices

Why not eliminate some of the candidate pool by implementing the psychometric testing directly after the first interview? Or, you can start the process with the aptitude tests and narrow down the group immediately. Either way, you will discover who has the best skills for the position. This gives you an advantage in selecting the right candidates for the job and the company. The testing also gives candidates a fair chance to prove their abilities and showcase their knowledge.

Psychometric Aptitude Testing

In the business world, companies use psychometric tests to evaluate a candidate’s personality, abilities, values, motivations, and interests. These tests help build a candidate profile that often does not emerge in a typical job interview. This profile is then used in comparison to the company’s needs and culture to find a match.
Psychometric aptitude tests are perfect tools to measure mental reasoning skills, including comprehension, verbal, abstract, spatial, and numerical reasoning abilities. Adding more pressure by setting time limits on the tests can show a hiring manager how well the candidate works under pressure. If the position requires problem solving, thinking and functioning under pressure.

How Applicants Benefit

You are giving applicants the fairest chance at the job opening that you are hiring for when you implement psychometric aptitude tests. You allow them an opportunity to share their strengths and style of working. Instead of comparing a candidate’s interview personality to others, which may include exaggerations, you give them a chance to demonstrate their true abilities.

You also give the applicants a good idea of what your expectations are in the position that you are seeking to fill. Whoever you choose for the job can feel confident, after the testing and interviewing, that they will be a suitable fit for the role. All in all, your choice of candidate will know that you selected them after a logical and fair assessment, rather than based on personality and the gift of gab.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *