Our new ‘Unbundle ME’ package lets you pick the recruitment areas that you need the most help with – from the primary screening of CVs, reference, and background checking to psychometric assessments.

Although psychometric assessments have been widely used in several companies and recruitment agencies in recent years, their value in the selection process is still sometimes questioned. Some hiring managers and decision makers may feel they can “read” the candidate, their personality traits or team fit; however, that is usually far from objective information that a psychometric assessment provides.

It is estimated that the cost of a bad hire is at least one year’s pay, which is why there are huge incentives for organisations to get hiring right.

When used correctly, that is by psychologists or trained individuals, psychometric assessments can help minimise organisations’ hiring costs, staff turnover, lost opportunities, and stress to individuals.

Most commonly used psychometric assessments in recruitment measure aptitude/ability, personality, and interests. Aptitude/Ability assessments help measure the potential of a candidate to learn new tasks and skills used in various jobs. They measure how people differ in their ability to perform or carry out various tasks.

Personality assessments measure personal attributes of candidates that are suitable for a particular job, they measure different styles of people in interacting with other people, and they are an objective method of predicting likely behaviour in a wide range of settings. Lastly, interest assessments measure how people vary in their motivation, in the direction and strength of their interests, and in their values and opinions.

When deciding which psychometric assessment to use in the selection process, it is important that the right level of a test is chosen to provide meaningful information. Review the job description, be aware of other assessment methods used, become familiar with the test materials as well as their difficulty level, and know what the norm group is – it will help to make the final decision much easier.

But the question remains – why would you invest in psychometric assessments when looking for your new employee? Different research has confirmed that if psychometric assessments are handled with insight and sensitivity, they remain the most effective way of predicting behaviour. Furthermore, experience has proved that they are generally more reliable and valid than other techniques. Unlike factors such as education, skills, experience, appearance, and punctuality, the behavioural traits, as well as the personality of a candidate, can be much more difficult to assess during an interview.

Probably their biggest advantage is their objectivity. They significantly reduce bias and personal perspective, because they are standardised so that all individuals receive the same treatment. Since they have a robust framework and structure, they can give a more objective overview of a candidate’s character, strengths, areas for future development, and working style.

In the end, what we want is to identify the right people for the right role. Psychometric assessments are and should remain a part of a wider, integrated evaluation strategy, alongside resumes, interviews, and reference checks. At Velocity recruitment, we now offer you just that – a bundle of options to choose from and make your selection and recruitment process even more efficient.

Click here to see the wide range of other services we offer with our ‘UNBUNDLE ME’ packages.