Psychometric Assessments
Develop your people and make confident recruitment decisions with Psychometric Assessments.
What is a Psychometric Test?
The phrase 'Psychometric Test' sounds scary! Really this is just a word to describe the process of understanding a person's behavioural style and the skills that they can complete without any effort or those that take more energy and concentration. According to The University of Auckland, a psychometric test is a standardised test designed by psychologists to measure a person's mental performance and identify their personality type to determine their behaviours and potential.
Generally speaking, there are two types of Psychometric Tests:
- Ability tests which assess different abilities, like a person's mathematical skills and capcity to understand written information. Ability tests also identify an applications ability to grasp new skills and perform certain tasks.
- Behavioural Assessments which analyse how likely a person is to behave in a workplace and their ideal working environment
Who Should Use It?
Companies and leaders looking to recruit and develop talent.
Languages
Our questionnaire is available in 70 + languages and reports use gender neutral language.
Time
The questionnaire takes
8-10 minutes to answer and the report is emailed to you within minutes.
Validity
Our questionnaires are validated every two years and recieve high scores.
What is involved in a psychometric test?
Psychometric tests help companies evaluate candidates natural behavioural preferences and their current level of ability. Behavioural and ability tests support organisations to select the best fit for the job role requirements. These tests commonly consist of multi-choice questions which explore a person's preferred behaviours, how they relate to others, their emotions at the time of testing, their ability to deal with their feelings, and a whole host of behavioural skills and preferences. So really, there are no right or wrong answers in psychometric tests. The best thing to do is to be as honest as possible.
Benefits of a psychometric test in the workplace
Psychometric tests are statistically examined and constructed to be objective and unbiased. They are very reliable in predicting people's behaviours and potential performance. This is one of the reasons why psychometric tests are an excellent tool for employers, recruiters or even individuals who want to know more about their personality traits.
Psychometric tests are quick, only taking up to 10 minutes to complete. They are also inexpensive in the long run as they help to reduce overall recruitment and training costs.
Candidate Tip: Don't try to second-guess what employers are looking for as the tests usually have built-in mechanisms to detect inconsistencies. Be yourself and follow your instinct. Your first response is often the most accurate.
How are Psychometrics used in Business?
Psychometrics tests are a fantastic tool for employers to use as a part of their recruitment process as they can identify hidden aspects of candidates personalities and behaviours that are difficult to extract from a face-to-face interview. They help to determine whether a candidate is suitable for a particular role and if they will fit well into the team environment.
Psychometric tests also help to improve company culture by creating more synergetic teams. They allow team members the opportunity to understand each other's thinking patterns, reflexes, motivations, social skills and emotions. Sharing this information contributes to a balanced, composed, considerate and co-operative work environment.
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What to expect during the psychometric test?
The behavioural assessment test is straightforward. There are no strict time limits however, we recommend candidates take only 8-10 minutes to answer the questionnaire. Each question contains a list of statements that are easy to understand. Candidate's simply choose a set of words that is most like them or least like them, there are no right or wrong answers. Candidate's should not over analyse their answers, trust their instincts and be as honest as possible. Respondents who attempt to influence the results may invalidate the report which will not provide a valuable contribution to their professional development.
Aptitude tests are completed under strict time limits. There are right and wrong answers and the test is designed so that not all candidates answer all the questions. It's important that candidates work quickly and accurately to get as many questions correct as possible.
Why do employers use psychometric tests?
Employers use psychometric tests to:
- Help predict job performance of recruits
- Ensure they hire the most suitable candidate for the role
- Reduce recruitment costs - in fact, 73% of our clients report recruitment savings of $10,000 to over $50,000.
- Understand how an individual can be better understood, motivated and managed to improve job performance
What companies use psychometric testing?
Psychometric testing has become one of the most significant trends in recruitment. Businesses of all size in New Zealand as well as global enterprises such as Hewlett Packard, Ford Motor Group, McDonald's and 3M now integrate psychometric tools into their hiring processes. Psychometric tests help businesses screen large candidate pools during the pre-employment phase of recruitment.
It's no wonder that an estimated 20% of companies now use psychometric testing in their recruitment and training.
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How to prepare for the psychometric test?
Choose an Environment Free From Distractions
Pick a place where you can focus solely on the questionnaire. Our behavioural based psychometric tests take only 10 minutes to complete. Our ability-based psychometric tests can take 10 - 30 minutes depending on the number of tests you are completing.
Focus on your Weakest Area First
If there is a topic area you are not confident in, answer practice questions before completing the psychometric test. Practice tests will help you learn from your mistakes, try to understand where you went wrong and complete the questions again.
Be Sure to Answer Honestly
Behavioural-based psychometric tests often have built-in validation measures to analyse how consistent you are in your answering pattern. It's natural to want to make yourself look good when applying for a job. Try not to overdo it as the test administrator can pick-up on inconsistent answering patterns. It's better to be yourself and answer honestly, not how you wish others to see you.
Read all the Instructions Carefully
You will receive pre-reading material that helps to explain the process. Read this carefully, so you understand how to prepare for the questionnaire. Another set of instructions appear online that guide you through the steps to answer the questions.
Practice Working Under Timed Conditions
Most ability-based psychometric tests require you to answer a set of questions within a specific time frame. Working under time pressure is stressful, which can impact on performance. The best way to condition yourself is to set a time limit and practice answering a range of questions.
Psychometric test questions
The Extended DISC® questionnaire consists of 24 forced-choice questions. While answering the questions, imagine describing yourself in your current work role. Each of the 24 questions contains four statements. You are required to select the statements that describe you most and least.
Our ability-based psychometric tests can take 10 - 30 minutes depending on the number of tests you are completing. The questions also vary depending on the test you take. Typically these are mathematical, written or visual problems or equations you need to solve.
Psychometric test answers
After completing the questionnaire, you will receive a copy of the report from your manager or business coach. They will schedule a time to sit down and debrief the assessment with you. The debrief is a great time to ask any questions you have about your report or discuss any concerns.
Next Steps
The real value of psychometric assessments comes from applying the findings to your everyday tasks and environment. Self-awareness is vital in understanding how we prefer to do things. We cultivate long-term success when we learn to adjust our behaviours. We recommend you refer back to your assessment regularly as this will help you to develop practical steps to adapt your behaviour, create more productive interactions and develop your skills.
Discover our Range of Workplace Assessments
