"I have a nose for it! I can tell when it's the right person!"
"When I give candidate a handshake, I know immediately if he or she is a good fit for my team"
"I have an instinct for choosing my employees."
Many selection processes rely on these kinds of non-standard strategies! How much do you think relying on these kinds of beliefs leads to successful and efficient selection results?
There are several risks associated with this type of decision making:
- Hiring someone who does not have the desired skills;
- Dealing with unsatisfactory performance of a new employee;
- Not knowing the true natural talents and development potential of your candidate;
- Having to spend more money to train a new co-worker.
So this question may arise: How can I improve my selection process?
The underlying answer to this question is partly based on the use of psychometric testing! Here are 3 reasons to use psychometrics in your selection process.
1. Standardize your selection process to justify your decision
The use of psychometric assessments in selection represents a method that is the same for each candidate. Applicants are therefore subjected to exactly the same stage of the selection process, which seeks to measure their abilities and competencies for a position to be filled. Thus, standardizing your selection process by focusing on these components of the candidate could reduce :
- Judgmental biases of an evaluator in an unstructured interview;
- The possibility of discrimination in the selection of a candidate.
As you may have guessed, the results generated by psychometric assessments, if properly administered, enables us to evaluate each of the candidates included in the selection process on an equivalent basis. In other words, the result of an assessment is represented in quantitative data that allows an easy scores comparison between candidates.
Think about it, a number that identifies the best candidate on the basis of his or her skills and competencies isn't that an undeniable advantage of using psychometrics in selection?
And that's not all! A standardized method would facilitate the creation of a sense of fairness experienced by candidates throughout the selection process. By avoiding random questions in an unstructured interview that may be different from one candidate to another, we ensure a solid decision-making process based on the needs and competencies of the position to be filled.
2. Assess potential and behaviors more easily
Psychometric assessment provides the candidates profile. Some tests can assess skills, personality, intelligence (cognitive ability tests) and so on. These elements seek to predict one's behaviour in a job.
The use of psychometric assessments not only predicts the behaviors of individuals in the organization, but also measures the fit between the candidate and the organization and anticipates some of their future job performance. They also allow us to identify strengths and potential areas for improvement on which we can build development plans for our new employees. AtmanCo's psychometric assessments can be combined with a competency profile to highlight a candidate's natural talents and identify what energizes them.
Combining psychometrics with competencies allows us to design a development plan based on competencies that energize the employee!
3. Avoid costly "bad choices”
Let's not forget that making the wrong selection choice can be very costly for an organization in both the long and short term.
Estimates show that it can cost up to one year of the new employee's salary to rectify a poor selection decision[1].
Imagine, just having to replace the employee who does not meet the expectations of his or her new job can cost thousands of dollars[1]. Furthermore, this selection error can have repercussions on the work team and the employee himself or herself, leading to demobilization or burnout[2].
Fortunately, the use of psychometric assessments in a selection process can greatly improve the chances of making a good decision the first time, since they seek to predict how well a candidate will perform in the position to be filled. In addition to that, psychometric assessments can also be used to evaluate the suitability of a candidate in the job for which he or she is applying. Thus, with a good analysis of those psychometric evaluations, it is possible to reduce the risk that these kinds of disastrous consequences arise your organization.
If you had to remember a few findings, here are the biggest benefits of using psychometric assessments to select your next candidate:
- Facilitate decision-making by making an informed choice;
- Avoid the costs of making a poor hiring decision;
- Make a first step towards a future development plan;
- Facilitate your choices based on rational arguments and key competencies;
- Promote better retention of your employees by calculating fit before hiring.
Now that you have all these benefits in mind, do you feel you have a better understanding of how psychometric assessment can make your recruitment process more efficient? Read the 7 key steps to effective recruitment.
[1] Personnel Today. (2007, 22 mai). Trades secrets : Psychometric testing. https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/trade-secrets-psychometric-testing/
[2] Bédard, I. (s. d.). Les quatre conséquences d’une mauvaise embauche. Job boom. https://www.jobboom.com/carriere/les-quatre-consequences-d-une-mauvaise-embauche/
Inspired by:
Catano, V. M., Wiesner, W. H. & Hackett, .R. D. (2019). Recruitment and Selection in Canada (7th éd.). Nelson.