Have you ever found yourself feeling annoyed when someone is ranting about how much they love their job? You might even feel resentment towards them. So what’s the deal? It may be because you are lacking job satisfaction yourself, and anyone seemingly happy in their work is a simple reminder of how unhappy you are in yours.
Now, imagine your workforce felt the same way, just unmotivated, even annoyed to come into work every day.
You don’t need to be an expert to know that this would directly affect productivity, efficiency and the overall success of your organization. All the more reason to use every tool in your reach to ensure that the right employee is built for the right position. Don’t worry, psychometrics are here to the rescue!
Psychometrics are not as intimidating as you think
Although the term “psychometrics” might be intimidating to some, one must go beyond this scientific term and see the benefits it can bring. In simpler terms, the purpose of psychometrics as a whole is to gain insight on a person’s cognitive abilities, as well as personality and behavioral tendencies.
And unlike aptitude tests that typically have right or wrong responses to their questions (i.e. numerical, verbal and spatial), psychometric tests, like personality assessments, do not, in the general sense, have a right or wrong answer and require no preparation.
Psychometric Tests : 5 Myths Demystified
Personality tests, more specifically psychometric tests, represent a growing and innovative approach to recruitment and organizational development in many organizations. With the popular effect this best practice is having on human capital development, several myths, objections, and explanations have been raised.
So when analyzing results from a personality assessment, remember that there are no good or bad profiles. If the test yields characteristics of one’s personality that are not suited for a position, this does not mean a person has botched the questionnaire, it simply means that their natural tendencies are best suited in another role.
A reliable psychometric test will also have social desirability scores in order to help detect one’s tendency to want to be viewed more favorably by others. This is more of an indicator to help you dig deeper and ask more questions.
What’s the link between psychometrics and job satisfaction?
To explain this, I’d like to introduce a little formula:
Natural reflexes aligned with job tasks and responsibilities = Happy Employees
This is because their jobs are allowing for their strengths to shine, so they feel more at ease, more stimulated and ultimately, more natural in what they do. They aren’t always swimming against the current, so to speak.
And with happy employees comes job satisfaction, as they are likely to associate their job with positive thinking, emotion and experiences.
What about other factors that influence job satisfaction?
I realize there are other aspects of one’s work, apart from being built for the job, which can have an effect on job satisfaction. Conflict between co-workers, or with a manager, poor leadership and lack of flexibility come to mind, but what you might not realize is that psychometrics can also help in these areas, by avoiding sticky situations and improving collaboration.
Knowing if someone prefers a job that allows them to innovate and think outside the box, understanding a person’s need for reassurance and recognition, even distinguishing which of your employees may have more difficulty with change, with initiating contact or with a heavy, competitive work atmosphere can make all the difference.
So the benefits of psychometrics might start at recruitment, but it definitely doesn’t end there.
Proof that Psychometrics Have a Good Return on Investment
Are you thinking about implementing a psychometric test in your organization? Perhaps you are worried about investing time and energy in something you’ve never used before, or maybe you are doubting its effectiveness and reliability? Not all psychometric solutions are complicated. In fact, many are very user-friendly, while still maintaining precision, accuracy and scientific validity.
Job satisfaction can be subjective, it’s not always a one size fits all
What I consider to be job satisfaction may not be what you believe it to be. I might be satisfied with a very structured and organized work environment, whereas another might need a place of work that gives them liberty to utilise creativity and innovation.
One might associate job satisfaction with collegiality, while the other might relate it to reaching ambitious targets. While many seek a learning culture to be fulfilled, others might achieve job satisfaction through the stability and security their work brings to them.
Bottom line, job satisfaction can differ from one employee to another. So don’t assume that the perks and rewards you are offering to your workforce are being received the same way.
See job satisfaction on a more personal level
Think of job satisfaction as acknowledging your employees for who they are, and for the potential they have! Offering EACH employee a chance to have their strengths aligned with their position and motivating them the way they need to be motivated will allow them to experience ongoing periods of job satisfactions that will add up over time. This continuous effort and attention on your part to MAINTAIN their job satisfaction is what will make your employee remain loyal and committed to your organization.
So there you have it. If you want to promote job satisfaction in your organization, you need to start using tools that can detect how your employees are built, what their strengths are, and how they want to be motivated.
And using a psychometric test is an effective way to do just this! Personality assessments go beyond just seeing an employee’s blueprint, it can also help improve collaboration, reduce conflicts and uncover your natural leaders. Remember that job satisfaction can be subjective, and it requires long-term commitment to your employees. So get started now with the most effective psychometric tool we can think of!