Frequently Asked Questions – Psychometric Assessments

Psychometric assessments give a good indication of how an individual will perform on the job by gauging their most likely behaviours and capabilities. They provide an evaluation of their skills, abilities, values and personality, which allows you to make a more informed decision as to their suitability for a position. Psychometric tests can also evaluate an individual’s capacity for training and success on the job in the longer term.
By using psychometric assessments in the selection, retention and development process, fair and objective decisions can be made. However, the results of psychometric assessments should not be considered in isolation. A candidate’s curriculum vitae, their interview performance and reference checks should also be taken into account when making selection decisions.

Personality assessments measure behavioural preferences. They highlight traits that candidates or employees possess. While there are no good or bad personality traits, certain traits and behaviours are more suited to some roles while the same traits and behaviours may be inappropriate for others. Our assessments also provide an insight into a candidate or employee’s interpersonal style, thinking style and coping style, as well as their preferred leadership and support style, and their likely preference for role type when working in a team situation.

Ability assessments measure a candidate or employee’s likely potential to perform in a role based on their assessment responses. By matching this data to job-related benchmarks (e.g. coping and capability levels) the tests can assist in the identification of an individual’s probable strengths as well as areas where further training and development or initial job support can be offered. The areas we measure in terms of ability are verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning.

There’s no denying that gut feelings play their part in determining who should be a part of your business. But this perspective is highly subjective. What if the candidate, or even the interviewer, is having a bad day? And often, the questions asked at interviews don’t address the ‘right’ competencies, skills and abilities relevant to the job in question. Psychometric tests give you measurable answers that are more reliable than intuition alone.

Every employee within your business contributes to its success. Your receptionist is the face of your business and often the first point of contact. While the required level of testing for a receptionist may not be the same as for a financial manager, an assessment still allows you to determine whether the candidate has the competencies to actually do the job. For example, are they confident communicators? Are they co-operative and obliging or assertive and forceful? Can they work independently and use their initiative? Are they able to learn quickly and pick up new skills? The successful candidate may have the potential to grow substantially within your business in the coming years; psychometric testing will help you determine that.

Each assessment relates to each specific job and measures the competencies and abilities required in a given role. It’s important that you, as the manager or business owner, have a clear understanding of the job in question so that each assessment measures the attributes related to expected job performance. Different assessments are necessary for different jobs and Pod Consulting provides you with the appropriate assessment recommendations for each role you’re recruiting for.

These assessments are usually shorter in length and are used to eliminate unsuitable candidates right from the start, resulting in considerable time and cost savings in the recruitment process. They allow for objective candidate benchmarking against role specific competencies.

These assessments are often used prior to interviewing to provide supporting information – or they may be performed following an interview to provide additional information when making the final selection.

Psychometric assessments give a good indication of how an individual is likely to perform on the job. They enable employers to improve their decisions in relation to selection, retention and development of employees. The feedback from your psychometric assessment is used alongside other information such as your CV, your interview performance and reference checks to make informative decisions.

Psychometric assessments ensure that the process for all candidates is fair and objective. Everyone is put on an equal footing; every candidate is given the same opportunity to demonstrate their competencies, characteristics and abilities. Assessment and development centre exercises, which are simulations of a particular job function, enable you to receive further insight into the requirements of the role. Pod Consulting gives you comprehensive verbal feedback on your personality preferences and your ability results. This gives you the opportunity to discuss and share your views on the results.

You cannot fail a personality assessment. If you’ve answered honestly, the feedback we give you should sound just like we’re describing you. If you’re unsure of how to respond to questions in your test, go with your gut feeling. Try not to spend too long analysing each question. Don’t answer questions as you think the employer would like you to answer them. There are validity scales that identify candidates who respond in this way. For the ability assessments, there is one correct answer for each question. This test is timed, so it’s important to work as quickly and accurately as you can. Once you’ve completed your assessment(s), your results are compared with a large group of similar people who’ve also completed the same assessment (norm group).

There are no right or wrong answers in the personality assessments, so practise is not necessary. However, you can try your hand at some sample questions similar to those in our ability assessments by clicking on the following links: Talent Technologies or OPRA Consulting Group. It’s important to note that practising may not significantly improve your actual abilities, but it may aid your test-taking skills (i.e. completing questions under timed conditions). When you complete the real assessment, you’ll first be given a number of practice questions to ensure you’re familiar with the assessment’s requirements. If you’re completing numerical assessments, you can practise mental arithmetic and learn/revise how to calculate percentages or fractions. For verbal assessments, you can prepare by doing crossword puzzles or looking up unfamiliar words in the dictionary.

You may be nervous about completing your assessments, but try to relax. Remember that the assessment results are one part of the wider process. Try to get a good night’s sleep prior to the tests and if you feel unwell, reschedule your assessments. On the day of the tests, remember to bring any necessities (such as reading glasses) and let us know of any additional assistance you may require. While the ability assessments are timed, the personality tests are untimed – try not to book any appointments close to your psychometric assessments as you may take longer than you anticipate. Prior to starting the ability assessments you’ll be given practice questions and the administrator will take you through the necessary instructions. If you’re unclear about any instructions, let the test administrator know.

The employer will let you know that, as part of the selection or development process, they’d like you to undertake psychometric testing. Pod Consulting will then be in touch to discuss the assessment arrangements.

Online – If we use this method, you’ll be emailed a link to complete the assessments at home. Online assessments may be supervised (requiring you to have a webcam on your computer) or unsupervised.

Assessment facility – If we use this method, you’ll be asked to undertake your assessments at one of our assessment offices.

Within 24 hours of you completing the assessments, Pod Consulting will contact you to give you verbal feedback on your results. This is also your opportunity to share your views on the results. If the assessments are done for selection purposes, a written report will be sent to the employer or recruiter and the results discussed with them. If the assessments are for development or career planning purposes, the feedback will only be discussed with your employer with your prior consent.

The content of the psychometric assessment reports is evaluative material and therefore not accessible by you under section 29(3) of the Privacy Act (1993). However, we do provide you with full verbal feedback regarding your personality and ability assessments. This session normally takes between 30 minutes and an hour. Should you request a feedback report, we are happy to prepare this for you. However, this report will be generic and not specific to the particular role that you’re being considered for.

For selection purposes each employer will have specific requirements in terms of competencies, skills and experience for the role in question. Therefore, the assessments you previously completed may not necessarily measure the same attributes. However, please to talk to us to discuss whether your previous assessment report can be used to support you in the selection or development process.

Absolutely. Please contact us for more information and to discuss programmes such as career guidance and career transition.