Job Selection Tests Elicits Mind Games by Candidates

Answers get skewed in psychometric testing by most job seekers during interviews in an attempt to sway the recruiter of their integrity and seize the job opportunity.

The candidates try to reflect what they believe the boss wants to hear.

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The contradictory scenario is a possible side effect of tougher unfair dismissal laws, which have seen more companies turning to personality tests to weed out potential problem recruits, Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Psychometric testing is considered by several recruitment firms as a cost-effective way of weeding out unsuitable candidates by measuring their aptitude and intelligence.

But there has also been a growing trend to use the personality assessment-style tests to ensure if a candidate is 'fit' within a corporate ethos before committing to hiring them.

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Graham Doyle, the NSW director of the multinational recruitment firm Hayes, believes that more than 70 per cent of large companies are using some form of psychometric testing in interviews.

"It's not fail-safe, but psychometric testing at an ability or behavioural level can be part of a very good recruitment tool kit," he said.

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"[But] I believe a lot of employers are using [the tests] as the answer ... They have clear pass or fail marks, even though the tests measure preference, rather than capability."

According to Psychometric Success, a website that sells manuals for a raft of tests, it is very easy to cheat the system.

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"Most tests contain some so-called impression control questions, designed to catch out candidates who are trying to give an overly good impression," Psychometric Success said.

"[But] how difficult can it be, with a little practice, to spot these questions when most tests consist of less than 150 questions in total," the website added.

Source-ANI