As tough as it can be for jobseekers to find the perfect role for them at their dream company, it can be just as difficult for businesses themselves to find the right people for the job at the outset - which is why the recruitment and interview process can seem so very stringent and arduous from a candidate perspective.
It’s vital that the best people for the job are invited to interview and ultimately employed, because it takes up so much time and resource - time and money that businesses can ill afford to waste, especially in Covid times.
Imagine going to all the trouble of sifting through hundreds of applications (a realistic prospect, given the recent redundancies and job losses that have come about as a result of the pandemic) and holding numerous rounds of interviews before hiring someone you think is the cream of the crop, only to find out in a few months that they simply just don’t cut the mustard. It sounds quite deflating and demoralising, doesn’t it?
This is why so many companies these days now ask people to carry out psychometric tests as part of the job application, something that you may well have already come across yourself.
Of course, the most popular way to assess whether someone is right for the job or not is an in-person interview and this will likely never change, but there are issues with an interview-only approach, and companies can take a broader approach to make sure that they’re hiring the top talent. Psychometric tests can really help recruiters gain a deeper level of insight into the candidates they have in front of them.
There are different types of psychometric tests but they usually fall into two categories - aptitude and personality.
The former will usually see you given a task that allows you to demonstrate your skills, experience and ability in a particular field. So if you’re going for a sales role, for example, you might be asked to give a presentation on a chosen subject.
Personality tests, meanwhile, are carried out to assess just how you might react in any given situation and, unfortunately, these can be quite tricky to prepare for. There are no right or wrong answers, however, so don’t panic, stay calm, remember to breathe and do your best to answer everything honestly.
To prepare for your aptitude test, the key is to practise as much as you can. Don’t leave it to the last minute - give yourself as much time to do some run-through tests so you know what to expect on the day. Again, don’t panic - your potential employer isn’t trying to trick you, catch you out or make you look stupid; they just want to make sure you’re the right fit.
If you need any help, advice or guidance relating to the interview process, the team at The Work Psychologists are here to lend a helping hand.
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(Photo by Green Chameleon on Unsplash)