It’s always nerve-wracking to apply for a new job. Whether you’re a fresh graduate about to make use of your degree for the first time, or a seasoned professional who is looking for better opportunities, you can be sure that there will be some level of apprehension involved when you’re faced with a new employer.
And why not? Applying for a job is basically inviting another person to judge you. It’s you trying to be as confident as you can about your track record, your skill set, your knowledge, your work ethic – all the while with fingers crossed behind your back hoping that the hiring manager deems you good enough.
But with the advent of psychometric tests, things are about to change. More and more companies are opting to use these tests to do initial screening because it makes hiring more efficient. By using a standardised test to narrow down the pool of applicants, companies can apply more in-depth (and resource-consuming) screening processes to only a chosen few.
It’s easy to understand why companies would go for psychometric tests. But how is this a good thing for applicants? If you’ve ever failed a test in school, you might think this is a turn for the worse – but in fact, psychometric tests will change your life as an applicant for the better.
Psychometric tests remove societal bias
When a hiring manager reads through a CV or meets an applicant for an interview, they may be influenced by personal bias that even they may not be aware of. But psychometric tests do away with that. Psychometric tests will not judge you by how you look, how you speak, or how you dress; it’s based on how well you fit the role. For instance, if you want to work as a 911 call handler, The Criticall Test will assess whether you have the skills and aptitudes needed to be a 911 call handler and dispatcher.
Psychometric tests add objectivity to the application process
Traditional screening processes rely on how well the hiring manager thinks the applicant would perform in the desired position. Psychometric tests, on the other hand, are tailor-made to measure the applicant’s ability in skill sets relevant to the job.
It’s the same test given to all applicants, with a black-and-white answer to each one. It’s provides an objective – rather than a subjective – measure of how good the applicant is at the skill sets needed for the job.
For instance, the Caliper Test is one of a range of personality tools developed primarily to assist employers in selecting appropriate candidates for a range of different roles.
Psychometric tests can be practised
If you’ve ever gone to an interview with butterflies in your stomach because you have no idea what to expect, then you’ll be happy to know that those butterflies are preventable with psychometric tests. There are many online resources for sample psychometric tests that you can practice before the big day. This way, you will be familiar with how questions are asked and how to budget the limited time you have in answering.
Some test that you might want to consider are:
- Aptitude tests
- Cognitive ability tests
- Diagrammatic reasoning tests
- Inductive and deductive logical reasoning tests
- SHL tests
Psychometric tests provide knowledge on strengths and weaknesses
When you practice with psychometric tests, think about the job you are applying for. What skill sets do you think the company is looking for in a successful candidate? Practise online and get your results.
This will give you an idea of what areas you are good at and what areas you need to improve upon. Take more tests, and you will be able to gauge your progress. This way, when you take the psychometric test for the position you want, you are more confident in your ability to answer.
Dennis Relojo-Howell is the founder of Psychreg.
