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Psychometric Assessments - Tests & Benefits

Personality Testing – What is it?

As discussed in What are Psychometric Assessments, there are a variety of tests available to measure interest, intelligence, skills, and personality. This segment s focus is on the personality test. These tests are essentially designed to assess habitual behaviour (e.g. assertiveness) as well as how an individual deals with certain situations. These personality tests fall, into two distinct types – Ipsative and Normative. It is essential that an organization understands the differences between these test types because the improper application of either test not only negates its worth but also exposes the organization to potential litigation.

Ipsative Tests

Ipsative tests are based on forced choice questions and responses. Each choice is scored. These scores can only represent the relative strengths of the person being tested and cannot be compared to any other individuals. Such tests can typically be identified in the marketplace by the test asking the person to “describe themselves”. Ipsative tests are normally used by consultants as developmental or coaching instruments. This type of test would not normally be used in recruitment and selection.

Normative Tests

Normative tests measure quantifiable characteristics on individual scales. These scales can vary independently. Also the scores can measure the characteristics of an individual against confirmed patters of normality (e.g. bell curve). Normative testing allows people to be compared to particular groups, populations, or jobs. They are therefore more suited as a recruitment and selection instrument but can also be used in developmental, coaching and training. Normative testing generally has a higher validity than ipsative. Depending on the instrument used the validity can be as high as 75% to 85% as with the Prevue Assessment instrument.

When looking at the use of personality tests consider what type of instrument it is (ipsative/normative), will it meet your needs?, is it supported by a technical manual?, is it software based/web enabled?, what are the costs and potential hidden costs?

The Iceberg Principle

We all know the basic iceberg principle that only 5% of the iceberg is above the waterline and 95% is below the waterline. This is very much like people in an interview setting. They will generally only let you see 5% of who they are. You can ask probing questions, situational questions and behavioural based (the more you do the better), however, by far the majority of the individual will remain below the waterline.

Prevue Assessments help you see what is below the waterline. They measure skills & abilities, motivations & interests and behavioural dimensions.

Home Buyer Analogy

For those of you that understand the iceberg principle but need to have it put to you in business like terms I offer the following. When you plan to purchase a home you would not do so without having a home inspection completed by a qualified inspector. You would likely consider a purchase of this magnitude foolish without knowing everything about the home. Hiring a new employee, orienting them, training them, providing benefits of employment all come at significant cost. Why would you want to hire them without getting an inspection?

Prevue Assessments provides you with that inspection and allows you to receive a world of information about the individual and measure them against a benchmark for the position to obtain a level of job fit.

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