Job related psychometric assessments really came to the fore during World War 1, when the US army used a variety of numerical tests, verbal tests and tests measuring a person’s ability to follow directions to reject the weaker candidates and detect leadership potential. Since then the use of psychometric testing have evolved to a current state where 75% of all Fortune 500 companies make use of psychometric assessments (Psychometric Success). The latest assessments incorporate technology such as gamification, mobile assessments, online platforms and various integration software.
Psychometric assessment trends to watch out for in 2018 are:
Holistic assessments – more and more organisations are using a wide assessment battery to measure a broad spectrum of the employee’s unique profile. This involves the assessment of personality, emotional intelligence, cognitive abilities, aptitude, interests, values, motivation and so on. Furthermore, organisations are starting to incorporate psychometrics with various other diagnostic tools such as engagement questionnaires, strengths-based tests, coaching questionnaires and so forth to help identify and develop the organisation’s top talent.
Mobile assessments – The use of online assessments has become quite dominant in the world of work. With the increased use of mobile devices, psychometric assessments will need to undergo a mobile transformation to enable mobile administration, reporting and analytics.
Predictive analytics – A global benchmark study by Cut-E on psychometrics assessments highlight that HR professionals are increasingly integrating their assessments with their existing recruitment or information systems to provide data that can be accessed, analysed and interpreted in new ways. Employers are starting to link selection data with performance and other talent data to build predictive models that enable the business to address future business needs and challenges. Psychometric testing should therefore be used in conjunction with LD and talent management initiatives to help organisations identify skills gaps, training needs, succession risks and so on.
Bespoke assessment batteries – more and more organisations are demanding tests that are tailored to their industry, the job in question and even their organisation to assess the very aspects that are unique to the organisation and their success.
Reduction in product loyalty – as knowledge about different products, tools and applications increase, HR professionals will be more specific regarding their choice of assessments for specific jobs and management levels. Historically companies often used the same assessment battery (and assessment supplier for that matter) for years, without investigating other products that could be more fit-for-purpose.
By tapping in to these latest developments, HR professionals can gain greater value from the assessments used within their organisation and enable their organisation to be at the very for front when it comes to talent identification and development.
