Don't be put off by the name psychometric tests are simply an employer's way of learning more about your work style and job-related abilities. Alongside interviews and reference checking, psychometric tests are a normal part of the hiring process, as well as a valuable tool to help employers make decisions about promotions, individuals' development needs and overall team dynamics. Not to worry; you cannot 'fail' tests. But you should be aware of what they are and how they work.

The main types of psychometric assessments are aptitude tests, ability tests and personality profiles.

Aptitude and ability tests

• Most tests involve a combination of verbal and numerical reasoning and are frequently multi-choice. They're usually short questions, and there's generally only one right answer.
• The types of exercises can vary but usually relate to specific requirements of the position. They're good at predicting how well you will perform in certain aspects of the role.
• At the test session, listen carefully to the instructions. Most ability tests are timed so make sure you know how long you have.
• Read each key question carefully before answering and look for a balance between speed and accuracy. If you are unsure of the answer to a quesion, give it your best shot and then move on. You'll usually find you can't answer all the questions within the allocated time.

Personality profiles

• Personality questionnaires provide information about how you would typically behave at work. They explore things like how you relate to other people, your ability to deal with your own and other people's emotions, and the way you handle and solve problems.
• Be as truthful as possible.
• There isn't usually a time limit, but you should work throuogh the questions as quickly as you can. 
• These types of exercises usually ask you to indicate your preference for a word or statement that focus on the way you will behave in a set of circumstances:
  E.g. I prefer the company of people: (please circle one)
        Rarely        Sometimes       I don’t mind        Often        Always
• You may find it difficult to respond to some questions, as you feel that your behaviour would depend on the situation. Imagine you are in a work situation, rather than in a personal situation, and then go with your gut instinct.
• Remember, there are no right or wrong answers and do not answer the questions according to what you think the employer is looking for.

Feedback from psychometric tests

We recommend you request feedback on your tests, as this can be useful for your professional development. Make sure the feedback you are given is from a person qualified to interpret the tests.

Future-proof yourself

During volatile economic times - or any times of change - there are many ways you can make yourself more saleable as a candidate or more indispensable as an employee. Attributes such as strong leadership, clear communication and forward thinking take on added importance in the face of instability. With this in mind, we've created a series of development programmes and courses to help future proof your career.

Delivered by specialist facilitators, each course can be conducted in a one-to-one or workshop style format, as a stand alone offering, or in combination of any of the following:

• Practical Job Search Activity
• Interview Skills Training
• CV Development
• Building Transformational Leaders
• Emotional Intelligence
• Healthy Thinking
• Effective Communication
• Building Resiliency

And for employers, courses can be specifically tailored for organisation-wide presentations.

The material covered can also be customised for anything from short course delivery (1.5 hours) to 1 or 2 day options. Cost is therefore dependent on the number of people involved, the makeup of course content, and programme duration.

For further information on any of the above course options and how ppl can help you get ahead, please contact one of our consultants today.