The Economist November 7th, 2020 |Business|Bartleby|Questionable behaviour|”Companies are relying more and more on psychometric tests”
image credit quora.com
Psychometric tests (PT) are more and more common, especially used when selecting candidates for higher-skilled roles. Companies leverage them rather than relying just on more subjective picking through resumes and then supplementing them with conventional assessments like structured interviews and aptitude tests. PT tests try to ascertain one’s true profile by asking the same question many times spread throughout the test. They examine five characteristics with the mnemonic of OCEAN for Openness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism. Introverts are good for attention to detail and the ability to work alone for long periods-ideal for “train-drivers” for example. Assertive people, but not extroverts, are best at call center because they complete more calls rather than just being chatty. “Testers are also assessing the “dark triad” known as Psychopathy, Narcissism and Machiavellianism (manipulative/callous/indifferent to morality). These traits might select a good junior manager but one with limited ability to rise in the management ranks. Other revelations from these studies can reveal those being good at detail might not be good supervisors as they tend to micromanage workers and those that “flourish in sales may have an excessive need to be the centre of attention.”