Candidate Handbook Understanding

Psychometric Assessments

 

Our assessments serve as a tool for employers to gauge personality traits, cognitive abilities, competencies, and workplace motivation.

Insight into Psychometrics: Psychometric assessments gained traction in the 20th century as a means for organizations to impartially evaluate a candidate's suitability for a role in a scientific manner. Recent advancements by test providers have led to more engaging assessments for applicants, offering deeper insights into both the role and the organization.

 

The Purpose of Psychometric Assessments: For Recruitment and Selection Numerous employers utilize psychometric assessments to pinpoint the ideal candidate for a position. These assessments offer an unbiased assessment of your skills, capabilities, personality, and motivation, allowing employers to form a comprehensive understanding of you and evaluate your suitability for a role objectively. Typically, assessments serve as one facet of a multi-stage recruitment process, complementing application forms/CVs, assessment center activities, and interviews.

For Development You may encounter psychometric assessments as part of your performance review or participation in a training and development program. Completing these assessments provides valuable insights into your strengths and areas for improvement, facilitating the formulation of tailored training and development plans.

 

Preparation Guidelines

Regardless of whether you're tasked with completing a psychometric assessment for a job application or for professional growth in the workplace, adequate preparation is key to success.

 

Enhancing Performance through Practice: Cognitive Tests Investing time in practicing the types of questions commonly encountered in cognitive tests is paramount for maximizing performance and bolstering confidence. Engaging in online practice tests, such as our own personality questionnaires, is an effective way to hone reasoning skills. Additionally, tackling relevant mathematics or language quizzes can enhance speed and accuracy for numerical and verbal reasoning tests, while solving logic puzzles can sharpen logical reasoning abilities.

 

Authenticity Matters: Personality Questionnaires Personality questionnaires operate on the premise that there are no right or wrong answers; they center around personal preferences. Approach the questionnaire with an open mind, carefully consider each question or statement, and respond candidly and honestly.

Beyond Psychometrics Recognizing that recruitment encompasses more than just completing psychometric assessments, we've included additional guidance on various stages of the recruitment process in this guide.

 

Key Strategies for Assessment Day Having familiarized yourself with assessment procedures and completed our practice assessments to evaluate reasoning abilities, how can you further prepare for assessment day?

Managing Test Anxiety Experiencing some degree of anxiety before or during the assessment process is natural when applying for a job. While a moderate level of anxiety can be beneficial in maintaining a suitable pace, it's essential to strive for relaxation when sitting down to complete the assessment. Prioritizing a calm mindset by ensuring a good night's rest and nourishing breakfast can positively impact performance. Avoid rushing before the assessment and aim to approach it in a relaxed and focused manner.

 

Ensure Optimal Conditions

Ensuring a good night's rest and a nutritious breakfast can significantly enhance your performance. Prioritize avoiding last-minute rushing and allocate sufficient time before the assessment begins to approach it with a calm and focused mindset.

Minimize Distractions Completing an assessment online, whether at home or in the office, demands an environment free from distractions or disturbances. Choose a quiet setting where you can concentrate fully throughout the assessment duration, as any interruptions may impact your score directly.

Verify Your Equipment Before commencing the assessment, verify the functionality of your computer and internet connection. While the assessments are independent of connection speed, it's advisable to conduct an Internet speed test to ensure compatibility. Additionally, ensure you have necessary supplies, such as paper, a pen or pencil, and a calculator, within reach for note-taking and calculations.

Review Instructions Take a few minutes to carefully review the provided online instructions before beginning the assessment. If any instructions are unclear or if you have questions, don't hesitate to contact your administrator for clarification.

Final Preparation Upon logging into the assessment system, take advantage of the opportunity to complete a few final practice questions. This final practice session will help you acclimate to the assessment system's interface and functionality, ensuring a smoother experience during the actual assessment

 

 

Recruitment Process Overview

The recruitment process varies among employers, with each organization having its unique approach. Here's a glimpse into the typical stages of the process to provide you with a general understanding of what to anticipate.

 

Recruitment Stages

Online Screening Questions

Typically, you'll be required to submit a CV along with a cover letter or respond to a series of online application queries. These questions often prompt you to recount instances where you've undertaken tasks relevant to the job or showcased key skills and abilities sought by the employer. For instance:

    Describe a scenario where you delivered exceptional customer service.

    Share an example of using your initiative to achieve a favorable outcome for an organization.

    Detail a situation where you collaborated effectively as part of a team.

    Your CV, cover letter, or responses to application questions will be evaluated against predefined criteria related to the role. This evaluation determines whether your application proceeds to the next phase of the process.

 

Psychometric Assessments

Certain employers, particularly those conducting large-scale recruitment initiatives, may incorporate psychometric assessments into their application process. These assessments gauge various aspects of personality, ability, and competency.

    Ability tests assess your aptitude for performing diverse tasks. Common ability tests typically focus on verbal, numerical, and logical reasoning.

    Personality questionnaires evaluate your behavioral tendencies and preferences in the workplace, shedding light on how you typically engage in professional settings. These assessments are tailored to measure specific personality facets that correlate with, or predict, successful job performance, including interpersonal dynamics in the workplace.Your cognitive approach and task management style, as well as your emotions and driving forces.

Competency-based evaluations focus on the proficiency and expertise you exhibit in the workplace.If you're invited to participate in an assessment center, psychometric evaluations are often integrated into this phase of the process.

 

Telephone Interview

Some organizations prefer to conduct a brief telephone interview with candidates before proceeding to further assessments or face-to-face interviews. While typically shorter and less detailed than face-to-face interviews, these telephone interviews usually explore your motivations for the job, knowledge about the company, relevant skills and experience, and possibly include some competency-based questions. Refer to the interview tips and guidance section for preparation advice.

 

Face-to-face Interview

The primary component of your job application process will likely be a face-to-face interview, typically structured as a competency-based interview where interviewers pose a standardized set of questions to all candidates. This ensures objectivity and fairness in the process. You may be interviewed by one person or a panel of two or three interviewers. Refer to the interview tips and guidance section for preparation advice. If participating in an assessment center, the competency-based interview is often included in this stage of the process.

 

Assessment Center

Many large-scale recruitment initiatives incorporate assessment centers into their process. During these sessions, you and other candidates are evaluated through various exercises, some individual and others assessing teamwork abilities. These exercises aim to evaluate your suitability for the job based on your skills, competence, personality fit for the organization and the role itself. Refer to our assessment center guidance for preparation advice on the exercises involved. Depending on the number of applicants and the range of skills to assess, some organizations may conduct a second assessment center.

 

Final Interview

Some organizations conduct a final interview before making decisions. This interview provides an opportunity to delve deeper into your skills and experience, possibly addressing strengths and development areas identified in earlier interviews or at the assessment center. Additionally, you may be asked to deliver a presentation, typically based on a specific question or problem, followed by a question and answer session. You may also meet with different team members to assess your fit within the existing team.

 

Job Offer

The culmination of the recruitment process is the job offer, where the company extends a final decision on your application.

 

References

Typically, a job offer is contingent upon satisfactory employment references from previous employers and/or educational institutions. These references should demonstrate your ability to perform the job, collaborate effectively, and your reliability and commitment to work. Assessment Centers

As part of their recruitment process, many large-scale recruitment initiatives incorporate assessment centers. During these sessions, candidates are evaluated alongside others through various exercises, some completed individually and others assessing teamwork abilities. These exercises aim to gauge your suitability for the job by assessing your skills, competence, and personality fit for both the organization and the role. Participating in multiple exercises allows you a better opportunity to showcase your full range of skills and abilities, making assessment centers a fairer method of recruitment than interviews alone. Assessment centers typically span anywhere from half a day to three days and are usually held either at the organization's premises or at an external location.

 

Preparing for an Assessment Center

Company Research

Before attending an assessment center, it's crucial to research the company, its market, and competitors. Demonstrating interest and enthusiasm for the organization is essential. Start by exploring the company's website, focusing on details such as its establishment, products and services, objectives, global presence, ongoing projects, performance, and company culture. Additionally, seek information beyond the website, including newspapers, magazines, and annual reports, to gather comprehensive insights.

 

Dress Appropriately

Ensure you have appropriate attire—a suit or smart dress—for the assessment center. While the company's dress code may lean towards casual, dressing formally is advisable. First impressions matter, and appearing too casual may convey a lack of effort and professionalism.

 

Location Familiarization

Know the assessment center's location and plan your journey in advance. Conduct a trial run if possible to avoid any delays or getting lost on the day. Punctuality is crucial, as being late can create a negative impression. Ensure you inquire about parking facilities beforehand.

 

Contact Information

Have the name and phone number of your contact readily available. In case of any delays, it's courteous to inform them beforehand. Upon arrival, clarify whom you are meeting and familiarize yourself with the day's format.

 

Practice Confident Body Language

Project confidence through a firm handshake and maintain eye contact during interactions. Confidence and positive body language leave a lasting impression during assessment processes. Avoid a limp handshake, as it may convey passivity or shyness.

Interacting with individuals throughout the assessment demonstrates confidence and strong interpersonal skills.

Organize your documents in a smart document wallet, ensuring you have printed copies of:

• The job description and person specification
• A timetable and outline of the day
• Your CV and covering letter
• Any work samples you wish to present
• Answers to online application questions
• Directions and a map to the location
• Contact details of the person you are meeting
• Company research notes
• Pen and paper

Familiarize yourself with psychometric assessments, as many employers include them in the assessment center. Consider practicing these assessments beforehand for better preparation.

Maintain politeness and professionalism with everyone you encounter, as your behavior reflects on you. Any perceived rudeness or discourtesy could impact your assessment. Take responsibility for thorough preparation to avoid needing assistance or special favors.

 

Interviews

Competency-Based/Structured Interviews

These interviews involve standardized questions related to the role, with your responses scored using a rating scale. Every candidate is assessed using the same criteria, ensuring fairness.

 

Unstructured Interviews

Interviewers may ask more open-ended questions based on your CV or experiences. Questions may vary between candidates, addressing specific areas of interest or strengths and development areas.

 

Preparing for Interviews

Research the company thoroughly, focusing on its size, career prospects, international opportunities, achievements, and commitments listed on their website. Prepare reasons for wanting to work for the company, emphasizing aspects like company size, career growth, international opportunities, achievements, and company commitments.

Investors in People certification indicates the company's strong commitment to staff development.

 

Understanding your own CV and covering letter thoroughly is crucial. Annotate the job description to highlight:

• Tasks you have experience with.
• Tasks you have limited experience with.
• Tasks you have knowledge of but haven't done.
• Tasks you have neither knowledge nor experience

Identify your key selling points based on your skills and experience, and use these to articulate why you're applying for the job. Express enthusiasm and passion for the role and the company.During the interview, emphasize your unique selling points and qualities that set you apart from other candidates. Provide examples to support claims of qualities such as attention to detail, organizational skills, problem-solving ability, and self-motivation.

When discussing weaknesses or development areas, present them in a way that showcases how you've managed or overcome them. For instance, framing a potential weakness as a strength, such as being a perfectionist but learning to prioritize effectively.

Competency-based questions require you to provide examples from past experiences. Structure your answers by describing the situation or problem, outlining the task, discussing the action you took, and detailing the outcome and its success factors.

 

Here are some examples of questions you might encounter:

• Provide an example of a time when you achieved excellence.
• Describe a situation where you successfully collaborated as part of a team or group project.
• Share an example of when you used your initiative to solve a problem or innovate in a previous role.
• Discuss a situation where you had to meet tight deadlines or work on a project with strict timelines.
• Tell us about a time when you resolved conflict in the workplace.
• What has been your most significant career achievement so far?

 

Follow-up questions are essential to demonstrate your interest in the role and the company:

• What opportunities are available for training and development in this role?
• Can you outline the training program available for the first year?
• How can I progress within the company?
• What are the organization's goals for the next five years, including any expansion plans?
• Could you provide insights into the team I'll be working with in terms of size and roles?
• What is the next step in the interview process, and when can I expect to hear back?

 

Completing a psychometric assessment can feel overwhelming, so we've prepared a brief guide for each assessment to help you understand what to expect. Familiarizing yourself with the question types and assessment process should ease your nerves and enable you to perform your best.

Here's a breakdown of our assessments:

• Personality questionnaire: Assesses your workplace behavioral preferences and motivations.
• Cognitive ability tests: Measure your reasoning skills in interpreting information and understanding abstract concepts.
• Competency-based assessment: Evaluates your behavioral preferences in relation to job-relevant competencies.
• Situational Judgment: Measures factors essential for success in specific roles within an organization.
• Motivations: Focuses on your values and drivers in the workplace.
• 360 Feedback: Provides objective feedback from managers, team members, and peers.

 

Personality questionnaires gauge your behavioral style and preferences at work, assessing how you handle relationships, manage tasks, and what motivates you. They are reliable predictors of workplace performance, as they reflect our preferred tasks and areas of competence.

You have the flexibility to respond to the statements within each block in any order and can change a rating by selecting another option. It's important to avoid giving the same rating to multiple statements within a group. If you do, you'll be prompted to rank these statements in order. Once you move on to a new block, you cannot revisit a previous one. There's no time limit for the questionnaire, but it's recommended to provide immediate responses. Typically, the personality assessment takes around 25 minutes to complete.

After completing a personality assessment, you should expect feedback from the recruiter, hiring organization, or your employer. Don't hesitate to request feedback if it's not initially offered. This discussion can help clarify what the questionnaire measures, your responses, and how it applies to your daily work.

 

Cognitive ability tests evaluate your reasoning skills, including interpreting written information, analyzing data and statistics, and understanding abstract symbols.

Here's how it works:

• Verbal reasoning tests assess your ability to interpret verbal information and draw conclusions.
• Numerical reasoning tests measure your capacity to analyze numerical data.
• Logical reasoning tests evaluate your ability to analyze abstract information and identify patterns.
• Checking skills tests gauge your ability to detect errors in data accurately and swiftly.

Prior to beginning the assessments, it's advisable to familiarize yourself with the format and time allowances by completing our practice assessments, which are available for free. Exercise caution when using third-party practice sites that charge for access to test content, as they may not provide recognized content or securely store your data. Some sites may even pose security risks.

 

Our cognitive ability tests are adaptive, meaning the system selects questions based on your previous responses and their accuracy. You'll start with an average difficulty question, progressing to more challenging ones if you answer correctly within the time limit. Conversely, incorrect answers or failure to respond within the limit will lead to easier questions. This adaptive process ensures a continuous challenge throughout the test, so don't be discouraged if some questions seem difficult.

To achieve your best score, focus on working both quickly and accurately. Read each question and response carefully, maintaining a steady pace without rushing or procrastinating. Fully engage with the presented information and proceed to the next question once you're confident in your answer. Balancing accuracy with efficiency is crucial for success in ability tests.

 

Given the time limit for each question, it's advisable to utilize the full allotted time and avoid hastily providing an answer without consideration. It's essential to understand the time constraints to respond appropriately.

 

Feedback:

Your performance on each ability test is compared with that of a reference group, typically comprising individuals who have previously completed the same tests. The result is presented as a percentile, indicating your performance relative to the sample population (e.g., if your score is in the 75th percentile, you've outperformed 75% of the reference group). Feedback on your ability tests should be provided by the recruiter, hiring organization, or your employer. If not initially offered, don't hesitate to request feedback, as it can be beneficial for future endeavors.

 

Competencies:

Competency-based screening questionnaires assess your workplace behavioral tendencies relevant to the job's key competencies, aiding in the identification of suitable candidates. This assessment may be part of a multi-method evaluation process or administered as a standalone assessment, often referred to as Aspects Styles.

 

How it works:

The competency-based questionnaire is completed online through our assessment system and comprises statements concerning workplace behavior. You're tasked with rating each statement based on its alignment with your behavior at work or in relevant situations. Statements are grouped into sets of four, allowing you to rate them in any order and change ratings as needed. Avoid assigning the same rating to multiple statements within a group, as this prompts ranking them. Once you proceed to the next set, revisiting the previous set isn't possible. While there's no time limit, prompt responses are encouraged. Typically, the questionnaire takes about eight minutes to complete.

 

Feedback:

Feedback following the assessment depends on the discretion of the recruiter, hiring organization, or your employer. Requesting feedback is advisable, as even in case of an unsuccessful application, any insights gained can be valuable for future opportunities.

 

Situational Judgment:

Situational Judgment tests (SJTs) gauge various factors crucial for success in a particular role or organizational context. They're highly regarded for their alignment with organizational culture and role requirements.

 

How it works:

SJTs present realistic work scenarios, each offering multiple actions to choose from. Your task is to select the most effective action for each situation, assessing your judgment in response to diverse scenarios. Your responses are evaluated against required competencies, generating a 'fit' score.

 

Feedback:

Feedback on your SJT performance should be provided by the recruiter, hiring organization, or your employer. If not initially offered, don't hesitate to request feedback for potential insights into your performance.

 

Drivers:

Drivers questionnaires focus on identifying your workplace values and motivators, aiming to measure factors that energize and stimulate you in your professional life.

The questionnaire presents a series of statements concerning motivation in the workplace. Your objective is to assess each statement by indicating its personal importance to you in a work context.

These statements are organized into groups of four, with each group prompting you to rate the importance of each statement on a scale ranging from 'Not important' to 'Extremely important' in your work life.

 

In each set of statements, it's advisable to avoid assigning the same rating to multiple statements. If you do assign the same rating to several statements, you'll be prompted to prioritize them.

Typically, completing the motivations questionnaire takes approximately 30 minutes.

 

Feedback:

Following the completion of the assessment, feedback should be provided by the recruiter, hiring organization, or your employer. If feedback isn't initially offered, don't hesitate to request it, as it can facilitate discussions regarding the questionnaire's focus, your responses, and their relevance to your daily work.

 

360:

Our competency-based feedback questionnaire facilitates the collection of objective and candid feedback from your managers, team members, and peers.

 

Self-assessment:

You'll complete a feedback questionnaire containing questions and statements related to your workplace behavior across the following domains:

• Interpersonal Relationships
• Task Management
• Motivation and Emotional Engagement

For each domain, you'll encounter various behavioral descriptions accompanied by a rating scale. You'll be tasked with assessing your performance against each description, ranging from 'far below competent' to 'fully competent'. If you feel you haven't had sufficient opportunities to demonstrate skills in a specific area, you can select the 'no evidence' option. Additionally, you'll have the chance to provide comments for each domain.