Extended DISC Ltd highlights the importance of using trained professionals for psychometric interpretation and feedback
Over recent years psychometric testing has seen a dramatic increase in popularity and is widely used in organisations across the world for both recruitment and development. A survey commissioned by the Test Agency (www.hogrefe.co.uk) found that 81% of HR departments interviewed used some form of testing.
Psychometric testing was traditionally used for management and graduate recruits but is becoming available to much wider audiences and is considered an invaluable set of tools for developing staff throughout their organisation. With this increase there has been a huge increase in the psychometric tests available and it is now easy to buy a test online and receive the results without any guidance in the analysis or interpretation.
Psychometric tests provide powerful information on an employee and show areas where they may need to develop. If used correctly and in the right circumstances, they can also be a very useful tool in the selection process, providing quick and insightful information on a candidate which otherwise may be very difficult to obtain. This raises the question - how can we be sure that psychometric tools are being used correctly and in the right circumstance?
In the field of selection, the risk of litigation and high cost of recruiting the wrong candidate increases the importance of making the right decisions using psychometrics. Whilst psychometric tests used by untrained professionals for development are at best not providing a good ROI and at worst damaging for the development of employee and de-motivating.
Simon Wilson Organisation and Development executive for Rolls Royce reported that "psychometric tests can actually raise the level of the whole process. If a company is well trained and proficient in testing, this generalises to proficiency in other areas of selection too. So the initial investment in psychological test training also brings wider benefits that enhance general skills in talent management." Julie Scullard, Selection and Assessment Manager at Centrica, also commented "It is very important to ensure that those carrying out testing are properly qualified; Centrica has a lot of supporting policies and guidelines to ensure consistency and quality in its testing" (Current trends in psychometric test use, Nick Bishop, Outsourcer, October 2005).
There are of course a large number of tests available, some better than others. However, the tests that are the most reliable are ones that are only available for use by persons who are trained and qualified in their use. The Extended DISC Personal Analysis and psychometric tools within the system are used for development, selection and team building in all industries and sectors, ranging from education to large corporates to police constabularies and other public sector organisations. Only certified consultants are permitted to use Extended DISC to ensure that it is used ethically and in line with best practice. Jackie Smith of Extended DISC UK Ltd believes it is vital that consultants have been adequately trained in the use of psychometrics. She says "At Extended DISC, we offer training courses for all our tools, which are very competitively priced to ensure that our training is accessible to everyone. Users comment on how the training has increased the depth of their interpretation of reports, improved their selection decisions and resulted in much more practical coaching discussions".
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