We will now define the three main risks of using these tests and strategies to avoid them.
Risk #1 — Social Desirability
This is the main bias, so much so that it requires us to use psychometric tests as a validation tool rather than a selection tool in a recruitment process.
Social desirability consists in the voluntary falsification of answers by the individual in order to give answers that are socially acceptable by trying to get the test to say what the employer wants to hear.
One measure to prevent social attractiveness is to support the candidate well through the test. It is necessary to explain well in advance the why and the how of the test, and explain that there are no right or wrong answers.
Of course, several psychometric tests have control measures to identify this type of falsification, but how do you treat a candidate who seems to have acted in this way? We recommend that you position yourself on these issues beforehand in order to determine whether you will allow the candidate to retake the test or if you will simply ignore the test results in these circumstances.
Risk #2 — Analyzing the results
Several personality traits make a good or bad figure. Since personality is complex, you must be able to understand the nuances of the strength of the trait, the trait in relation to the position and the organizational culture, the possibility that other traits combined or not are all equally interesting, etc.
The whole danger of using psychometric tests lies in the choices that hiring managers make in relation to the required skills or personality profile required. The analysis and the relativity of the results are therefore preponderant.
Risk #3 — The validity and reliability of the test
Fidelity makes it possible to measure the consistency and consistency of responses from one test to another. Content validity, on the other hand, will ensure that the test measures what it makes sense to measure. For these two elements, the authors of the test must demonstrate them generally to a community of peers and will be based on scientific literature.
This demonstration, once accepted, will generally come with scientific certification or recognition. If your test does not have this type of recognition, it is too dangerous to make the wrong conclusions when choosing it. Look for a certified test that is valid and reliable.
Avoid these risks
To mitigate risks, there are strategies for success that can be put in place such as:
- Ensure the validity and reliability of the test (Certification);
- Ensure the relevance link between the measured criteria and the predictive performance criteria for the position;
- Use the test only as a decision support tool;
- Accept the candidate's imperfections, conduct a nuanced analysis that will also take into account data measured through other tools such as interviews, references, performance evaluations, and others;
- Have the psychometric profiles done by the group (sample) and the manager;
- Legal and ethical aspects: You must show that there is a link between what you measure and the criteria of the position. In addition, the use of a test that would limit access to a group of protected persons should be avoided. And finally, it is important that the person who interprets the test is a professional qualified to do it. He should be able to offer you all the nuances of an exhaustive analysis.
Nuance your analysis
To conclude, we can say that it is desirable to determine the extent of the use of psychometric tests and to always balance your analysis with the help of other data collection tools.
In order to have the best possible results, it is important to be able to compare the individual to a representative sample of the organization and to ensure that our test is valid and accurate.
It can always be interesting to rely on a qualified and external professional so that they can offer you the most nuanced analysis possible. Humans are complex and it is important to rely on several tools in order to make an informed decision.
