How to use psychometric profiling in hiring

Introduction

The cost of putting the wrong talent on the seat can be so high that organisations are shifting their decision-making towards selecting the person who will fit the role instead of eliminating unfit candidates.

If you’ve applied for a job, chances are you’ve taken some kind of psychometric test. The psychometric assessments have been around since the early 20th century. And they’re widely used; the commonly quoted statistic is that as many as 80% of the Fortune 500 use these kinds of tests in the recruitment process.

What is Psychometric Profiling in hiring?

Traditionally, organisations have leveraged psychometric profiling to assess the thinking caliber of talent, forming the foundation of psychometric profiling in hiring practices.

Psychometrics is an area of psychology devoted to psychological measurement and the construction of questionnaires and tests, which assess people’s knowledge, attitudes, personality traits, or mental ability, making it a critical component used by modern organisations and c level recruiting firms.

Role of Psychometric Testing in Recruitment

Moreover, many research studies have found that people who do better in these psychometric tests, perform better in the job role itself,” explains Dinesh Arya, co-founder of boutique global executive search firm ASTC Consultancy. Reinforcing the value of psychometric profiling in hiring.

Employers typically use psychometric tests as a way of eliminating unsuitable candidates at an early stage, screening candidates for interviews, and objectively determining someone’s ability, personality, motivation, values, and reactions to their environments.

They also help in identifying the strengths or weaknesses missing in existing teams and helping to make strategic recruitment decisions, while providing management with guidance on career progression for existing employees,” adds Dushyant Arya, the other co-founder of ASTC Consultancy. Further emphasizing psychometric profiling in hiring as a key strategy for c level recruiting firms.

Are You Eliminating or Selecting?

While the prevalence of psychometric assessment leverage was high in the western hemisphere, the last 7–8 years have seen a more decisive influence of science-infused talent decision-making in large talent supply markets like China and India in Asia, accelerating the use of psychometric profiling in hiring.

In India, the utility of psychometric assessment was primarily to eliminate unfit candidates from the talent process because of the volume of talent supply. But this is shifting, says Ishita Bandyopadhyay – managing director, Aon’s Assessment Solutions, India and South East Asia.

Today, we find technology and data analytics can be amalgamated to make a stronger case for predicting potential and performance on the job. The leverage of behavioural and motive driver psychometric profiling like Aon’s ADEPT-15 is fast gaining momentum in India.

Organisations can leverage data and statistical analysis today to make better talent decisions. Indian organisations want to do away with the ‘gut feel’,” she says, highlighting the evolution of psychometric profiling in hiring and its growing importance for c level recruiting firms.

Shift Towards Data-Driven Hiring

Bandyopadhyay adds that the cost of putting the wrong talent on the seat can be so high that organisations are shifting their decision-making towards selecting the person who will fit the role, supported by psychometric profiling in hiring.

While talent supply increases in a market like India, employability and fit for the position are still debatable. Hence the leverage of psychometric tools such as Aon’s ADEPT-15 and smartPredict has entered a new zone, over and above cognitive assessments, which measure thinking capacity, organisations are gravitating towards personality and motives assessment to assess culture fit.

The shift is in making talent decisions around selection along with elimination,” she adds, reinforcing the role of psychometric profiling in hiring.

Psychometric Tools Used in Senior Hiring

In the world of senior talent assessment, psychometric profiling has become common and there are various tools used which could be in-house or outsourced to experts, forming a key part of psychometric profiling in hiring.

There are various psychometric tools like DDI, Hogan, SHL used at senior levels. Some of the other ones used include DISC, MBTI, Saville, Clifton, all contributing to more effective psychometric profiling in hiring used by leading organisations and c level recruiting firms.

Understanding Behaviour, Stress Response & Blind Spots

We at AST Consultancy have propagated the LIFO (Life Orientations) which was built by Stuart Atkins which focusses on the blind spots and working styles under normal and stress conditions.

However, even the best of tools is not 100% perfect, hence should be used only as validators or to find blind spots in an individual’s way of working, even within psychometric profiling in hiring frameworks.

We all have our blind spots, and an understanding of that can guard against possible failure of a candidate in a given situation. And change in behaviour during stressful conditions also helps in deeper understanding of a person’s working style.

A glimpse into these of a potential leader versus the requirement on the job, can help validate the final selection,” says Dinesh, summarizing the importance of psychometric profiling in hiring in leadership hiring and its relevance for c level recruiting firms.

Conclusion

The recruitment landscape is rapidly evolving. Companies are no longer just eliminating the wrong candidates, they are actively identifying the right ones.

By leveraging psychometric profiling in hiring, organizations can:

• Improve hiring accuracy
• Enhance employee performance
• Reduce attrition
• Build strong leadership pipelines

In a competitive business environment, adopting data-driven talent assessment strategies is no longer optional, it’s essential.

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