Psychometrics For Leadership: Time for Testing

Psychometrics Demystified! For Managers! Psychometrics is not for the faint hearted! Remove your fears! Psychometrics is not psycho mumbo jumbo. Psychometrics are created by world class psychologists who understand and appreciate what make people tick – function effectively in any environment. It is mumbo jumbo only to those who have taken an effort to understand basics of any science, similar to psychometrics as a science. Psychometrics and talent management go hand in hand. Effective assessments cannot be done without administering at least a few testing instruments – test battery. And “Psychometrics” includes future forecasting, risk, compliance, quality, effort, time and money. Psychometrics is done only in best of organizations who believe that talent is a critical competitive advantage. Psychometrics is not just for psychologists. In today’s world psychometrics is best used by practicing managers who have been trained to administer and use testing inventories and instruments. Psychometrics for Leadership is for all professionals, in role of responsibility, who believe that a scientific process needs to be deployed to attract, develop, deploy, staff and retain talent. In a competitive market place there is no better tool than to deploy a battery of tests combined with assessments methods to manage talent. More importantly ethical practices in talent staffing can be best achieved only if the processes executed help build a credible and competent workforce. Time for Testing attempts to demystify psychometric testing for talent managers, on the basis that rarely are we most effective in identifying those personality traits that defines a successful CEO, VP, an Associate or an Intern. We discuss personality traits every day, interpret them, and analyze them when we talk about other people. We may wake up in a different mood from the previous morning, but our basic personality is not changed overnight. But our experiences of the past have remained in the make-up of our personality. A psychometric test is a standard way of measuring an aspect of mental performance. From a talent management perspective, tests identify our strengths, weakness based on an understanding of behaviors that can be worked on (tendency to plan in advance as against delay etc.) and companies use them to give an insight into some human behavior and the nature of relationships. The tests will help you make better selection, allocation of tasks, and promotion decisions. I do not think we should talk about efficiency, etc. as direct outcomes of tests. A test is a measurement device or technique that is used to quantify behavior or aid in the understanding & prediction of behavior. The chapter deals with a wide variety of tests, aptitude, personality, integrity, vocational, interest, technical etc. specifically meant for talent mapping, its selection, application, administration, end uses and learning. Specific tests are provided as examples for a variety of psychometric needs. Tests are used for selection, either for short listing or final decisions, placement or promotion decisions, development, team building, counseling, out-placement and organizational development. Professional occupational psychologists and practicing human resources professionals with appropriate certifications who specialize in testing and assessment have a greater knowledge, insight and experience of the use of tests than can be gained from short training, certification or learning programs. Several examples from the market place on popular tests such as APT 6, MBTI, STRONG, 16PF, 15FP, CPI, PABST, SPT, VBAPP etc. are suggested. Psychometrics for Leadership is a simple book customized for everyday use by practicing managers. While the book has sophisticated testing instruments created by world class psychologists, the administration of the inventories is easy and simply. Just following the administration guideline provided along with the test is sufficient.