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A few weeks back a question was posted on LinkedIn regarding the effectiveness of psychometric testing for staff selection. The LinkedIn user asked: “How reliable and valid are psychometric test results during an interview process?”

This is a very interesting and relevant question given the reliance that many organizations place in psychological assessments, usually in the form of personality assessments. Opinions vary widely on the effectiveness of such assessments. My personal opinion is that the effectiveness of psychological assessment in candidate screenings is almost exclusively dependent on the assessment itself, the manner in which the assessment is incorporated into the evaluation process, and the competency of the assessors.

The use of psychological assessments to determine “fit” is a well established field. Only assessments that have published peer reviewed psychometric properties indicating acceptable reliability and validity should be used. Typically, reliability and validity scores should be greater than .65 to be considered acceptable, but this range may vary depending on application. Assessments that have not been peer reviewed or do not have sound psychometric properties do not accurately measure the qualities intended, and are likely to produce erroneous or misleading results.

The other aspect that must be considered is the purpose of the assessment. What is being measured? What is the intent or baseline against which the results will be compared? If there is a clear baseline for comparison, e.g. scores > x on a scale measuring pro-activity for instance, then the purpose of the assessment is clear. Before employing psychological assessments, organizations must understand “why” they are employing them.

The assessor must be trained and qualified to give and evaluate the psychological assessment. Results on these assessments can be confusing or misleading to those without appropriate training. Unqualified assessors may result in misinterpretation of the results, leading to the loss of good candidates, or hiring of unsuitable candidates.

The psychological assessment should be used within the context of an overall assessment process. While psychometrically sound assessments provide accurate analysis of individual characteristics, they do not provide context. Making hiring decisions based solely on the results of a psychological assessment is usually not wise. These results should be measured against interview results, historical information, references, etc.

It is possible that individuals may “trick” a test, but the higher the reliability and validity measures for the test, the less likely it is that the test will be fooled. The most likely outcome of someone trying to fool a psychometrically sound assessment is that anomalies in the measures will show and the assessor should flag them for further investigation. Although it is possible that a candidate may attempt to “game” his or her results, the possibility of him succeeding can be greatly reduced by:

1. Using only assessments that have peer reviewed validity and reliability of > .65.
2. Ensuring the assessor is adequately trained and certified to give, score and interpret the results of the assessment.
3. Where anomalies in the results are present, ensure that they are investigated and considered within the overall hiring process.

Following these three guidelines for using psychological tests in employment assessments will greatly increase the potential for a successful hiring process.