The use of Psychometric tests and interviews in employee selection (Essay Sample)

The use of Psychometric tests and interviews in employee selection Student’s name University Course The use of Psychometric tests and interviews in employee selection Recruitment and selection of employees is of the priorities that human resource personnel base on so much. This is important in ensuring that the right qualities, skills, and employee attributes are selected from the pool f potential applicants that may deem qualified for the job. According to Thompson & McHugh (2009, P.12), this is a planned and rational activity comprising of a sequence of linked phases within the which forms the basis of a human resource strategy in the organization. Further, Costello (2009, P. 48) argues that choosing the rightt employee assists the organization to meet it goals. This is because human resource has been used in strategic management to ensure the organization meets its strategic needs through aligning the employees towards organizational goals. Therefore recruitment plays a pivotal role that ensures that the organization selects the required employees to include into the organization. However, selection methods depend on the need for employees. Selections are base on replacing employees who have left based on many reasons or recruitingg new employees to increase the number due to organizational development. Employers choose specific recruitment methods based on the operations of the organization and a series of outcomes that the organization intends to gauge on an employee. This means that the skills, and abilities that are require d for a particular job play a key role in the recruitment method that can be used within the organization (Opayemi and Oyesola 2013, p . 97). This means that a human resource manager must choose the right selection methods that can be used to select employees. This essay compares and contrasts two employee selection methods(interview and Psychometric tests) and their validity versus the perception of employees towards these methods. The essay will define each method through giving an overview of the elements that define the method and then draw a comparison and contrast between the methods about the perception that employees have over the validity of the two methods. Interviews are the common employee selection methods since they provide an opportunity for managers and the recruiting team to meet directly with the candidate. On the other hand, the employee learns more abut the organization trough sharing with the management and prove their worth through giving all the information that can convince the employer that they are fit for the job (Wilk & Cappelli 2011, P. 114). This method influences the hiring decision since it gave the candidate the oportunity to prove their best by expressing their knowledge and abilities. The selection method is based strictly on the applicants or response and inquiries. This enables the recruiting team to predict the job performance of the candidates through an established score. Interviews take different forms ranging from structured to unstructured interviews. Here a list of questions is developed that defines the line of questioning by the interviewing pannel. Each response that the employee gives is scored against the question and an overall score is done where the candidate with the highest score is regarded as the best candidate for the job. Therefore the candidate has to be armed with communication and verbal fluency skills, that will enable a proper response to the line of questioning. The nature of the interview may also vary with some organizations carrying out face to face interviews while others using phone calls or other communication tools like Skype. The interviewing panel is supposed to rate the candidate based on constructs and standard evaluatin methods. The scales can be behaviourally anchored or personality anchored to measure the qualities of the candidate. However, the basis of an interview is of the five variables of job knowledge, job experience, situational judgment, grade point average, and social skills, (Blackman & Funder 2002, p. 110). Psychometric tests are used to provide employers with a reliable and accurate method of selecting the best candidate from the group f potential candidates. These tests measure intelligence, aptitude and personality abilities of the candidate that are used to predict whether the employee can cope with intellectual demands that the position they have applied calls for (Bernadim, 2003, p. 22). These tests are designed to measure emotional or psychological stability of the employee that form an important element in problem planning and problem solving. According to Fortune magazine over 500 organization in USA and 100 in UK are using psychometric tests in selection of prospective employees within the organization. This enables the employer to find the best match of the employee that they want depending on the environment and position that the organization offers. In psychometric testing, personality tests are used to quantify personality by asking you about your feelings, thoughts and behaviour in a variety of situation both at work and outside of work. This enables the employer determine enthusiasm and motivation at work. On the other hand, aptitude tests focus on different abilities of the candidate like diagnosis, mechanical reasoning, spatial ability, abstract reasoning and work sample (Ballantyne, 2009, p. 11). Psychometric tests and interviews both test on the abilities of the individual through different measures. Psychometric tests contain questions that the candidate is supposed to answer under a specific period of time. This, therefore, tests the abilities of the candidate on personality aptitude abilities which may measure different abilities of the candidate like abstract reasoning, verbal and numeric abilities, work sample and data checking. Each of the scores achieved shows different abilities that the individual posses (Ullah 2010, p, 107). Similarly, are used by the employer to predict future jib performance of the candidate through their response on oral queries. The methods are based on standardized, reliable and predictive procedures that are to gauge the candidate and ensure that the candidate can meet the standards that are required. Saks (2006, p. 404) suggests that applicants have rated interviews as one of the possible ways of obtaining th job. Applicants have argued that once shortlisted for interview they believe that this is the way to getting a job. Further researchers have argued that interviews based on structured process are predictive of the candidates job performance and make the interview more valid and reliable. Interviews have been widely used to check the history and background of the employee. This ensures that the employer is able to determine the period that the employee may stay in the organization. Further aptitude tests and interviews allow the employee to express their potential when being assessed and prove their worth for the organization. The methods allow employees to compete on fairly on the grounds that allows each one of them to prove their abilities. Secondly, both interviews and psychometric tests have a score that are used to rate the performance of the candidate and their quality for the interview. The methods offer ways through which the employer can rate and gauge the abilities of the employee. Psychometric tests have scores that are used to measure specific abilities that the candidate possesses. On the other hand, the interview can be structured to follow a sequence of questioning that allows the employer to rate the employee on a set score (Berkson et al 2003, p. 365). In the interview the employer posses questions to the candidate who respond to the best of their knowledge. The responses from the interview are captured using scores as determined the interviewers and the applicant with the highest score is selected as the candidate. On the other hand, psychometric tests contain a set of questions that are answered within a limited period of time. Periatt, Chakrabarty & Lemay (2007, P. 23) state that the candidates display their skills, by answering the questions to ensure that they give the best response according to their understanding. Both methods, therefore, are based on the ability of the candidate to display high scores through giving the correct responses. This means that all the employees are subjected to similar conditions under psychometric tests and interviews which enable the employer to determine the best-qualified employee. These methods have been described as being fair since all the candidates are subjected to similar conditions unlike other methods. Therefore adequate human resource planning can give the best candidate for the job after application of a proper selection method. Further employees have regarded recruitment methods that are standardized as being fair since they subject them to equal selection methods. Both methods can be modified to gather important information that can form the basis of the decision in selection. Experts in HR fields have argued that gathering important data on the background of an employee helps the organization to make important decisions regarding recruitment. Through using job description and standard employee requirement, psychometric tests and interviews can be designed to gauge specific attributes from the employee by assessing how they may affect their overall performance. Aspects like problem solving and planning can be measured based on the responses that the candidate gives. The responses can be thoroughly audited to determine whether the employee fits within the organization (Owen & Taljaard 1996, P. 28). Practical cases can be used to judge the candidate’s abilities and how they can respond to situations. These methods have been widely praised since...