What are the best psychometric tests for recruitment?

Psychometric tests are becoming increasingly more popular and are revolutionising the way that companies recruit new talent. It is estimated that over 75% of the top 100 companies in the UK now use psychometric testing as part of their selection process, due to the many benefits that these diverse assessments can provide. 

When it comes to selecting which are the best psychometric tests to use as part of your recruitment process, it will ultimately depend on the industry or the job role that you are hiring for. They take various forms (numerical, mechanical, logical, verbal, etc), typically broken down into two distinct types - tests of ability and personality assessments. Ability tests assess how well a person does something whereas a personality questionnaire assesses how they do it.

Below, we’ll be exploring the top psychometric assessments for recruitment and the benefits of each. To find and compare these tests in more detail based on the areas you want to assess, browse the Talent Grader platform. 

Why are psychometric tests used for recruitment? 

Psychometric tests are used to provide insight into a candidates cognitive ability and indicates their potential to excel within a certain role and company. Typically carried out online, they are an effective way to streamline the recruitment process and reveal top applicants efficiently. 

By measuring traits such as aptitude, communication style, and emotional intelligence in a candidate upfront, hiring managers can develop a much clearer picture of how a candidate will perform. This goes beyond just assessing the person based on their employment history and academic achievements. 

In the current climate where employers are receiving an extremely high number of applications for new roles, psychometric tests are an excellent way to quickly filter through candidates. Hiring managers can confidently whittle the selection pool down to the top 5-10% of applicants, to invite them to further stage interviews. 

A strong correlation has been found between a high score in a psychometric or aptitude test, and subsequent high performing candidates. This indicates that they are reliable indicators of the potential competence and suitability of applicants. 

Best Psychometric Tests For Recruitment 

As discussed above, there are different types of psychometric tests which measure different personality traits and candidate attributes including intelligence, critical reasoning, motivation and more. Below we’ve put together a list of the best psychometric tests for recruiters to use during the hiring process. Based on the company and the role that you are hiring for, you may use one of, or a combination of the tests featured below. 

Numerical Reasoning Tests

A numerical reasoning test is used to measure a candidate’s ability to accurately interpret and analyse data, and to draw logical conclusions efficiently. The individual taking the test will typically be presented with data in the form of graphs and tables in order to draw these conclusions. 

Numerical reasoning tests don’t necessarily include complex mathematical equations, instead they are designed to determine a candidate's ability to interpret numerical data. They will require knowledge of some basic mathematical concepts such as ratios, percentages, identifying number sequences, data interpretation, financial analysis and currency conversion. 

Use the Talent Grader online platform to easily search for and compare numerical reasoning tests for recruitment.

Logical Reasoning Tests 

A logical reasoning test measures an individual's ability to efficiently analyse information, problem-solve, draw meaningful conclusions and respond in a coherent and logical manner. Different types of logical reasoning tests are used to assess a candidate’s inductive and deductive reasoning abilities.

The way they work is by presenting an applicant with a series of written passages and/or non-verbal content such as images. Candidates will typically then need to identify the next figure in the sequence, from a selection of possibilities.

Use the Talent Grader online platform to easily search for and compare logical reasoning tests for recruitment.

Situational Judgement Tests

Situational judgement tests assess how a person might react when different types of problems arise in the workplace. Based on some common scenarios which are likely to occur, it paints a picture of what type of employee that candidate would be, and whether this fits in with your company ethos. 

In a situational judgement test, a candidate may be given a series of scenarios and possible responses to those scenarios. They will then be asked to rate each response from ‘strongly desirable’ to ‘strongly undesirable’. Based on this, hiring managers will be able to see what types of responses that candidate thinks is appropriate, and how they themselves might react when faced with that issue. 

Use the Talent Grader online platform to easily search for and compare situational judgement tests for recruitment.

Verbal Reasoning Tests

Verbal reasoning tests measure a person's ability to understand and comprehend written passages. Somebody who performs well on this test won’t jump straight to false assumptions or misinterpret information, but comprehend the meaning of the passage and reach a reasoned and logical conclusion. 

There are different types of verbal reasoning tests which focus on different areas, and range in levels of difficulty. In a typical test, a candidate will be presented with a series of statements which make certain inferences. They’ll then be asked to say whether each statement is ‘true’, ‘false’, or ‘cannot say’.

Use the Talent Grader online platform to easily search for and compare verbal reasoning tests for recruitment.

Personality Assessments

Personality Assessments measure a candidate’s typical or characteristic ways of thinking or behaving. They vary greatly in the number and range of constructs they measure, though the majority will assess aspects of the ‘big five’ personality characteristics: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. 

Recruiters use personality assessments to compare potential employees’ scores against the job requirements, to see if they would be suitable for that role and company. Unlike with numerical tests, there are no right or wrong answers when it comes to personality assessments. They give an indication of that individual's personality and they react with other people, so no two people will ever be exactly the same. 

In a typical personality test (or questionnaire), a candidate will essentially be asked to rate themselves, based on a number of given statements. For example they might be asked to what degree they agree with the statement: “I enjoy meeting new people”. 

Use the Talent Grader online platform to easily search for and compare personality assessments for recruitment.