This article was written by our guest blogger : Chantal Tessier , People Director at Nubik
We’ve recently entered into another round of hiring at Nubik. And that has reminded me, yet again, why I love using psychometric testing as an integral part of our hiring process.
Working with an applicant pool comprised mostly of consultants and freelancers, I see a wide variety of experiences, education, and big-name former employers.
Of course, it is important to weigh these factors.
Yet, I have often found that because our particular needs attract applicants whose prior experience has been based on their freedom as freelancers, it is essential to get at the heart of what would make them happy enough to stay put with us.
When we implemented psychometric testing, we were able to make informed decisions that led to hiring the employees who would stick around for the long term.
Let me explain.
1. Psychometric Testing Levels the Playing Field
Though many of our applicants have a similar resume, the wide variety of experiential and educational backgrounds makes it difficult to compare resumes against one another.
“Okay,” our thinking goes, “This applicant has two advanced degrees, but this other candidate has a dozen projects across a dozen markets. They both have some of what we want, but how to compare the two?”
What I love about the addition of psychometric testing is that we give the same test to all potential interviewees, allowing my team some standardized material to create a more complete picture of each candidate.
Nubik is a Salesforce solutions provider. We use Atman Psychometrics integrated with Salesforce, making our testing process streamlined and incredibly easy.
In fact, our applicants can take the test as they go through the application procedure on our website. And all candidates are encouraged to start with the test before submitting their resume! This allows us to look beyond the concrete details on a resume and gather a clearer picture of each candidate as an individual personality.
For example, we are surprised to find that even though a candidate listed a dozen freelance projects on their resume, their personality assessment indicates that they would actually value a long-standing placement with a team where they could develop a loyal and lasting relationship.
By looking beyond an applicant’s resume into what drives their application, we can better select candidates for interviews, without having to rely so heavily on the construction of their resume. In doing so, we have consistently found that we are interviewing people who are more aligned with our needs. We are also able to weed out people who, while on paper seem impressive, would actually not fit well with the expectations we have of the position.
2. Psychometric Testing Shapes My Interview
The testing process is not about right or wrong answers. Instead, we look for an applicant’s :
- strengths
- weaknesses
- approach to tasks
- values
- ambitions
Once we select a candidate for the interview process, we develop our interview questions to match what we have learned from the psychometric tests. For example, instead of asking an applicant, “What are your strengths?” I can offer a scenario specific to the position the candidate has applied for. I can then ask, “Describe how you would depend on your organizational abilities in this scenario.”
Furthermore, rather than judging whether a candidate is giving answers to generic questions they believe they should give to get the job, I can ask specific questions tailor-fit to both the applicant and the position so that I can assess how they imagine themselves fitting into the role.
This performs two functions. First, I can get an idea of whether they really understand the expectations for the role they have applied for. And second, I can evaluate their level of interest in engaging in that role.
In doing so, an interview becomes an exercise in imagining what a particular position would really be like for an applicant. This allows us to gauge what an applicant’s satisfaction might be if he or she were to take the job.
Sometimes, customizing an interview in this manner leads an applicant to realize that they would not be a good fit. They might even take themselves out of the pool.
But even more exciting…
I get a chance to see an applicant temporarily step into a position as if they had the job. This way, it is easier to see if they are not only interested and engaged, but excited at the possibilities the particular role holds.
Hiring a candidate based on such a conversation ends up providing a very positive experience. And when a person takes a job they have already imagined themselves doing, they are starting a new position with enthusiasm and confidence.
Now that’s a favorable way to build momentum into a new employee’s tenure!
3. Psychometric Testing Helps Me Find the Right Fit
Sometimes, I have an interview with an applicant who has applied, say, for a service position. Their resume also suggests that they have the credentials for a service position (then again, they have been building it so it only includes service roles).
Yet, based on their psychometric testing results, I have an indication that they would like to move into a coordination role. They might have applied thinking that they wouldn’t be a candidate for that project coordinator position based on their resume alone! But what if, in their heart, they knew they’d make a great coordinator?
Without the testing in our hiring process, I may miss out on a chance to fit such an applicant with a position more appropriate to their ambitions. Chances are, after they put in their time in the service role, we would lose that employee to the churn of the market. In the end, we’d find out they weren’t satisfied in a service position.
With a psychometric evaluation in hand, we have the opportunity to assess a candidate and look beyond their prior experience. That way, we are able to find roles that are more in line with their particular approach to their career. We have even offered an applicant a job that is different than the one they applied for.
This is powerful stuff!
You will become so much better! It’s a no-brainer to me that every organization should be using this technology.
– Patrick Hanchay, Founder of Nubik
When an applicant sees that we are more interested in who they are and how their unique personality would integrate best in our company culture, they are more interested in investing in long-term employment. This allows us to invest in cultivating their role to suit both their interests and our needs.
The end goal of our hiring process is not to fill a position as quickly as possible, but to avoid turnover, burnout, and hiring people who are not suited for the position.
Nubik’s recent expansion has been very exciting and has attracted some fantastic candidates, and my job is to ensure that my team selects candidates who we can retain as we build a larger team to accommodate our growth.
But I am positive that our success of late has been in part due to making the right hires over the last couple of years, and I know that adding Atman’s psychometric testing process has helped us make the best choices for employee retention.
Incidentally, I think I would be letting you down if I didn’t shamelessly share our hiring page. You might be just the Salesforce savvy candidate we are looking for; or, you might be interested in trying a psychometric test like the one we offer through Atman.
As a hiring manager, I have taken the test and asked my team members to take it as well, and it was just as enjoyable as it was beneficial to understand our own roles at Nubik.
Are you looking to grow your business’s team with success built in from the moment you hire a new candidate? Trust me. This is a good way to start!