Guide to Psychometric Tests for Interim Jobs

We’ve all had the conversation. A friend’s been for a job interview, "Blimey," he says nervously, "They asked me to do a psychometric test. No idea if I ticked the right boxes..."

Between 65% and 70% of interim management job interviews now involve some form of psychometric testing with many standard job positions also requiring these tests to be performed as part of the hiring process. But what is a psychometric test? What’s your potential new employer really looking for? And what’s the best way to make sure you pass the test and get the job?

These days, interim employers may well receive hundreds of applications for one job. A psychometric test offers them a quick way to find the candidates who are suitable - who possess the skills and knowledge they’re looking for, and if necessary, who’ll work well as part of a team.

Typically, a psychometric test might include questions on numeracy and literacy - but there’ll also be questions about your attitudes and feelings as well. And don’t be surprised if some questions seem to repeat themselves. That’s to check the consistency of your answers.

So if you’re faced with a psychometric test when you go for your interim job interview, what is the best way to make sure that you do well? Here are a couple of tips:

1. Practice makes perfect. If you think - or know - that you’ll be faced with a test, just Google the words ‘psychometric test’ and you’ll find any number of sites with sample tests. If you do a few tests you’ll soon get the hang of them, so that the actual test for your job won’t come as such a surprise.
2. Be yourself. There’s no point in giving the answers you think are expected (you might find yourself with a totally unsuitable job for one thing!) and as we’ve already seen, the test will contain "checking questions." So be yourself and don’t spend too long on any one question. Your ‘gut reaction’ is almost certainly the one to go with. At the end of the day, these tests are to test your personality and so don’t over-think them!

This psychometric tests guide was provided by Chris Martin of Interim Partners, the UK's leading interim management recruitment specialists.