Use of psychometric assessments through universally accepted tests such as Workplace Big Five contribute huge value to various HRM processes such as competency based recruitment/ selection, performance and potential appraisal, competency mapping, assessment and development centres, training and development etc. The data obtained through such provides profound picture of the innate behavioral qualities of our human resources and help us make profitable people decisions.

1. USE OF PSYCHOMETRIC
ASSESSMENTS IN
TALENT MANAGEMENT
PROCESSES
By Dr. Soniya Yadwadkar
Soniya@CerveauSys.com
www.CerveauSys.com

2. CerveauSys : A Research Oriented and Result Driven
Consulting Firm engaged in Business Strategy, HR, OD, change
and talent management consulting.
CerveauSys offers value adding partnership with your
organization for enhancing strategic focus, people performance
and motivation resulting in superior business outcome.
We work with a business solution and growth centric approach.
We diagnose and comprehend the strategically critical business
challenges of our clients and structure our consulting initiatives
to address and meet those.
We work with pre-defined results/impact matrix and actively
work with our clients during all phases of implementation. In
this sense, we are “hands on” consultants.
Please visit us at www.CerveauSys.com for more details.

3.  An applied science revolving around human factor of
the business
 Business strategy is implemented by people
 People once supported with resources and directions
perform if they are competent and motivated.
 Motivation is driven by motives and personality
 Personality is a factor of inherent trait structure and
socio cultural impact
 People competencies, their personality factors/traits
bring us performance
 Hence psychometric assessments have a unique role to
play in human resource management.
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

4. HOW DO WE GET RESULTS?
PEOPLE
COMPETENCIES
BEHAVIORS
(actions)
OUTPUTS
ORGANIZATION
RESULTS

5.  Each Individual is unique in terms of
 Knowledge
 Skills
 Attitudes
 Inherent /genetic aspects
 Upbringing
 Value systems
 Physical, mental abilities
 Unless and until we assess and acknowledge these
unique gifts that people bring to workplace, effective
deployment of our human resources will be difficult.
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

6. Skills, knowledge and
outward behaviors are
easy to identify but they
are not complete
predictors of success
People can perform or not
perform based on their
values, attitude, self
image, motives, traits,
which are difficult to
identify not only to
outsiders but even to
themselves.
IS IT EASY TO TAP THOSE?
Visible
Hidden
Skills
Knowledge
Values
Self-Image
Traits
Motives

7.  Provide insightful data on the matters hidden in under-
water portion of iceberg
 Comprehensive understanding of person
 A Good predictor of future performance
 Ensure better ROI on people processes
 Bring objectivity to the process
 Support or validation for observations and data
gathered through other sources
 Help you take a conscious call on people matters.
 Legally defensible (However to be used as secondary
input to the process and not at the cost of due diligence
and other relevant HR processes)
HOW DOES PSYCHOMETRIC TESTING HELP?

8.  Recruitment and Selection
Help you identify right fit – for job/culture
Aid to identify performers/leaders
Reduce cost of recruitment/bad hiring
Reduce attrition due to poor job-person match
Bring in greater job satisfaction in employees
Makes your selection processes comprehensive
Help to structure job role in an enriching manner
Promote your brand as fair employer
HOW DOES PSYCHOMETRIC TESTING HELP –
SPECIFIC PROCESSES

9.  Training and Development
 Help identifying precise training needs
 Provide individualized coaching/guidance
 Reduce cost of training
 Enhance training effectiveness
 Succession Planning/ leadership development
 Help you identify leaders for future career roles
 Coach /train employees to make them ready for such roles.
 Team Building/Assessment Centers
 Create high performance teams
 Identify employees to build a strong leadership pipe line.
HOW DOES PSYCHOMETRIC TESTING HELP –
SPECIFIC PROCESSES

10. INTRODUCTION TO
PSYCHOMETRIC TOOL
WORK PLACE BIG FIVE

11.  Used for understanding and interpreting personality
 Uniqueness of individual personality is a function of
level differences in these factors in each person.
 These factors which are also called “Big 5” are the most
basic five factors underlying a personality. These are-
1. NEED FOR STABILITY
2. EXTRAVERSION
3. ORIGINALITY
4. ACCOMMODATION
5. CONSOLIDATION
WORKPLACE BIG 5 PROFILE

12.  The main principles of this tool are
 Each personality has these five dimensions
 Scores on these dimensions would fall along bell curve
 Personality is best described by individual traits than
categorizing personalities in key groups.
 The strength of individual scores indicates personality
preferences which are natural and innate in each person.
 People who score in middle range of factors have
combination of traits.
 Workplace big 5 is considered to be Reliable,
Acceptable, Respected, Valid, Uncomplicated,
Compatible.
 Notifies the energizing and draining competencies for
you based on your inherent trait structure
WORKPLACE BIG 5 PROFILE

13.  The test is based on the aspects that are universally
acceptable to distinguish behaviour of one human being
from that of another.
 These aspects account for majority of difference between
individual personalities.
 The test has a high reliability score 0.90
 The test is constructed using the language and references
that are universally suitable in workplace contexts
 It is NOT an evaluation of how well an employee is
currently performing on a competency. It tells us as
compared to group of people how comfortable that
competency may be for an employee to perform for
several hours at a time in the work place.
 This in turn indicates the natural preferences of behavior
of an employee while he/she performs a job role.
WORKPLACE BIG 5 PROFILE

14. NEED FOR STABILITY
Sensitiveness
Intensity
Interpretation
Rebound Time
These factors generally are
associated with how well one
can handle stressful
situations at work place.

15. EXTRAVERSION
Warmth
Sociability
Activity Mode
Taking charge
Trust of Others
Tact
These factors are generally
associated with leadership
behavior at work place.

16. ORIGINALITY/OPENNESS TO
CHANGE/IMAGINATION
Imagination
Complexity
Change
Scope (details V/s big picture)
These factors generally
reflect upon one’s ability to
innovate, accept change and
deal with complex situations

17. ACCOMMODATION/ AGREEABLENESS
 Others Needs
 Agreement (managing conflict)
 Humility (desire for recognition)
 Reserve (expressing opinions)
These factors generally reflect on
how we may behave in group
situation. To what extent we can
defer our interest for others.

18. CONSOLIDATION/ WILL TO ACHIEVE
 Perfectionism
 Organization
 Drive
 Concentration
 Methodicalness
These factors reflect on the
extent to which we push
ourselves towards goals
achievement. How we balance
personal and work needs.

19.  Employees innate preference to the above 5 factors decide
whether he /she will find it natural and therefore comfortable to
work on certain competencies.
 Work Place Big 5 reports can be used for job match in selection
and promotion related matters because it provides data as to
what extent a person will find it natural or comfortable working
on a particular set of job specific competencies in long run.
 The psychometric assessment report will state, to what extent
person “X”s internal traits make him/her feel comfortable for
working on some tasks which requires a particular competency.
HOW THE ASSESSMENT HELPS?

20.  For instance the report will state to what extent person “X”s
internal traits make him/her comfortable in working on a job
that requires competency – “Analytical Thinking”.
 The results would state a score the person acquired and what
does it mean to work on such competency for such person :
 Score 9 to 10 Energizing
 Score 7 to 8 Natural
 Score 5 to 6 Somewhat Natural
 Score 3 to 4 Draining
 Score 1 to 2 Out of comfort zone
 A person who finds it energizing, natural or somewhat natural on
any given competency has better chance to succeed in roles that
require such competency. This is because one finds it natural
and comfortable to work on the tasks for which one has inherent
preference and supporting traits.
HOW THE ASSESSMENT HELPS?

21. Let’s
always
remember
what this
great mind
said.