Psychometric tests are proving a vital tool in interim selection –
particularly at senior level.
Agencies and clients who find that interims with the right experience do not
necessarily have the right personality profile for an assignment, are turning
to psychometric tests to ensure a better match.
Chris Waites, managing director of the HH Group, said: "We use tests
when recruiting people for a sensitive project, a merger or acquisition or an
expansion into a market. In many cases it is more important that they fit with
the management team quickly than with a permanent appointment."
However, IM providers say this doesn’t mean interims will be weeded out by
the tests.
David Jensen, managing director of Brooklands Executives, which develops a
profile of every candidate put forward for an assignment, said: "Clients
do not use psychometric profiling as a tool for selection, but as a basis for
further discussion."
He argues that both client and candidate benefit from profiling. It helps
the client understand the candidate and their style, and offers the interim
insight into the impression they make.
