Psychometrics - Confessions of a Recruited Graduate
There are dozens of surveys and articles proclaiming ever-increasing numbers of graduate applicants per graduate vacancy, and after reading Alan’s blog (7th July), I am reminded of how lucky I am to be here at Criterion Partnership.
Becoming a Psychology graduate has not only left me with a heightened level of hypochondria (‘Am I exhibiting signs of depression/autism/psychopathy?’, ‘Am I a Type A personality and will this lead to a heart attack at 45?’) but also numerous experiences of graduate recruitment.
At the beginning of my third year I panicked. I googled every major company I could think of, scoured job sites and harassed successful family members until I’d completed more job applications than you could shake a stick at. A metaphorical stick obviously.
As a result, I spent my first term in a haze of psychometric fatigue; ranting to anyone who would listen about the unrealistic expectations of twenty questions in twenty minutes, and dreading the emails inviting me to the next round of testing. Don’t worry – I found the odd five minutes for my dissertation too.
After such experiences, you might be surprised to find me working at a company that specialises in psychometric testing as a tool for recruitment. In fact, I’m delighted to be here – lucky to have the opportunity, but also happy to be part of something that means less graduates (and would-be graduates) will have the experiences that I’ve had.
Don’t get me wrong, I still imagine multiple applicants experiencing some level of psychometric fatigue, though I suspect this may be more to do with the sheer volume of applications resulting from blind panic. However, those who are directed to recruitment tools supplied by Criterion will have some of their panic eased, with tests that are designed for the candidate as well as the client.
I can honestly say (no ‘brown noser’ comments please!) the tests I completed in applying for this job were the least stressful of all the applications I went through, without being any less rigorous. Minimising stress to the candidate, while still challenging them, can only facilitate a more accurate reflection of their skills and abilities – and enable the best choice to be made. Happy days!
As for me, the panic’s over for now, so I can go back to worrying about the possibility of Exploding Head Syndrome.
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