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Psychometric testing—the key to assessing person-organisation fit
Candidates—how to get the most out of Psychological Assessments
Interview techniques – What are they really looking for?
Employers - Are your hospitality employees safe?

THE KEY TO ASSESSING PERSON-ORGANISATION FIT
The recruitment process is time-consuming and costly, making it increasingly necessary to use methods that accurately assess person-organisation fit and ultimately lead to optimal hiring decision. Many organisations now rely on psychometric testing to do just that—assess how well candidates fit with the job in question to ensure the best candidate is selected.

Psychometric testing is a valid, reliable, and objective means of assessing and comparing individuals. It allows organisations to assess candidates’ job-related skills, problem solving abilities, and attitudes, as well as gauging their
behavioural style and likely sources of motivation.

Benefits to the organisation
There are a number of benefits to an organisation that elects in incorporate psychometric assessment into their selection process:

• Objective and defensible
• Identify an individual’s potential
• Identify issues that are not possible or difficult to ascertain via interview or reference checks
• Generates pertinent questions for further interviews or reference checks
• Provides insight into how to motivate or manage the individual
• Assist in differentiating between seemingly equal candidates.

Benefits to the individual
Psychometric assessment also brings with it a number of benefits for candidates:

• Provides insight into strengths and areas for development, which enables the identification of ways to up-skill or pursue personal growth.
• The candidate is also interested in assessing whether there is a ‘good fit’ and whether in fact they have the skills and personality appropriate for the job.
• Provides the opportunity to develop strategies for managing their personal performance within the organisation.
• An understanding of where they sit in relation to commonly used benchmarks i.e. what traits and abilities do they have that are good selling points and in which areas may they need to pursue development opportunities in order to compete in the job-search process.

Ultimately psychometric testing enables an assessment of person-organisation fit, enabling the organisation and individual alike to determine whether in fact there is a ‘good fit’ between the candidate’s skills and behavioural style and the organisation’s needs. This provides opportunities for clear decision-making, exploration of areas for development and, via the selection of those candidates with the best fit, saves organisational time and money.

For more information on psychometric testing or to discuss the benefits to your organisation in depth, please contact one of our consultants on 1300 789 227.

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS
Psychological Assessment involves the process of evaluating individual’s cognitive abilities, behavioural style, and organisational fit to determine relative strengths and weaknesses. This form of assessment is primarily used to assess the suitability of the candidate for a particular role, including their personorganisation fit. Among other forms of assessment such as interview and roleplays, psychological tests are only one aspect of the selection process.

To improve performance on psychological assessments:

Before you begin:

• Ensure a good night’s sleep to prevent tiredness and eat breakfast for energy and motivation
• Allow plenty of travel time
• If there is anything that may impact your performance such as an illness, forgotten glasses, or a stressful event that occurred on the way, let your assessor know beforehand. They will know whether to continue with the assessment and will interpret your results accordingly.
• Approach the assessment with a positive attitude.

During the assessment

• Most psychometric tests provide a series of examples before you begin; take your time to understand them. If you do not understand something, ask, you are not being assessed at this stage.
• If it is a timed assessment, be aware of the allocated time period and pace yourself accordingly.
• Don’t over deliberate on the personality questionnaires, just be honest, and go with your initial instinct.
  
• If you feel overwhelmed during the assessment, breathe slowly and remember that psychological assessments are only one aspect of the selection process.

WHAT ARE THEY REALLY LOOKING FOR?

Punctuality – Always ensure you arrive on time, and if something unexpected occurs, call to let them know you may be running late. It is not a good first impression if they have to wait for you to arrive.

Presentation – Clothes should be clean and neat, and hair should be tidy. Avoid excessive accessories such as novelty ties and large colourful earrings. You want them to remember you, not your trimmings. If you’re not sure about the dress code, dress conservatively, as it is better to over dress than under dress.

First Impression – Regardless of how well you impress the interviewer throughout the interview, their initial impressions of you will have an impact on the way they view you. Use the name of the interviewer when greeting and introduce yourself confidently and warmly. Eye contact and a genuine smile can set you up for success in an interview.

Experience – The interviewers have already seen your resume. What they are really looking for at the interview is your ability to relate your previous experience to the current role. Prepare your responses before you arrive so that
you can articulate how the skills and knowledge you have gained will assist you in the new position.

Communication skills – Communication is one of the most important attributes that employers are looking for. Make sure your responses are short and direct, and that they adequately answer the question. Don’t ramble or provide unnecessary or unrelated information. Use non-verbal communication such as eye-contact, holding your head level, leaning slightly forward, and directing your body toward the interviewer, to create a positive impression and communicate that you are interested in what the interviewer is saying.

Competence – Employers are trying to assess how competent you are likely to be in future roles. They may ask you about previous situations such as how you handle difficult customers, ethical dilemmas, stressful situations, and working within a team.

Responses to strengths and weaknesses – Interviewers often ask candidates what they believe are their strengths and weaknesses. Don’t just list a whole range of attributes, relate it to the position that you are applying for and emphasise how it will assist you in being a competent employee. When reporting weaknesses, do so in a positive manner by stating how you are addressing this weakness.

Company Knowledge – Before the interview, do your research! Find out about the company background, the organisational structure, key employees, and the industry they are involved in. Candidates are generally asked why they wish to work for a certain company. Answers that draw upon details about the organisation will certainly impress the interviewer.

ARE YOUR HOSPITALITY EMPLOYEES SAFE?

The hospitality industry consists of cafes, restaurants, clubs, pubs, hotels, and bars. Characterised by a large number of part-time and casual workers, the hospitality industry is a highly mobile workforce that employs people from a diverse range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

Like all workplaces, there are numerous industry related risks and hazards associated with hospitality positions. Not only are these hazards dangerous for your employees, they can also prove disastrous to your business, with the costs associated with workers compensation claims, sick leave, and loss of productivity. The hazards and risks include:

• Manual handling
• Slips, trips and falls
• Fire and emergency
• Drugs and alcohol in the workplace
• Hazardous substances
• Injury reporting

Employers should adopt a preventative approach to deal with these potentially adverse risks. Policies and procedures should be specified and enforced and the working environment should not be conducive to workplace accidents. Employers can also manage the risk by hiring ‘safe employees’, those who have been identified as knowledgeable in hazards and risk management procedures, and whose personality attributes may make them more likely to act in a safe and careful manner.

References
‘Hospitality Industry’ - http://www.safework.sa.gov.au