Online psychometric testing can be a useful addition to the recruiter's armoury as it provides an efficient initial filter, according to Scott Ruhfus, Asia Pacific regional president of organisational psychology consultancy SHL.
The company's SHLsolutions.com web site provides recruiting firms and internal HR departments with online testing through an ASP model. Standard and custom tests and questionnaires can be delivered for screening, selection and staff development purposes.
SHL has extensive testing experience, and has developed a system that generates random variations on questions drawn from large item banks. Each candidate receives a unique test, preventing them learning from previous attempts or test-takers, yet preserving the advantages of validated testing.
Candidates may take initial tests via the Internet at home or at some other convenient location. Delivering the test instrument as a Java applet takes care of some supervisory issues such as the time allowed for completion, but unsupervised testing cannot confirm the identity of the candidate. Ruhfus emphasised that stricter supervision is required during final selection testing than during screening, but said one SHL client found online screening reduced recruitment costs by $1000 per candidate and resulted in 50% rather than 30 percent passing the selection tests.
According to Sarah Kearney, managing director of SHL Australia, the company's target market is medium to large companies. While organisations of 250 or more people can benefit from the staff development tools, the recruitment and selection modules are more relevant to those with over 500 personnel (or agencies that recruit on their behalf). Local customers include Arnotts, Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Ericsson, TMP and the federal Public Service Merit Protection Commission. Some smaller organisations -- especially in the IT&T sector -- use SHLsolutions.com for the "high tech look," said Kearney.
A 25-question, off-the-shelf screening questionnaire with basic customisation could be online within a week for about $30,000. Usage charges are then levied either per candidate or for unlimited use within a defined time period. For example, three months unlimited use would cost around $45,000. While these numbers seem high, the cost per candidate is very affordable in circumstances such as graduate recruitment where the candidate pool may run into the thousands.
This type of testing is discriminatory and prejudist. It has as much credibility as channel sevens 'how long will you live' program that aired recently. Just this week the Australian Industrial Relations Commission ruled that the tests could not show whether applicants could perform in the position applied for. (Telegraph 16/07). Irrelevant questions about an applicants preferences in all manner of things from hunting to whether your parents drink alcohol have no place in a free society. These tests take the responsibility off weak and incompetent management to make a dicision.