www.peoplemanagement.co.uk
maj 2008

The use of psychometrics is growing in popularity for both selection and personal development

Source: People Management magazine

Psychometrics are widely used for both selection and personal development. In particular, personality questionnaires are popular for feedback and coaching. They can be divided into three types:

- Those based on personality types, such as MBTI, where personality is seen as an innate quality which does not change.
- Personality trait questionnaires, such as 16PF, OPQ32 and Saville Wave. In these, personality is seen as a series of traits, which can be changed through personal reflection, feedback and coaching.
- Special purpose questionnaires examining an aspect of behaviour, such as emotional intelligence (for example, the MSCEIT), mental toughness (the MTQ48) or leadership (the TLQ). These are based on the belief that people can change.

Clearly, the type of questionnaire you use influences the way you approach the coaching session.


1. Psychometrics or competencies?
There is often a choice between using a psychometric questionnaire or an in-house 360-degree competency framework. The latter is designed to meet the needs of an organisation and is based on the competencies that the HR team or psychologists found to be successful in that role or organisation. Personality questionnaires focus on a wider set of traits. They are also statistically valid and based on detailed research with large samples. By using sector norm groups, comparisons can be made with those doing similar roles in different organisations.


2. Which psychometric?
Being trained in a range of different tools helps HR to select the right questionnaire for the task in hand. For example, one retail manager I worked with had been referred for coaching as he was constantly in conflict with colleagues and was seen as insensitive. The emotional intelligence questionnaire helped highlight these traits in a non-threatening way, which assisted him in developing new behaviours.


3. Context Is key
In selecting a questionnaire the HR manager should have a good understanding about how the questionnaire was developed. Is it based on theory or research? What theory? What research? Understanding these elements will help to provide context within the feedback. One question that often arises is: “Are the results fixed or can I do something about this?” Different questionnaires give different answers, but most provide insights into how the person is now and offer an opportunity for them to adjust their behaviours. Often participants see psychometric results as the only fixed truth. In fact, the results often reflect the time, circumstances and feelings of the person when the questionnaire was completed.


4. Offer a plan
By themselves, the results from questionnaires often leave people with more questions than answers. The HR manager needs to spend time exploring the implications. First, are the results substantiated by what the participant has said during the discussion? Second, does the individual want to do something about this? The meeting can be used to explore these issues and to develop an action plan, covering what needs to be done and by when.

For our retail manager, mentioned above, one meeting may not be enough to produce a lasting, sustained change. Further meetings can be used to track progress and offer support, with reference back to the results, such as the person’s awareness of other people's emotions in their team. Feedback by itself is rarely enough to bring behavioural change. Instead, it requires a personal plan and support over a period of time.


5. Avoiding discrimination
Tests need to discriminate: if everyone gets the same result there is no purpose in using it. But discrimination must not be based on sex or ethnicity. Check with test publishers whether the questionnaire is fair in terms of the results between men and women and across ethnic groups.



Key points
- There are three types of personality questionnaire; only two of these are based on the idea that personality can be changed.
- Psychometrics are more statistically valid than in-house competence frameworks.
- Understand how the questionnaire was developed and the context in which it is completed.
- Offer an action plan to follow up.
- Check the test is fair across the sexes and ethnic groups.

Further Info

The expert
Jonathan Passmore is a chartered occupational psychologist and teaches at the University of East London. He is the author of Psychometrics in Coaching.