Test designers know that candidates may try to manipulate test results by providing what they think are 'desirable' answers. Personality tests, therefore, are designed to spot people who present an unrealistic picture of themselves. Rob Feltham, head of research and development at Cubiks, the recently spun-off assessment and development practice of management and IT consultancy PA Consulting, pointed out that recruiters are likely to be suspicious of candidates who appear to be perfect in every way. It's bad news for all those perfect candidates out there. There's also a trend towards computer-based tests, the main benefit being to speed up test data collection and processing.
Some companies even use the internet as a delivery mechanism.
Cubiks, for example, has developed a web-based version of its personality tests, allowing companies to devise tests for specific recruitment campaigns which they post up on the web and ask candidates to complete before they come for interview. There's a downside to the computer-based processing of psychometric test data, however. With hundreds, if not thousands, of psychometric tests on the market, it's essential that the right combination is used if they are to yield useful information. However, many companies are abusing the psychometric tests at their disposal simply through lack of knowledge and understanding. At the same time, interpretations of the results can be at best subjective, and at worst a stab in the dark.