Psychometric testing is being used increasingly in the recruitment process by employers looking for the ‘right’ finance candidate.
These candidate evaluations aim to test a variety of measurables in each candidate – they are not simply to ascertain your mathematical ability.
The tests, which are sometimes referred to as aptitude tests, aim to find out a candidate’s ability across a variety of assessments including skills, knowledge, abilities, attitude and personality traits.
For accounting candidates, these tests can be somewhat unnerving. After all, you expect that it is your financial ability that employers want to evaluate.
The psychometric test is a way for an employer to see you as a rounded individual, rather than just a list of skills and accomplishments.
They are nothing to be worried about; in fact, they are a great way of demonstrating how good you are during the interview process.
It is a common misconception that psychometric tests are ‘personality’ tests and that it is possible to ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ these tests – this is not the case. Let’s take a closer look at what is involved in psychometric tests and what they mean for your financial job search.
Psychometric Tests
In an increasingly crowded job market, employers are using different ways to determine whether candidates are a good fit for both the role and their organisation.
Psychometric tests are one way of reducing the talent pool to ensure that they are continuing the application process with the ‘right’ candidates.
Tests will generally include:
- Numerical reasoning – these will test your accounting and data analysis abilities
- Logical reasoning – such as identifying the figure shape in a sequence, interpreting shapes and patterns
- Verbal reasoning – you might be asked to read a body of text and answer questions relating to it, answering true or false statements
- Spatial reasoning – being able to think about objects in 3d and draw conclusions about objects from limited information
You might think that some of the questions are not relevant to the role or the organisation, but what the psychometric test aims to do is build a picture of you as a candidate so the employer can see if you will be the right fit for the role.
For example, they might know that the business is planning on expanding soon, so they are on the lookout for candidates who will be able to step into a more senior role fast.
Tests will also generally include situational questions, to garner important information about you as an individual – let me explain in more detail.
Situational Judgement Tests
Financial employers can sometimes use situational judgement tests (SJTs) in their psychometric tests. These tests are used to see how you would respond to hypothetical situations in the workplace.
Culture fit is a crucial part of many employer’s recruitment processes, and managers want to know that they are employing someone not only with the right financial skills but someone easy to manage.
These questions will follow the pattern of proposing a hypothetical situation in the workplace to you and ask you to answer based on what you are likely to do in that situation.
Your answers will guide the employer as to what kind of person you are such as a leader, an avoider of conflict, a problem solver etc.
What you must remember is that you can’t pass or fail a personality test, so there is nothing to feel nervous about.
Showcasing Your Soft Skills
Psychometric tests are a way for an employer to find out more about you as a whole person, rather than your financial prowess.
This is an excellent opportunity for you to showcase your soft skills to highlight your employability.
Everyone has soft skills, although they tend to get overlooked in the recruiting process, particularly in financial recruitment.
An employer needs to know you have the right financial proficiencies. Still, increasingly, companies are looking for employees with additional skills that they can use, such as emotional intelligence, team leadership, adaptability and work ethic.
How to Prepare
There are many opportunities to practice answering psychometric tests online; it’s a good idea to take a few different free tests to get a feel for the types of questions you need to be prepared for.
Some employers use well-known tests such as the DiSC profile, the Myers Briggs Type Indicator or the Hogan Personality Inventory.
As there is a range of different types of psychometric tests available, you should speak to your recruiter about which type you need to prepare for specifically for your interview.
Psychometric tests exist to find out more about you than the standard question and answer type interview. It is essential for both employers and candidates that the right recruiting decision is made – psychometric tests make sure that the right candidate gets hired from the pool of applicants.
If you are currently looking for a new finance role and would like more help and advice on psychometric tests, or any other part of the recruitment process, including looking for your next financial role in the North West – we can help. Get in touch with us by calling 01282 930930 or send us an email here to find out about the current accounting vacancies we have available.
Thanks,
Rachel
About Rebus Financial Recruitment
Rebus Financial Recruitment provides a specialist and focused recruitment service to its customers, which historically range from a wide variety of organisations including SME’s to large PLCs.
We strive to offer both the client and candidate a seamless recruitment experience. Using our expertise, we get to the heart of employer and employee needs; and, in doing so, we match the two perfectly. To find out more, get in contact with one of our team today, or you can call us on 01282 930930.
