Lettes: A test of efficiency & faith?

Apropos Shyamal Majumdar's column "Are you being psyched out?" (Human Factor, April 11), the use of psychometric tests by companies denotes a melange of efficiency and faith. Tests that measure intellectual abilities and have a unique answer for each question yield good outcomes. Personality and attitude inventories that have no single correct answer could result in subjective interpretation of personality traits. Thus, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, which divides personality into 16 types, does not show a strong correlation between the result and job performance. Researchers advise it to be applied in career guidance. Yet, it is used by well-known companies globally.

An effective psychometric test requires a sound job analysis of positions under consideration and scientific design - it should measure what it is supposed to measure (valid) and give consistent results over time (reliable). These tests are believed to be more dependable for filtering out the unsuitable candidates, but those who are filtered in may not always be the right choice.

Given their pros and cons, it is advisable to design these tests for organisation-specific jobs and use them in addition to other selection tools such as behavioural interviews.

Y G Chouksey Pune

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