Why psychological assessment? Are employment interviews really less reliable? #

Employment interviews are among the top 5 hiring methods based on their ability to predict job performance and performance in job training programs. However, they are not the best predictors and can be very costly (time-wise, staff-wise, error-wise) even if conducted properly.

Psychological assessment, specifically general mental ability tests, are proven to be best predictors and better in many different ways. You can read more about it here.

This does not mean you should skip the interview process. You should just talk to the right candidates first! Aside from great long-term benefits in better employee performance, using psychological assessment allows you to focus on the top prospects, thus saving precious time and putting you in front of other competing employers and internal resource engagement (far less interviews).

What is psychological assessment? #

Psychological assessment is a scientifically valid method, used in HR processes, that uses different tests, questionnaires or other specific approaches to assess an individual’s characteristics that are relevant and predictive of job performance. General cognitive ability (or general intelligence) is proven to be the best predictor of job performance (Schmidt et al., 2016). Organizations using psychological assessment can save millions of dollars in better employee performance.

How many candidates will I lose if I use psychological assessment? #

The process of psychological assessment can take up to an hour or even several hours when the goal is an in-depth and comprehensive insight into each individual candidate.

At HR Potentials, we recommend an upper time limit of 45 minutes per psychological assessment (per battery/per round) to achieve best results. However, using only one test or questionnaire, can take less than 30 minutes (or even just a few minutes) - this can be an effective way to pre-filter large lists of candidates.

How much will I save using psychological assessment? #

Since you will be talking to the most suitable candidates first, you will not only significantly reduce the number of interviews for every employment procedure but also gain tens of thousands per year in better future employee performance. You can try your hand at a more detailed calculation here.

Is the assessment process GDPR & privacy data law-compliant? #

We follow Privacy By Design methodology. To this effect, we use a consent-based data model to power our systems so that you may easily ensure all your assessed individuals all rights granted by GDPR.

I want to add your link to my job ad. How can I do that? #

When you open an organization/company account with HR Potentials, you are assigned an Account Manager. You can either obtain the link directly from the application or ask your Account Manager to send you the link, which you can freely paste into your job ad. Your applicants will simply enter their email address and automatically receive an invitation to the psychological assessment process.

I already collected the applications, what now? #

You can either use the HR Potentials application to administer the assessment process (upload the list of contact details (emails and phone numbers), send assessment invitations, collect the Full Procedure Report with the candidate rank list) or ask your Account Manager to do it for you.

This seems too good to be true. How can your service be free? #

We believe in the scientifically-proven future of multi-measure psychological assessment, following the whole-person approach to hiring and other HR decisions. In contrast with the market-overload of pseudoscientific and expensive solutions, our assessment suite is composed exclusively of tools with scientifically-proven predictive ability. For example, we use highly reliable computer-generated cognitive ability tests that can be administered more than once per candidate. We believe in spreading the word about the validity of psychological assessment and that taking the budgeting part out of the equation, your company/organization can focus on the true value of our scientifically-based approach and invest in assessing more than 30 people annually later on.

In the free package, the annual number of employment processes is limited to 5. It is expected that you can use the system independently after one or two employment processes. Due to market uncertainty we reserve the right to change the conditions for the free package with 3 months notice.

Free package offer is limited to 3 weeks (21 days), so make sure to react appropriately.

What if I want/need to have more than 30 assessments per year? #

Our services are charged in accordance with the service price list. Companies/organizations employing Certified HR Professionals are eligible for an additional discount. Contact us for a quote! We offer bulk discounts for larger purchases.

How will you prepare the rank list based on candidate fit? #

HR Potentials ranks candidates based on their long-term performance prediction of job-related activities as well as job-related learning potential within the position which is the subject of this procedure. This is achieved by combining:

1. Psychometric Fit - Matching of several candidate’s psychometric characteristics with job requirements (cognitive abilities, personality traits, occupational interests and priorities) and
2. CV Fit (optional) - The quality of relevant knowledge and work experience represented in the CV and other documents. Ratio in which the overall Performance Prediction Index of an individual candidate is calculated depends on company/organization needs and is configurable per assessment procedure (long term hiring will place more emphasis on the candidate abilities and characteristics than on the knowledge and experience presented).

Can I assess existing employees? #

Our system is more than appropriate for assessing your existing employees. If you are interested in using the results of the psychological assessment in your personnel development, succession planning or training processes, feel free to contact us and let us know about your specific needs. We will help you use the results to your and your employees’ advantage.

However, as the individuals that are not selected in your assessment process will be invited to join the HR Potentials candidate pool, the free package, unfortunately, is not suitable for your existing employees.

How can I get additional detailed professional interpretation of the results? #

Absolutely! Although detailed interpretation is not necessary, it is sometimes practiced before signing the employment contract. Upon request, your Account Manager will assign you one of our Certified Psychologists. Our services are charged in accordance with the service price list.

Do I need to have a psychologist on my staff? #

You do not need to have a psychologist on your staff. Upon request, your Account Manager will assign you one of our Certified Psychologists. However, if you have a psychologist on your staff, you can certify them as companies/organizations employing Certified HR Professionals are eligible for an additional discount.

Can a candidate decline psychological assessment? #

Our psychological assessment process is strictly consent-based. If the candidate cannot or does not want to be assessed, their Performance Prediction Index will be estimated without taking the matching of the candidate's psychometric characteristics with job requirements (cognitive abilities, personality traits, occupational interests and priorities) into consideration, thus resulting in lower prediction reliability. In case two candidates have the same Performance Prediction Index, the candidate with a higher Performance prediction reliability will be prioritized.

Candidates are also informed that participating in the psychological assessment process allows them to present themselves better to the potential employer and for the latter to get to know them better. As finding a fit between the both of you is in everyone’s interest, psychological assessment proves to be an excellent jumpstart into a great collaboration (or an avoidance of bad and expensive one).

What kind of an occupation profile database do you use to compare psychological assessment results? #

Our target profiles of job positions are based on the information, collected by ONET®, containing detailed descriptions of over 900 job positions for use by job seekers, workforce development and HR professionals, students, developers, researchers, and more. Due to the ONET®’s 25+ years and detailed and extensive process of data collection, we found it more than fit to base our target values on. However, target profiles can be adjusted to your specific organizational needs. You can do this yourself through our application or contact your Account Manager to take care of it for you.

What do my candidates need to take part in the assessment? #

The vast majority of all the PC devices used are compatible with our system. A camera and a microphone are required to establish a controlled environment (cognitive ability testing). A stable internet connection is recommended but not required. The candidates can continue with the assessment once their internet connection is reestablished. However, tests of cognitive abilities can be influenced by such interruptions. Such incidents should be clarified with the assessment administrator.

What about candidates with color blindness, how do you take their disability into account? #

We developed our psychological assessment tools with certain impairments and disabilities in mind, meaning that they do not play a part in the assessment procedure or affect final results. In case of impairments or disabilities that may largely affect the assessment process, we recommend an individual approach or avoiding the psychological assessment completely and instead conducting employment interviews.

Do I have to invite the candidates to the assessment in-person / in my assessment center? #

Our service is digital-first, meaning that the candidates receive their invitation to the psychological assessment process via email. There is no additional need to invite them to your headquarters as the use of our innovative TestAnywhere tool allows for a controlled environment to be sustained during the process.

How do you prevent cheating? #

As tests of cognitive abilities can encourage competitiveness and, thus, cheating, we have developed computer-generated tests that use algorithms to create new test items. This allows us to simultaneously assess identical levels of abilities while using different items to do so, meaning that different candidates receive different items. Furthermore, if the same candidate was reassessed, they would receive a different set of items.

How do you ensure the identity of the candidate? #

By using our innovative HRP TestAnywhere tool, our expert system collects audio and visual data periodically during the assessment process and combines them into a short video & a set of print screens that allow the expert system user to check for any irregularities that might have occurred during the assessment process. The candidates are informed about the use of the TestAnywhere prior to the assessment process and are asked to provide appropriate consent for a further use of the system.

Aside from this, an additional profile photo can be collected with candidate consent at the beginning of the assessment process, so you can be sure that the person being employed is the person that took part in the assessment.

How fast can I get the rank list? #

Candidate Performance Prediction Index is available as soon as the candidate has been assessed. Not all the candidates need to complete the assessment in order to download the rank list of the candidates.

I have your rank list. What now? Should I hire solely based on the rank list? #

We certainly hope you still use employment interviews. Psychological assessment is an objective method to hiring selection, but should be (and usually is) only a part of the hiring process. A comprehensive approach to your hiring process should include various attributes as well as various methods to assess candidates and give them the best opportunity to present themselves. In the same way that modern jobs became increasingly complex, modern hiring demands combined information to predict an individual’s likelihood of being successful on the varied demands of the job. That is, if you wish to hire long-term employees and not employees who will temporarily replace other employees.

How high quality are your assessment tools? #

We use only reliable and scientifically-proven assessment tools that have proven predictive power. Our internal test-retest reliability analysis has exhibited a high average reliability (0.81) of our cognitive ability tests, which we developed ourselves. The personality models that we use have a long-standing research tradition and proven correlations with job performance and other relevant organizational outcomes (i.e., counterproductiveness, job satisfaction, etc.). The assessment of occupational interests and priorities adds to the predictive validity of the assessment. Our norms are based on national-specific norm samples. For everyone who wishes to learn more about our assessment tools, write to us and we will send you our datasheet with detailed descriptions of our assessment tools.

Which job positions is your system suitable for? #

The HR Potentials system is optimized for assessing the operative and middle management staff but can for sure be used at the executive level. Beside comprehensive reports, we cover specific areas, such as personality traits and the potential for the development of behavioral competencies.

How can employee certification bring discounts to the company/organization? #

Certified Professionals are granted the right to use the hr potentials platform in accordance with the limitations and responsibilities of their specific certification. They may use the platform for their employer, granting the employer a discount: 20% for a Certified Psychologist (CPp) or 6% for a Certified Administrator (CPa). Acting as an independent contractor, they may be assigned to customers, which employ no Certified Professionals, by an hr:p Account Manager. When assigned to customers, they use the platform on their behalf while earning compensation, equal to a percentage of the cost of credits bought by the customer:

• 14% for a Certified Psychologist when supported by a Certified Administrator earning 6%;
• 20% for a Certified Psychologist when performing all tasks.

You can find more information about the certification process here.

Note: As of 2023, the certification to obtain the Certified Administrator status is free and attending the theoretical part of the training is not required.

What is the candidate pool and how will you suggest additional candidates? #

Candidates that decided to become a part of the candidate pool can be suggested to companies/organizations using our system. We will only suggest the candidates who fit your job position by their type and level of education, who are interested in the occupational group which your job position belongs to, and who are among the top 5 candidates on the rank-list according to their Performance Prediction Index. For every 3 assessed candidates, we suggest one additional suitable candidate. For example, if you collect 6 candidates you will increase the pool of your own candidates by 2 probable high performers from our candidate pool.

Will you be suggesting my candidates to other employers? When do my candidates move to your candidate pool? #

Your candidates can become a part of our candidate pool only if they consent to it and only after you conclude your hiring process. This usually happens about 2 months after the psychological assessment is completed. Only candidates that were not employed are offered this option.

Do you offer additional consulting? #

We offer additional consulting with our resident Recognized Experts on target job profile preparation, assessment battery selection, and other assessment topics that you are interested in. All our consulting services are performed in conjunction with Recognized Experts from academia.