Last modified 10/09/2023

Personal interviuw ,the applicants go through a psycho technical evaluation:

Nowadays, when evaluating the applicants to cover certain job positions, the companies are not only taking into consideration the formal requirements for the position, but, also, the personality and the working style of each candidate. And to be able to obtain this information, they use the experience of a professional in charge of performing a psycho technical evaluation.

This is why it is very frequent for us to hear some of the candidates to ask themselves: why was not I selected for the job if I managed to fulfill all the requirements? If I have the age, the experience and the adequate academic formation, and my intended remuneration does not go over the one the company was planning to pay, what happened?

The entire psycho technical evaluations are one more evaluation stage and, generally, they are implemented after the selection process is over, meaning when the candidate has already been proved by the company.

We must take into consideration that in front of the same situations, not everyone reacts or acts in the same way. This is why, the companies wish to detect the different behavior styles and be able to predict them, to have an idea of what they are going to find.

An example of this would be: in front of stressful situations – which are very frequent nowadays – some tend to analyze the case with their cool head and choose the most convenient options, while others tend to decide impulsively and with little previous reflection. This is neither good nor bad; those are simply different working styles which have to be compatible with the necessities of the position, and, above all, with the companies’ culture.

In other cases, it is necessary to know if the person has leadership skills and the psycho technical test can provide that information. It shows whether the person has abilities to be in charge of people, and, also, with which style he or she is going to direct them. Because we know that not everyone is a leader in the same way: there are democratic leaders, authoritarian leaders and also, charismatic ones. And these characteristics can be positive or negative, according to the values and culture of the company.

This is why, the importance and the objective of the psycho technical evaluation is to be able to predict which is going to be the behavior of the person in a future working position. Which is why, the professional of the Human Resources area must know perfectly which is the “psychological profile” that the company is looking for. Which does not only involves the type of working position the person is going to occupy, but, also, the culture of the company.

Which is the way in which a psycho technical test is administered?
To be able to deeply know which are the skills, strengths and weaknesses of the candidate, interview are taken and personality tests are administrated in different way, which can be administered individually or in a group.

Some of the most used techniques to perform the evaluations are divided in different groups: graphical tests, spot tests, stories, personality questionnaires and group techniques.

However, the evaluation begins way before the psycho technical test: it is in the very first moment in which the selector reads our Curriculum Vitae or our Presentation Letter, or when he or she talks with us through the phone to set up a date for the evaluation, that is when the selector begins to evaluate our personality and behavior.

What do I have to do while giving the psycho technical evaluation?

Sometimes, because we try someone to like us, we end up generating a bad self image. The truth is that it is very tough to show us in a different way from the one we truly are, and even when it is true that sometimes we are able to hide or disguise certain attitudes, the professional in charge of the evaluation has the experience to detect that.

This is why in front of a psycho technical test we advise you to take into consideration the following tips:
– Try to listen what the selector is saying or requesting and act consequently.
– Show good predisposition. Think that as well as they ask you to do tasks you do not enjoy in the psycho technical test, they will in the actual job.
– Show serenity at the time of giving the evaluation. That will allow you to show easily your competences.
– A skillful selector will know if you start evaluating which are going to be your answers and he or she might change the script.
–  If you know this test or have psychologist friends, do not try to prepare yourself. Not only because the one evaluating you might notice it, but also because some of those techniques have some sort of “lie detector” which are strategically hidden, which might make you fall in the catch.
– The techniques are designed so there is no “right” or “wrong” answers. This is why you must show yourself as you truly are.

And last but not least we will perform a reflection:

Many times, because we are trying to obtain an outstanding performance in the evaluation, we tend to show little natural. Which might make the professional evaluating you to realize and think that those are our answers or attitudes because we think that is “what he or she might be expecting”, when it could perfectly be the contrary.

We suggest you to take it as another working activity. If tomorrow they perform a psycho technical exam on you, simply limit yourself to participate in the experience as if it was the most natural thing, without behaving with fake attitudes.