Testing times

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Strategy issues seen through cartoons.

Wouldn't it be great if there was some way of telling whether that new recruit will last the distance, or whether he will leave summarily the moment he gets a better offer?

It would certainly help HR managers across India Inc sleep a lot better. And if it was a little (okay, a lot) less uncomfortable than the cartoon strip above suggests, so much the better. It appears that there is. Across several industries, it is becoming standard recruiting practice for companies to ask candidates to write 25-30 minute-long tests, where questions have no wrong answers. Confused?

These are "psychometric tests" aimed at assessing personality traits and identifying skill sets of potential employees. Which is why there is no one correct answer for the multiple-choice questions "" your choice of reply reflects your inherent personality.

Financial investment companies, banks, pharma, textile and telecom companies are now using these tests regularly. Consider ICICI Bank, for instance.

All people who apply to the bank for employment are asked to take the test: the results are assessed and specific issues are later addressed at the interview stage. And that applies for all 60-70,000 applications ICICI receives every year.

Group Chief HR Officer K Ramkumar is convinced psychometric tests "" which ICICI Bank has been using for five years now "" help strengthen the recruitment process.

Says he, "We couldn't have performed the way we have, if our failures in recruitment weren't reduced. Personality analysis from these tests has played an important role in helping us perform better. Manpower India Executive Chairman Soumen Basu agrees: "These tests are scientifically designed and highlight the strengths and weaknesses of a person."

Still, these tests don't come cheap (upward of Rs 1,000 per person), which is why many companies are still to make them part of the standard recruitment procedure.

Instead, they use the tests for identifying and developing talent for key leadership positions from within the company. Textile major Raymond is a case in point. Every year the company picks 150 top performers from its middle managers, and uses psychometric profiling to identify potential leaders.

The managers are asked to answer an occupational personality questionnaire (which helps HR managers to understand their attitude to work), find solutions to case studies and solve situational tasks. The reports are then shared with the performers and development areas identified.

"This way, not only do we invest in the right people, we also send the message that we are serious about growing people and moving them higher up the order," says Marcel Parker, president, HR, Raymond. IT solutions provider i-flex solutions uses a similar strategy "" 45 promising employees are offered additional training based on test reports.

Of course, psychometric tests have their share of critics. "I am not a fan," declares Arvind N Agrawal, president, corporate development and HR, RPG Enterprises.

"Senior people can easily manipulate the tests to portray desirable images." Manpower's Basu, too, has a warning: "These tests should be analysed consistently, and only by qualified personnel."

Y V Lakshminarayan Pandit, managing director, SHL India "" which has developed a test used by many Indian firms "" clarifies.

"Psychometric tests help overcome subjective bias in recruitment. They cannot be used independently as the only tool, but they can ensure you hire the right people." It certainly sounds like a better proposition than the one facing Hambone.