It’s difficult to talk about different types of psychological examinations in general. Choosing the appropriate psychological tests for use in the business can be a difficult undertaking. According to the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP), hundreds of psychological tests are available to assist employers in making decisions. However, there are only three types of psychological tests that are used in the workplace. Choosing the right psychological test will be immeasurably easier once you know what types of psychological tests are available and best for your business, or more specifically, what types of psychological tests for an industrial setting or psychological tests for employment are best suited for a small business. 

What Is a Psychological Test for Employment?

A psychological test for employment, from the perspective of an employer or a small business owner or manager, can assist assess whether a job candidate will be a suitable fit for the organisation. For a small business, hiring an employee may be an expensive procedure, and employing the incorrect staff can be disastrous. According to the Institute, a psychological exam for employment allows the business owner to decide whether the applicant is a suitable fit for the organisation. Is he the suitable temperament or ability for the job? Is he physically or mentally capable of performing a competent job for the company? Before a company recruits a new employee, many forms of psychological assessments can be used to help answer these issues. Employers can use a psychological test offered to current employees to not only develop better communication among employees, but also to select which individuals to promote and to what positions, as well as which teams to assign them to. Knowing what types of workplace assessments are available can go a long way toward assisting a company in hiring or promoting the best people for their needs and culture.

What Are the Different Types of Psychological Tests for the Workplace?

A psychological exam for work, often known as a pre-employment test, is a sort of psychological assessment. All sorts of psychological exams, or all types of psychological tests for an industrial setting, according to SIOP, fall into three categories:

• Biographical data instruments, which use questions on education, training, work experience, and interests to predict job success, generally seek information on a candidate’s leadership and teamwork skills, interpersonal skills, extraversion, and creativity. According to SIOP, “certain biographical data tools also inquire about an individual’s opinions, personal appraisals of skills, and personality.”
• Cognitive ability tests, often known as aptitude tests, are questions or problems that are used to assess a candidate’s capacity to learn rapidly and apply logic, reasoning, reading comprehension, and other mental qualities that are necessary for success in a variety of vocations. According to SIOP, these tests “evaluate a person’s aptitude or capacity to handle job-related challenges by providing information about their mental talents.”
• Extraversion, conscientiousness, openness to new experiences, optimism, agreeableness, service orientation, stress tolerance, emotional stability, and initiative or proactivity are all traits measured by personality tests. According to SIOP, “Personality assessments primarily examine attributes relevant to work behaviour, interpersonal interactions, and satisfaction with various parts of work.”

Regardless of the sort of psychological test used in the workplace by a small business, the objective is to choose an instrument that assists a company in identifying the applicant who best fits the organization’s structure and culture. The sorts of workplace psychological assessments differ, but the goal is to figure out which type of workplace evaluation is ideal for your company.

Using the right psychology test, whether it’s a biographical data, cognitive ability, or personality test, or a combination of these elements, can help you hire or promote the right candidates, and avoid the disaster of bringing on the wrong kind of employee who will underperform and even damage morale at your company.