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Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing recruitment, offering many opportunities to help recruiters with their day-to-day tasks and make informed hiring decisions. However, it also presents challenges that are important for HR professionals to be aware of. In our factsheet below, explore the opportunities and challenges of integrating AI into the recruitment process, highlighting the need to strike a balance between automation and maintaining the human aspect, while ensuring the security of candidate data.

If artificial intelligence (AI) is already very present in our daily lives (GPS, playlists, targeted advertisements) and is gradually becoming more popular thanks to tools such as ChatGPT, the metaverse is still in its infancy. These new technologies, which have enormous potential for development, are gradually being integrated into companies for human resources management, and, in particular, recruitment. What are the possibilities offered by these new algorithms? Do they help to recruit better? If so, will they eventually replace recruiters? 

What do we mean by artificial intelligence (AI) and the metaverse?

These technologies, which are increasinly become part of everyday and work life, each have very distinct uses.

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence is a set of technologies, computer programs capable of simulating human intelligence from data provided to it. ChatGPT, for example, is a chatbot tool that uses generative AI: it produces content from the information fed by users and must be constantly fed. This allows it to generate structured content that mimics dialogue. However, to obtain reliable results, it is essential to train the tool with precise queries and direct it towards the desired objectives to improve  reliability.

The metaverse

The metaverse (from the English metaverse), contraction of “meta universe”, literally means the universe beyond. More precisely, it is several digital universes which evolve in parallel, because, currently, it is not yet possible to communicate from one virtual world to another. This 3D universe is often a combination of two technologies: virtual reality and augmented reality. We enter the metaverse through specialized platforms, with a virtual reality or mixed reality headset, and, for more immersion, virtual reality glasses, shoes and/or haptic gloves. Users, via avatars created by themselves, can lead a virtual existence, buy a home, decorate it, meet their neighbors, etc.

Frequently used in video games, companies also use it for different purposes, in particular to innovate their recruitment practices.

What roles can AI and the metaverse play in recruitment?

Both artificial intelligence and the metaverse should be considered as tools that can be of benefit to organizations, in particular to meet recruitment objectives.

Facilitate sourcing

Searching for candidates on job platforms is very time-consuming for a recruitment manager. However, semantic analysis carried out via artificial intelligence greatly facilitates the selection of candidates and allows the recruiter to save significant time in sourcing. AI is one particularly effective sourcing tool in the event of large recruitment, since it is capable of quickly analyzing thousands of CVs. The broad field covered by AI allows you to detect applications containing the keywords present on the relevant job description and/or the job offer. Thanks to matching, sorting CVs is made easier and allows recruiters to easily build up a talent pool. Using the metaverse also saves time during the pre-selection stage, for example by eliminating the telephone interview. In addition, it is possible to organize group interviews or virtual job dating in certain hiring processes, provided that the candidates are equipped with a headset.

Automate time-consuming tasks

If sourcing is made easier, it is also thanks to the automation of time-consuming tasks, such as the distribution of offers on job sites, from the ATS (Applicant Tracking System, recruitment management tool, monitoring of candidates among other things). For companies that need to recruit many employees, AI algorithms have become essential to automate and personalize a response to receiving a CV or a spontaneous application, as well as an invitation to a job interview. This also allows the sending of personalized emails to each candidate and facilitates the monitoring of applications at each stage of recruitment.

Help with writing

More and more recruiters are using AI to write their job offers, personalize them by highlighting the company culture, as well as to describe the desired job profile and highlight the required skills. ChatGPT can thus increase the readability of advertisements and adapt their form to different social media, which also makes it possible to reach certain passive candidates. For their part, job seekers also use ChatGPT to write their cover letter.

Evaluate skills

Video games and virtual reality are part of the recruitment techniques used by HR managers to simulate situations allowing candidates to be evaluated on, for example certain personality traits. Behind an avatar, candidates would have more spontaneous reactions. Regarding skills assessment in general, recruitment professionals may well consider conducting interviews with candidates in the metaverse, which may or may not be a copy of the company's premises. This new technology makes it possible to organize scenarios that are difficult or impossible to implement in reality: diving into the heart of the ocean, flying in a helicopter, going into space, open-heart surgery, etc. It can be enriching to have applicants meet there to observe their reactions and identify the candidate who best fits the position to be filled.

Optimize the candidate experience

Some companies already offer virtual tours of their premises. An asset for optimizing the candidate experience. A total immersion visit allows a future employee or candidate to understand the company culture more precisely, and, facilitate onboarding. Regarding AI, chatbots, for example, also help improve this experience by responding to certain expectations of the candidate and the questions they may ask about the application procedure and the recruitment stages.

Promote the employer brand

As an indirect consequence, the use of virtual or augmented reality technologies makes it possible to attract profiles who may be reactive to these recruitment methods. Therefore, a start-up looking to recruit an IT expert has every interest in integrating this technology into its talent acquisition strategy. In addition, by communicating these new recruitment methods on professional social networks such as Linkedin, job sites such as APEC and other recruitment channels, the company enhances its attractiveness to potential candidates. In addition, the innovative nature of these technologies can encourage the best profiles to apply.

What are the opportunities and challenges of AI and the metaverse in recruitment?

AI and/or the metaverse represent strong added value for companies, and specifically in the field of recruitment. However, they still face some challenges, hence the importance of knowing these tools well.

Opportunities : 

• You save time! Some groups or multi-site companies use virtual reality to organize their work meetings. In the same spirit, the metaverse can serve as a means of recruiting a new employee internationally, thus saving travel and time.
• Parsing technologies (analysis of CVs in paper and digital format to integrate the information contained in recruitment software or ATS) and matching ( identification of skills, experience and qualifications which correspond to the profile sought for a position particular) also facilitate the work of a team of recruiters, by making it possible to select the candidate who best suits the position to be filled and therefore to recruit effectively.
• If the company wishes to recruit executives, managers or young graduates, it can quickly find employees who are immediately operational.
• AI makes it possible to automatically update content and data, which have a limited lifespan on the web.
• The metaverse makes it possible to simulate the working environment and technical constraints, to reduce certain risks. This represents a real asset for a recruitment manager, who is looking to reduce hiring errors and costs linked to poor recruitment.
• These new technologies have the advantage of allowing the recruiter to expand international recruitment, with distance or language no longer being obstacles.

THE challenges to overcome:

• AI presents a risk of standardizing profiles and recruiting clones: generative AI in fact learns from the data with which it is fed. If they look similar or a recruiter often enters the same keywords, atypical profiles risk being excluded from the results.
• The quality of the data provided, the lack of regularity in machine training, or even poor formulation of the query can lead to distorted results. Thus, it is often necessary to try several times to obtain a conclusive answer from ChatGPT. This is why it is essential that users are trained beforehand.
• Users may encounter security and personal data protection issues, as the GDPR does not apply in all countries outside Europe.

AI and metaverse: a solution to overcome recruitment difficulties?

In a tense job market, the company must stand out from its competitors to attract candidates and find concrete solutions to remedy its recruitment difficulties.

An innovative recruitment method

The use of these innovative technologies such as AI and the metaverse boosts the employer image and can attract new talents, provided it is not just an empty shell. This innovative recruitment approach optimizes the candidate experience (role playing, total immersion in virtual reality, new sensations, etc.) and can make it easier to target shortage profiles. In addition, used for a first interview, these technologies save time and prevent a prospective recruit from going to a competitor.

Expand the type of profile sought

Generative AI can propose candidates different from those usually sought, depending on the queries and keywords submitted to it. But it is still the human who provides the data and the recruiter who issues requests based on his recruitment objective, at a given time. The machine is a simple performer. However, AI is capable of proposing candidates that the recruiter would not have considered straight away and encouraging them to recruit atypical candidates. A person hiding behind a unicorn-shaped avatar can match 80% of the desired profile. The company has the possibility of then training it via the metaverse! It is also a way of limiting discrimination in hiring. In addition, thanks to matching, the AI can spontaneously draw from the pool of applications received, which it itself helped to create.

Impacts difficult to assess

The impact of artificial intelligence on recruitment as a whole remains difficult to measure. The time saving is undeniable in automating the sorting of applications and in matching them with the job profiles to be filled. Furthermore in terms of travel and the organization of interviews, and even in the implementation of the evaluation. However, all this requires engineering by recruitment specialists, as well as the definition of KPIs (Key Indicators Performance) to monitor and determine the return on investment (ROI) of these technologies, in relation to the processes. “classic” recruitment methods.

AI, metaverse VS recruiter?

Are the new algorithms intended, in the long term, to replace the recruiter? Are physical exchanges set to disappear? If the metaverse is a space conducive to role-playing, it is often reserved for pre-selection interviews. As for the job interview, it still takes place, more generally, face-to-face. The use of the metaverse as a recruitment tool is still anecdotal, compared to the solutions offered by AI. However, it is important to remain cautious and carefully regulate the uses made of it, while ensuring the quality of the data available.

AI, metaverse and psychometric tests: complementarity

Recruitment solutions are numerous and depend on the defined recruitment strategy.

Diversified means

Recruitment by direct approach (recruitment of managers or rare profiles), co-optation, internal mobility, new recruitment methods (AI, metaverse etc.), there are multiple ways of recruiting. But there is no universal recruitment solution that will help you find the ideal candidate. Often, the person who takes care of recruitment (consultants, human resources department, recruitment firms) uses complementary recruitment methods and tools which have their place at this or that stage of the recruitment process.

Psychometric tests and virtual reality

If the face-to-face job interview remains essential, the psychometric tests dedicated to recruitment allow us to know the candidates in depth, based on declarative items, while the simulation of real situations, in the metaverse or elsewhere, allows you to visualize the reactions of applicants and to evaluate soft skills more precisely. Psychometric tests, such as the SOSIE 2nd Generation - personality and values inventory and/or the DAT™ NEXT GENERATION intellectual aptitude tests precisely assess the skills of candidates, provide information on their potential and are excellent predictors of job performance.

The metaverse is effective in its own way for evaluating the candidate on the technical skills specific to certain sectors of activity, thanks to situations similar to the reality of the professions (catering, maintenance, industry, etc.).

Thus, whatever the tools, the metaverse and psychometric tests are complementary to “increase” the quality of the evaluation.

Cognitive biases

When used well and supplied with reliable data, AI makes it possible to create a pool of candidates without discrimination. It is therefore reasonable to believe that the combination of artificial intelligence technologies and scientifically designed psychometric tests would eliminate any risk of cognitive bias in the recruitment of talent.

Thus, used wisely, AI and the metaverse represent considerable help for recruiters. However, these tools are a thousand miles from being able to replace humans in their functions. Indeed, while they offer many advantages for decision support, they also have a major flaw: they do not know how to manage emotions. Human skills such as imagination, empathy, creativity, etc., among those required to perform a role in HR, still have a bright future ahead of them.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the world of work – and talent acquisition and recruitment is no exception. In the infographic below, we explain the impact of this new technology on talent acquisition and our recommendations to HR to best prepare this shift. 

In the competitive world of recruitment, companies are constantly looking for ways to streamline their HR processes and save time to be efficient. This is where cutting-edge AI-powered technologies such as ChatGPT or BARD can become invaluable. This blog post gives you 5 tips to help automate many of the tedious tasks involved in recruitment, allowing recruiters to focus on more strategic initiatives. Don't miss out our top 3 AI solutions that HR managers shoud use in 2024. 

1. Revitalize your job offers  

Writing job descriptions can sometimes be laborious, even more so when you want them to be different, convincing and attractive. AI (Artificial Intelligence) solutions such as ChatGPT or BARD can help you write more engaging, effective descriptions that highlight your company's culture and specific advantages. The benefits are twofold: attract more qualified candidates and improve the overall recruitment experience! 

So how do you go about it? Provide the tool with all the information and instructions on the position you're recruiting for and ask it to write an impactful advert for you. Then make your choices from the suggested wording (ChatGPT, Bard) picking and choosing only the parts you like. In short, do your own cooking!

2. Optimize your interview planning  

Scheduling interviews can be a real logistical headache, especially when you have to deal with the agendas of several candidates and interviewers. ChatGPT and BARD can simplify this process for you by automatically scheduling interviews according to individual availability and preferences. The advantage? Save time and frustration and ensure that interviews are conducted in a timely and well-organized manner.   

How do you achieve this? Integrate ChatGPT and BARD into your interview management system and provide the availability of candidates and interviewers. Intelligent algorithms analyze this data to automatically suggest compatible time slots, simplifying the scheduling in an efficient and automated way.

3. Communicate effectively with your candidates 

Interacting with potential candidates can be a time-consuming task. Use AI to craft dynamic, personalized contact messages. Whether you're responding to inquiries or conducting preliminary interviews, ChatGPT or BARD's natural language capabilities improve communication, enabling you to connect more effectively with candidates and speed up the early phases of the recruitment process. 

How do you get started? Integrate ChatGPT or BARD into your candidate communication platform. By providing contextual information, these AIs can automatically generate personalized messages, facilitating interactions and speeding up the initial stages of recruitment.

4. Ask the right interview questions  

Preparing interview questions can be a time-intensive task. Generative AI enables you to speed up the process of creating questions and thus preparing for the interview. Your interview questions will be tailored to assess whether the candidate matches the company's values and expectations. 

How do you do it? Provide ChatGPT or Google's BARD with key details about the position you are recruiting for and let them suggest a set of questions that could be asked during the interview to assess candidates' skills. In addition to the job description, don't hesitate to provide information about the company's culture. This will enable AI to generate questions that assess candidates' cultural fit.

5. A smooth onboarding experience 

A smooth onboarding experience is essential if new employees are to feel at home and integrate quickly into your company. By tailoring induction content to the role and experience of each new employee, you can significantly improve the quality of the employee experience right from the onboarding phase. A positive, welcoming atmosphere right from the start of their journey with your organization will remain a pleasant memory for them. And as the saying goes, "You only have to make one good impression".  

So how do you go about it? Ask AI to help you generate personalized onboarding materials: welcome emails, training schedules, relevant company information etc.

In today’s remote-first world, online talent assessments have become a crucial part of the recruitment and hiring process. Companies often rely on these assessments to identify and select the most suitable candidates for open roles.

With the increased scrutiny placed on online assessments due to the rise of automated language modeling and artificial intelligence, it’s now more important than ever for companies to ensure their assessment results are valid and lead to accurate data-driven hiring decisions.

A study conducted by HirePro, a trusted recruitment automation and proctoring solution provider, found that “30% to 50% of candidates cheat during entry-level job assessments.” While this figure drops to 10% to 25% for lateral job assessments, companies must be proactive in curving cheating in their talent assessments. This is where online remote proctoring provides the most value to talent acquisition professionals.

What is online proctoring?

Proctoring is the practice of monitoring candidates during an assessment. Its role during the testing process is to ensure the fairness and security of the assessment, prevent cheating, and ensure all test takers follow the given rules and guidelines. There are three main formats in which proctoring is utilized:

• Live Proctoring: involves a real-time proctor monitoring candidates during the assessment process through a live video call.
• Automated Proctoring: utilizes advancements in AI-driven algorithms to analyze the candidates’ behavior during the assessments (eye movements, background noise, etc.).
• Recorded Proctoring: records the entire assessment session so that it can later be reviewed by the talent acquisition team.

The Challenges of Proctoring Online Talent Assessments

Online talent assessments offer numerous advantages, such as flexibility and accessibility, but they also pose specific challenges that can compromise the accuracy and validity of results. Some of the key challenges include:

• Cheating: without proper supervision or proctoring, candidates can participate in cheating using unauthorized materials, online assistance, and help from others.
• Impersonation: there is a risk of impersonation, where someone else takes the assessment on behalf of the candidate.
• Technical Issues: disruptions can occur due to technical glitches on a candidate’s computer internet bandwidth constraints, causing disruptions and a frustrating assessment experience.

The Role of Proctoring in Mitigating Challenges

Online proctoring plays a pivotal role in addressing the challenges associated with talent assessment platforms. By incorporating online proctoring measures, companies can enhance the credibility of their candidate evaluation process. Here are some key benefits of proctoring:

• Ensuring Assessment Integrity: proctoring solutions ensure that candidates follow all the rules and guidelines set by the assessment.
• Verifying Candidate Identity: leading proctoring solutions offer identity verification, which matches the face on their webcam with a valid form of a picture ID provided by the candidate prior to the assessment.
• Minimizing Technical Issues: proctoring solutions are often seamlessly integrated into the assessment process, reducing the amount of software the candidate needs to use.

Pearson TalentLens & HirePro Remote Proctoring

Proctoring is an essential part of our talent assessment platform. Our goal is to ensure the fairness and reliability of your talent acquisition process. That’s why we have partnered with HirePro, a leading remote proctoring provider, to bring you automated proctoring solutions across our talent assessment portfolio.

As technology continues to evolve, you can be sure we’re continuously improving our proctoring methods to safeguard the integrity of our assessment and strengthen the confidence in your candidate evaluation process.

Learn more about how Pearson TalentLens uses proctoring to deliver valid results.

According to the authors of the Which Career For Me program, too many companies rely on skills as the only basis for internal mobility. Between job descriptions and skills repositories, the concept of motivation is still not included, yet it is central.

Competences fade, motivations last

In a job description, we generally find professional activities and technical skills, recently completed with some soft skills and personality elements. When it comes to internal mobility, the standard tool remains the intranet job board, which consists of posting job descriptions, their geographical characteristics, and the associated salary.

However, skills are rapidly becoming obsolete in a world of constant change. The OECD has confirmed this: their lifespan used to be estimated at 20 years in the 1960s-1970s and will not exceed an average of one year in 2025. In a context of mobility, it is not necessarily those who have the skills for a job who are most motivated to get it. Today, employee motivation is key. The latest generations prioritize purpose in their jobs. People leave a company when motivation fades and they no longer relate to it.

Becoming an active member of your own mobility

Each person has his or her own motivating factors. This is why employees need to have tools that empower them to take ownership of their careers. Questioning themselves about their own professional interests or even their frustrations helps to regain this power. Many people undergo mobility as a result of reorganizations, for example.

Nevertheless, even in this context, it is possible to involve employees by giving them the opportunity to identify positions that interest them. It is important to trust them. 

Acquiring new skills using motivation

Competence, which is transient, is ultimately not a barrier to mobility. Science has proven that brain plasticity allows for the development of skills in any field. Therefore, there is no such thing as being "good at math" and "bad at French". In reality, skill acquisition is primarily a matter of motivation. A person motivated by research and inquiry will likely have difficulty in building business skills.

Psychologist Carol Dweck from Stanford University coined the concept of growth mindset. It reflects the fact that as long as a person believes that they can develop skills in a field, they will do so successfully. All it takes is the right training. Its opposite, the fixed mindset, could be summed up by the sentence, "I was never good at this, I will never get there." In reality, in a mobility context, technical skills are secondary. It is motivation that is the driving force behind success.

Support Talent Development with Pearson TalentLens

Learn how Pearson TalentLens can help empower your talent teams so you can start building a future-proof workforce today.

Learn more about our Which Career For Me tool. 

The impact of making a ‘bad hire’ can have a resounding effect on businesses performance and profitability. At a time of year when businesses are implementing and forward planning their talent decisions, understanding what makes a ‘bad hire’ and how you can avoid this route is essential.

Research shows that ‘up to 20 percent of new hires’ leave within the ‘first 45 days of their new role.’ (HR News) A ‘bad hire’ could be the result of a mismatch between job role and skill set, values that do not align between company environment / expectation vs personal values, or team fit.

There are also business factors that can lead to organisations making a negative hiring decision. Poor onboarding processes, lack of face-to-face interviews, and pressure to make quick hiring decisions due to time and budget demand. A bad hire is costly, estimated at three times higher than the salary paid, plus the impact a bad hire can have on team morale and performance.

How Can Organizations Avoid this Costly Mistake?

Use psychometrics

34% of HR professionals cited psychometrics as an effective way to improve recruitment processes, by gaining insight into personality, aptitude, and behaviours required for their roles. Role assessment by Pearson provides a range of renowned assessment tools including the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal that can provide a granular view of each candidates' job fit and how they rank against other applicants who are being considered for the same position.​

Skills-based hiring

Avoid outdated proxies and look at recruiting based on skill-set - the competencies and skills essential to your role as opposed to credentials. This gives you a wider talent pool to choose from and helps you avoid overlooking valuable candidates.  

Look at all your options 

With skill-gaps having a significant impact on future business development, upskilling internal members of staff will help to protect your business. Identifying areas of concern and developing staff into new roles could help improve employee retention and avoid the possibility of making a ‘bad hire’ by mismatching skills and role requirements. 

A bad hire is a costly mistake to make for any organisation, but by planning for your recruitment needs and investing in tools such as psychometrics and hiring solutions you can gain the insight needed to avoid this mistake and strengthen your business for the year ahead.

What is the Pragmatist Learning Style and how can it help shape L&D plans?

Why and how to use a personality test to recruit?

Almost 50% of workplace skills will change within five years, putting learning and development high on the growth and furture of work agenda. But how people learn depends on multiple variables. From cognitive receptiveness to information, emotive state of mind, personal preference, motivation and also an aptitude for engaging with new information or learning materials. 

Today’s employees want something more from work – they want an opportunity to evolve and grow – and this is where understanding an individuals learning style can really help employees. Focussing on their individual goals, looking ahead to new roles – and in the long-term for organisations driving talent retention.

We often assess learning styles by using learning cycle model’s like David Kolb’s learning cycle or to better understand individual proficiency for learning. Understanding one’s learning styles is more complicated than an immediate decision on whether someone is an aesthetic learner or a visual learner. Especially, when you consider that a learner may go through the learning cycle, often reverting between multiple learning styles before settling on a specific learning preference. But the insight gained can assist in shaping learning and development plans for employees for the future. Below we take a look at one of the four key learning styles – the pragmatist learning style. 

What is the Pragmatist Learning Style?

The Honey and Mumford Learning Style Questionnaire has four types of learning style: Activists, Reflectors, Theorists, and Pragmatics. Like all learning styles in the LSQ, the Pragmatist Learning Style is unique in many ways. 

The pragmatist learning style is very forward-thinking in the sense that they actively encourage new trends, trying things out and from a philosophical standpoint, the pragmatist is often at the forefront of new ideas and concepts. This helps lead to new ways of thinking, ideas and processes within an organisation, but also generally from a social-economical standpoint. 

How do Pragmatist Learners Learn?

The pragmatist learner learns best when in collaborative problem-solving situations. This may for example be internal discussions or conversations surrounding a business problem where the pragmatist learner can see multiple perspectives and take away useful insights to consider. 

In most business cases, the pragmatist learner learns best from workshops, team huddles and conferences. They find documentation such as case studies and literature on the subject matter useful post-meeting to deliberate a concept or perspective. They use this time to fuel their learning by contemplating the concept and how this can be applied in the business environment.

Pragmatist learners make good problem-solvers

Additionally, the pragmatist's learning style benefits from solving problems. Naturally, being keen to take on board new ideas, perspectives etc. the pragmatist learning style often enjoys tackling business problems as this provides them with the perfect opportunity to employ new learnings in real-world working environments. This innate desire to test out things makes them a great advert for testing and learning. 

Challenges for Pragmatist Learners 

Pragmatists tend to be practical and realistic, over theoretically led. Hence, when shaping learning and development plans it is important to remember that a pragmatist learners learning can stagnate if the learning is all theory and there is no model or process they can test or learn from. They are not the learners to conceptualise without some grounding in previous learning/model/idea etc. But by identifying a clear benefit from the learning opportunity pragmastic learners can decipher what information is valuable and apply this to personalise and business opportuntiies. 

Interestingly, guidance is a key area. For example, a pragmatist learner may benefit from practice or guidance from instructions/experienced personnel who can show them the way. For many Gen Z learners mentors are reportingly having a positiv impact. According to research, '93% of mentees believe their mentoring relationship was useful’ (MentorcliQ). Identifying learning styles can help L&D teams drill down into what works for the individual and could help in establishing strong relationships with other learners. 

Testing Your Team’s Learning Styles 

In business, it can be beneficial to test your talents' proficiency for learning and the styles from which they most benefit. It’s important to have a varied pool of varied learning styles within each team and throughout each business function. This way, different types of learning, action and development can take place, catering for an improved learning and working environment. In doing so, individual team members can help improve each other and foster more collaboration on projects and tasks. Additionally, each learning style poses various forms of cognitive thinking that can benefit the business. From abstract reasoning to critical thinking, the more variety in the learning styles within the organisation, the more opportunity for various thinking types to emerge and benefit the solving of business probledxms both short and long term. 

The Honey and Mumford Learning Questionnaire

TalentLens has vast experience in administering the Honey and Mumford Learning Questionnaire to businesses and local governments throughout the UK.

We have worked with Global 100 companies and small businesses to improve their screening of candidates and team member learning styles.

With the development of remote and hybrid working, the behavioural skills of candidates have become very important. Companies are looking for employees with adaptability, those able to demonstrate autonomy and agility - soft skills that are not always easy to assess. This is why recruiters are choosing to use a number of tests, including test of personality. We explore what are the advantages of this type of test for the company and the candidate? How to use it in the recruitment process? 

What is a Personality Test?

A personality test is a test whose objective, through a series of questions, is to analyse the personality of an individual. Frequently used as a recruitment test, it more precisely evaluates the dominant traits of a person's character, their behavioural profile in the professional environment, and, sometimes, their motivations and values.

Pearson TalentLens Personality Tests

• SOSIE 2nd Generation™: reference tool, it gives indications on the person's personality, values, ​​or sources of motivation.

All our tests are reliable and comply with ethical rules. Each of them meets specific psychometric criteria, guarantees of their reliability: fidelity, validity, discriminating power. These professional tests can be used by psychologists, and human resources professionals; and some require training to be administered. They come in different formats: statements to classify, quiz, questionnaire.

The Benefits of Using a Personality Test for Recruitment

In the context of recruitment, the personality test has many advantages, both for the company and for the candidate.

Objective Interview

Personality tests allow you to go beyond the written application and discover personality traits that do not appear on the CV, before or after an interview. Through these types of tools, the evaluation of the personality of a candidate is refined. For example, you could check if an aspect of the personality would not be appropriate for the role, or on an area which you have doubts. 

Another advantage of having a personality test is to eliminate cognitive biases, which makes recruitment more objective. It avoids recruiting based on simple intuition, which can be misleading. Finally, thanks to standardised tests, candidates are evaluated fairly.

Ensure Candidate is in Line with Profile & Values

If the personality test provides information that helps to objectify the job interview, it also helps to identify the personality profiles that best match the position.

• The ideal profile for the position: The tests help to identify the candidate's personality based on criteria that are difficult to observe in the interview. For example, in jobs in the social sector, empathy is often a prerequisite, which a personality test is able to identify immediately. Similarly, to recruit a salesperson, the test can help you find the right profile for your company: an outgoing personality type, a dynamic personality, with an aptitude for communication, while being able to listen enough to analyse customer needs.

• Synergistic values: The fact that a candidate theoretically has the necessary skills to fill a position is not enough to recruit him. Indeed, it is necessary to determine his profile and his personality at work, in order to verify that he corresponds to the company culture and that he will be able to integrate well.

Data-Driven Talent Decisions

By identifying the profile that best corresponds to the open role, this type of test reduces the risk of recruitment errors, and the cost they imply for the company. If you are looking for a specific personality type, tests before the interview will save time during the candidate screening stage. You can then complete follow the tests with a discussion on the results, particularly focusing on certain dominant traits of the candidate's personality.

Improve candidate experience

Taking a personality test also has certain advantages for the individual applying. Indeed, the report allows him to get to know himself better, even to discover character traits that he did not suspect. Sometimes the result is stunning for a candidate, as it can accurately reflect their personality and confirms what the person already knows. Knowing themselves well allows the candidate to work on how to present themselves and, if they join the company, to pay attention to their “weaknesses”.

How to Integrate it Into Your Recruitment Process?

Recruiters can use the personality test in two ways:

• Before the interview: the personality test facilitates the pre-selection of applications since it provides additional information to refine the initial analysis of CVs. This step is particularly recommended for volume recruitments because it saves time. If the test results correspond to the profile sought, the recruiter can rely on the report, during the interview, to deepen the dimensions of the candidate's personality.
• After the interview: the recruiter uses this type of test to refine his judgment and complete his first impression, to better understand the personality of the candidate and therefore confirm or invalidate the personality elements put forward previously. When the personality test is carried out after the first interview, it is often followed by a second interview during which the recruiter presents the results and uses them to encourage the candidate to develop certain personality traits.

Inform the Candidate

Organizations using assessments for recruitment should follow best practice guidelines set out by responsible bodies such as the British Psychological Society. Candidates should be informed of the nature of the test, how their results will be used and who will have access, and how long their results will be retained for. Any tests should also be delivered by an appropriate professional with the relevant training for the test being offered.

Provide Feedback

Test results should be kept confidential within the company but passed on to the candidate. In practice, they are generally communicated during a feedback interview and are accompanied by a report containing a personality assessment. A tool for dialogue between the candidate and the recruiter, the personality test also represents an aid to assessment and recruitment. Thus, if the company decides to retain a candidate despite certain weak points regarding the position sought, it can inform future onboarding and coaching plans.

Unlock the Power of Psychometrics with Pearson TalentLens

With the right strategy and tools, you'll empower your talent acquisition teams to make the right hiring decisions. Want to see how Pearson TalentLens can work within your hiring process? Learn more about our talent assessment library.

Employability is a central issue in the workforce market. With soft skills a central component of this concept, the question of how to reliably measure these skills arises. Psychometric tools provide an appropriate method of reporting a skills profile, Guillaume Demery, Doctor of Psychology and Designer and Developer of Psychometric Tools at Pearson TalentLens, sheds some light on the subject.

Employability: an HR issue placing the individual at the heart of the labour market

A concept studied for several decades; employability has been the subject of several definitions. Thus, for Hillage and Pollard (1998): “In simple terms, employability consists of being able to obtain and keep a job. More generally, employability is the ability to move independently in the labour market to realise one's potential through sustainable employment”. This very general definition makes it possible to understand the importance of the concept as a possibility of adapting to a constantly changing labour market.

However, it is interesting to know and understand the existing levers that allow access to this employability. A definition from Hinchcliffe (2001) states: “Employability is defined as having a set of skills, knowledge, and personal attributes that make a person more likely to be secure and successful in their chosen occupation”. Thanks to this definition, we understand that the individual is at the heart of employability, whether through his knowledge, the skills he has acquired and certain attributes that are specific to him, such as motivation or interests (Fenouillet, 2016).

Soft skills: essential skills to remain employable

It is possible to model the factors influencing employability. Thus, Pool and Sewell (2007) consider that experience, levels of knowledge, soft skills, emotional intelligence as well as development and training throughout the career are key factors, working together to improve employability.

As a result, it is an important issue both for new graduates entering the job market and for professionals in transition and looking either for retraining or career development within their company. (Harvey, 2001; Guilbert et al., 2016). While experience and training within a company are factors that favour professionals over young graduates, soft skills are essential and useful skills upon graduation (Andrew & Higson, 2008).

The essential soft skills to boost your employability

Behavioural skills can be generalised to most trades offered on the labour market and are essential for good employability. Beyond hard skills, namely business skills, we understand that employability is essentially based on the ability of individuals to be able to integrate and adapt to a rapidly changing labour market.

A non-exhaustive list of expected soft skills:

• Professionalism
• Reliability
• Ability to cope with uncertainty
• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to plan and think strategically
• Ability to communicate and interact with others, either in a team or through networking
• Skills in written and oral communication
• Skills in information and communication technologies
• Creativity and self-confidence
• Good self-management and time management skills
• A willingness to learn and take responsibility (Elias & Purcell, 2004).

Motivation: another factor to consider

Motivation referred to as “the reasons underlying behavior” (Guay et al., 2010, p. 712), and the “the attribute that moves us to do or not to do something” (Gredler, Broussard and Garrison., 2004, p. 106) is a non-negligible factor of employability, allowing, beyond the capacities of the individual, to understand the probability that he adheres and puts in place the appropriate behaviours to remain effective in his profession. It is therefore advisable to know the motivations and interests (Schiefele, 1991).

How to measure soft skills in order to support employability for individuals and companies?

Knowing the importance of employability in the labour market, it is necessary that reliable measures are put in place to help individuals, whether they are new graduates seeking to enter the labour market, professionals looking for retraining or development within their organisations, or companies looking for the best employability profiles in order to have long-term prospects with new recruits.

The advantage of psychometric tests

The evaluation of soft skills requires statistically valid and reliable tools, capable of measuring concepts that are sometimes difficult to observe (for example, the individual's ability to work under pressure). Psychometrics, which is concerned with the theoretical and practical aspects of psychological measurement (Chadha, 2009), is at this stage the most advanced discipline in the creation of such measures.

Several types of tools exist to measure these skills. For example, assessment tests are specifically constructed to measure work styles, those aspects of personality most important to success. Work styles can be thought of as an individual's typical patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaviour that can positively influence success in the world of work, and therefore employability, according to database studies. These working styles are organised around four major themes:

• The relationship to people, such as cooperation or leadership
• Managing emotions, such as stress tolerance or self-control
• Approach to work, such as initiative or reliability
• Thinking style, such as innovative or analytical thinking.

Aptitude tests for a good measure of adaptability

Aptitude tests also make it possible to understand the adaptability of the individual in the world of work, to measure essential skills such as the ability to solve problems, verbal comprehension, the ability to correctly interpret data in order to place entrepreneurial strategies, or the ability to evaluate arguments and issue unbiased conclusions.

These psychometric tests based either on the classical test theory or, thanks to the digital evolution of these solutions, on the item response theory based on a probabilistic reasoning of the calculation of the level of aptitude (Edelen & Reeve, 2007), make it possible to have statistically valid and reliable measurements of these soft skills, or even of the motivations and interests of the individual.

Thanks to these methods, it is possible to establish an employability profile of the individual, so that they understand their levers on the labour market while recognising the skills that they can improve, guaranteeing the establishment of a training circuit adapted to the needs of the user.

In 2020, the World Economic Forum estimated that one out of every two workers in the world would need re-skilling (training to acquire new skills needed to change jobs) over the following five years. According to projections from the Future of Jobs Report, companies will need to incorporate new job roles into their organizations in the same time frame: e.g., data analysts and data scientists, AI (artificial intelligence) and machine learning specialists, business development professionals, etc. In all, ten mostly new professions will represent a workplace demand estimated at nearly one hundred million people.

New technical skills, backed up by essential soft skills 

These staggering figures illustrate the scale of the challenge that is now facing all business sectors and companies of all sizes. In order to keep a competitive advantage, and to survive the emergence of new players, they have no choice but to adapt and transform in order to remain agile. 

The pandemic has added to this, accelerating the transformations already taking place, particularly in the digital space. More than ever, the question arises as to the need to adapt technical (hard) skills and improve behavioral (soft) skills to maintain employees’ employability. 

Such an approach is even more important given that employees are also voicing that expectation. According to the Great Insights 2022 study conducted by the Great Place To Work Institute, employability is one of their primary concerns.

Nearly one in two employees state that they will need to upgrade their skills and/or pivot job role in the next five years, but almost a third of them do not feel that they have benefited from specific career development support over the past year. 

Five ways hiring manages can help to create a culture of employability

The study also reveals that training and development programs are becoming one of the defining criteria when choosing to work for a potential employer. With this in mind, here are five ways you can create a culture of employability at your organization:

1. Future Proof your Talent Pools

The best talent pipelines are those that are nurtured. Building a talent pool takes time and requires a well-orchestrated strategy which focuses on the long-term aims of the business, as well as the immediate needs. Cultivating conversations with potential candidates for roles that may not yet be fully formed enables hiring managers to be future focused. This coupled with insight from team managers across the business as to what values, skills and personality will be the best fit for the team, can help hiring managers to make informed decisions to attract top talent.

2. Move to Skills-Based Hiring

Avoid restricting your candidate pool by only focusing on qualifications. Adopting a skills-based approach to hiring opens your talent pool, giving you a wider reach and the ability to attract candidates outside of your usual recruitment network. In the US, “LinkedIn has seen a 21% increase in job postings advertising skills and responsibilities instead of qualifications”. This strategic approach can result in a more varied and multi-skilled workforce, and even help to improve retention rates.

3. Use Psychometric Insight

Psychometric assessments supply detailed, data-driven insight into the values, personality, skills and potential of candidates. There are two forms of psychometric tools - personality and aptitude tests - which together can provide a comprehensive overview of a candidate. With tools such as Role Assessment, a custom employment assessment can be created to meet your roles’ requirements, and its results generate a fit-to-role score that aids in your decision making.

4. Evaluate Talent Retention Strategies

From quiet quitting to quiet thriving, today’s employees are making their feelings on employability known. Gen Z’s priorities are focused on a work-life balance where active steps in creating a culture of wellbeing and inclusion are sought after. Today’s candidates want organizations who echo their values and aren’t afraid to speak up or move on if they don’t align. Take time to review your company brand and values. How do you present yourself? Are you actively living your values? How are you working to upskill and retrain your teams?

5. A shared culture of upskilling and reskilling

The future-of-work challenge cannot be met solely by improvisation. The whole organization, from employees through to top management, needs to subscribe to a culture of “employability” so that each person takes ownership. Executive management sets the course and shares a strategic direction and its implications for the development of job roles. Line management then implements that strategy by identifying development areas for its teams and by working with employees to determine their own employability.

Employability must be embraced across business units to future-proof organizations. Priorities have evolved, technology has marched forward, and organizations can no longer afford to wait and see what skills gaps will develop in the future. Taking steps to reflect on your organization’s employability approach can help future-proof your talent pipeline and address the growing skills gap. For more information on employability, download our whitepaper - “How to Put Employability at the Heart of Corporate Strategy.”  

Future-proofing recruitment strategies with psychometric insights.

There’s no avoiding the pace at which jobs are evolving, and along with them the skills required to succeed. Recently, LinkedIn highlighted the top 25 fastest-growing job titles from Data Science Manager to Machine Learning Engineer. Many roles didn’t exist ten years ago, others have developed as technology has advanced.

Add to this mix - the development of AI and digital technology, changes in the economic and global climate, new generations taking up positions in the workplace and shifts in work-life priorities - and we have a talent market that is continually being shaped and moulded by these factors into something new. 

Organizations are looking for ways to navigate this evolving talent market and identify candidates who have the right skill sets, abilities and shared values for their business. Research indicates that “just over half (52%) of talent leaders in the UK are using analytics or technology to support their hiring and workforce planning decisions,” making psychometric assessments an ideal way to help recruitment/hiring managers, select top talent, develop current employees and evolve employees into future roles.

What is Psychometric Testing?

Psychometric tests for recruitment are the key to matching the very best candidates to the most suitable positions. They are used to measure a range of crucial skills which can aid the recruitment process, such as:

• Numerical skills
• Verbal skills
• Abstract skills
• Critical thinking
• Logical reasoning
• Personality traits and values
• Ability testing

How Can it Assist?

Interviews assess a candidate’s suitability for a role up to a certain point, but psychometric tests can assist in determining other crucial factors. These include how well that individual will fit into the existing team, their development within a certain role and their specific preferences and personality traits. Psychometric testing supports the recruitment process by offering specific information about an individual’s fit for a certain role.

The Benefits of Using Psychometric Tests

There are numerous reasons why psychometric testing can be of benefit to the recruitment industry, including:

• Reduce hiring costs and increase candidate pool - Adaptive testing means that you can use just one test to assess a varied pool of individuals with differing abilities along the performance spectrum. On average, a 'bad hire' costs companies 30% of each hire's annual salary. Tools including the new RAVEN'S Adaptive can help you strengthen your decision-making process.
• Quickly sift out unsuitable candidates - with Talent Match you can reach a wide range of candidates who fit your requirements. Skills-based hiring can ensure you’re not ruling out candidates too early, which helps to improve your efficiency and supports candidates’ quality up to the final stage of recruitment.
  
• Predict performance - Tools such as the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal test is seen as a successful tool for predicting job success. Research shows that organisations can predict over 70% of performance by using the right tools. Results can help you identify and select good team members and possible future leaders.
• Full picture of a candidate - Combining tests into one assessment package enables you to get a full picture of a candidate from skill sets and personality to their ability and values. Helping you to identify the likelihood of a candidate fitting into a team, role or environment.
• Reduces unconscious bias - Taking into account variations in personality, values, learning styles, for example, is a very important “though often a ‘hidden’ and so overlooked aspect” Angus McDonald. Including psychometric tests in your recruitment process can help to reduce bias because they are standardised and objective unlike other methods such as interviews.

Harnessing Technology in Psychometric Testing

Types of Tools Available

• Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal - This test measures critical thinking ability. It assesses the ability to look at a situation, understand it from multiple perspectives and effectively separate facts from opinions and assumptions. This appraisal is particularly suited to graduates and managers and looks at comprehension, analysis and evaluation.
• SOSIE™ - This tool measures personal and interpersonal values and personality traits. It can be used to create an even broader picture of a candidate when combined with ability tests within the recruitment process. This test will also offer an insight into the personality and motivations of the candidate, as well as their fit with a role or organisation and, ultimately, their performance.
• Numerical Data Interpretation Test™ (NDIT) - This test is designed to assess an individual’s ability to interpret and manipulate data. This skill is crucial for numerous roles and offers an additional insight alongside academic grades, which do not necessarily predict how well a person will perform when interpreting data in the workplace.
• RAVEN'S™ Adaptive/Advanced Progressive Matrices - These tests are widely used within recruitment for graduates, as well as for IT and engineering. They measure inductive (abstract) reasoning and identify advanced observation and clear-thinking skills.

Ability and Personality

When it comes to hiring, it is crucial to achieve a good balance between sufficient ability and the type of personality that is best suited to and compatible with an organisation.

Psychometric testing offers a deep insight into the personality, behaviours, motivations and aspirations of an individual, enabling the recruiter to see if these factors are as closely aligned with the environment, company and role as the candidate’s ability and CV. Psychometric tests enable recruiters to gain a fully rounded insight into a candidate, offering an effective evaluation and thorough understanding of skills, ability and personality.

Valuable Insights 

Insights into aptitude, skills, personality, and motivation are essential to select the very best candidates and to develop and guide your workforce throughout their career at your organisation. Reliable and scientifically proven, our solutions support you in your daily work to get the clearest possible picture of a person’s current and future potential.