Latest Workplace Health News & Research | Altius Group

Psychometric Assessments & Hiring Remote Workers

Written by Altius Group | Dec 28, 2023 10:54:11 PM

Knowing if a candidate is or isn’t well suited to work remotely is no easy feat. However, psychometric assessments take out much of the guesswork. The assessment can identify the candidate's soft skills, whether they’re a good cultural fit, and if they can be trusted in a remote environment.

What are Psychometric Assessments?

Psychometric assessments measure a candidate's suitability for a work role based on personality characteristics and aptitude.  
 

Ten Tips and Benefits of Using Psychometric Assessments for Hiring Remote Workers

1. Match the candidate to the right role based on their test results.

If you’re hiring for multiple roles or different areas of the business, use the psychometric testing results to match the candidate with their ideal role or team. 
 

2. Cut down on recruitment time.

Turnover of remote workers can be high. Use psychometric assessments to hire faster and with more confidence.  
 

3. Use more than one psychometric assessment.

Remote workers need to perform strongly in a range of areas. Multiple psychometric tests can give a better picture of candidates than opting for only one assessment. 


4. Use assessments that evaluate the characteristics that meet the organisation's needs.

There are plenty of psychometric assessments available, but not all are suitable for remote workers. Know the characteristics of your ideal worker to ensure that’s what you're assessing candidates for. 
 

5. Use assessments to identify a shortfall that can be worked on.

It’s rare to find a perfect candidate for a role. Use the assessment results to work on the skill(s) that need improvement soon after starting work.  


6. Choose a test that assesses the candidate’s adaptability trait.

Workers in harsh, remote locations need to be able to adapt quickly to changing circumstances in the project, priorities, and technology.   
 

7. Look for strong communication skills in candidates.

Poor communication skills can lead to misunderstanding and mistakes and is a difficult skill to teach an employee. Hence, pay close attention to communication skills when hiring remote workers. 


8. Choose a test that measures the level of self-motivation.

An employee who isn’t motivated to work hard on a remote site can cause problems with staff morale amongst their colleagues. Moreover, once the candidate starts working, it can be hard to tell where that motivation level is.  


9. Use a psychometric assessment to choose the right worker the first time.

Save thousands on recruitment and training costs by making the right hiring decision the first time.
 

10. Share the results of the psychometric assessments with the candidates.

If a candidate asks for feedback on their psychometric tests, be open and honest with them. 

Altius Group has been assisting a wide range of industries with the health and wellbeing of remote working staff for more than 20 years. Our organisational psychologists use standardised measures to assess different personality traits relevant to remote working. Contact Altius Group about using psychometric assessments to help your organisation make the best remote work hiring decisions.

Contact us here, or call 1800 258 487 for more information.