You just got off that call with the candidate, and you have closed the deal. Great! The candidate has joined your organisation. Cut to three months later, you’re back to square one. Hiring for the same role. Because the candidate wasn’t the right fit. How dreadful, isn’t it?
Then you ask yourself if you hired a fish expecting it to fly. Let’s say yes for a moment. Well, how do you hire the fish to swim and a bird to fly?
That’s what we’re going to explore in this blog, hiring the right person for the right role using behavioural and cognitive assessments.
But let’s first look at what’s happening with the current style of hiring.
The state of current hiring process
Let’s dive into the heart of the issue — the recruitment process itself. Despite all the advancements we’ve made in technology, our recruitment practices have stubbornly stuck to two tools that are overused: Resume and interview.
The Resume
Resumes today are written by software programs and are screened by ATS. There is definitely an advantage here but when it comes to understanding the candidate, we need to go beyond this.
The interview process
We often hand the task of interviewing over to line managers who, quite frankly, aren’t trained for it. They’ve learned the ropes by being interviewed themselves and have developed their own techniques over the years.
Research even shows that managers can form an opinion about a candidate within the first 10 to 15 seconds — that’s barely enough time for someone to say “Hello” and sit down.
The rest of the interview is mostly a justification of that gut feeling. And that’s where biases creep in, leading us to hire people we like rather than people we need.
How biases creep in
Let’s say a candidate walks in with a tattoo or an unconventional haircut. Some of us may think “This person seems hard to manage or too casual.” These unconscious biases can skew how we assess their fit for the role.
On the other hand, a talkative and articulate candidate might seem confident and capable, but confidence isn’t always about being outspoken or extroverted in an interview.
Let’s look inside the human brain for hiring
The human brain has about 100 billion neurons (brain cells), and that number does not change as we grow. What does change is how those neurons connect.
In a 3-year-old, each brain cell connects to around 15,000 others, which is why kids learn so quickly. As we get older, the brain trims away some of these connections, keeping only the most important connections, which are permanent.
This process, called synaptic pruning, shapes our personality and cognitive abilities as we grow older.
Understanding behavioral and cognitive traits for hiring
When it comes to hiring, understanding these stable traits — particularly behavioral and cognitive ones — is key. These traits don’t change easily after our formative years, and they can offer insights into a candidate’s potential job performance.
The crux is that while you can train someone in technical skills, like learning a programming language, you can’t change their fundamental behavioral or cognitive traits. To truly hire effectively, we need to focus on these stable traits upfront.
Matching the right traits with right roles – psychometric test
There’s a right job role for every individual. A psychometric test – used to measure a person’s mental abilities, personality traits, and behaviours – helps you find the perfect match.
Cognitive assessment
It gives you a peek into how fast someone learns and adapts. It’s like the brain’s processor for handling new info. It shows how well a candidate can problem-solve, adapt to change, and tackle challenges—key for any role, from sales to coding.
Behavioural assessment
This assessment gives you an idea about the candidate’s personality— how they work within a team or handle stress. It helps you figure out if they are the right fit for the team and the company culture.
These tests work like magic
A tech client was hiring for software developers, and a young woman with two years of experience applied. But her behavioral profile didn’t match a coder—it was more suited for sales.
Instead of passing her over, they offered her a shot at a sales role, despite her having zero experience. She agreed to try, and within six months, she became one of their top salespeople.
It shows how the right assessment can reveal skills that might otherwise be missed.
Clarifying doubts about using psychometric tools
Should hiring solely rely on psychometric tools?
Psychometric tests are not meant to stand alone—they’re just one piece of the hiring puzzle. They do not replace interviews, skill tests or resumes; they complement them.
A nurse and a pilot might share similar behavioural traits, but their qualifications and skills are worlds apart. Psychometric tools dig deeper, giving you insight into traits that are hard to spot.
Finding the right testing tool
A good psychometric tool works across industries—be it tech, sales, or finance. Think of them like an x-ray, giving you a deeper insight into a candidate’s traits.
Try a few! Take free trials of tools like Predictive Index, Hogan, or Thomas, and see which feels right. Look for a tool that’s easy for you to use and make sense of.
Do psychometric tools really lengthen the hiring process?
Recruiters worry that adding psychometric assessments means more work, but it’s actually the opposite. These tools help you quickly spot the best candidates, cutting down the stack of resumes and calls.
Instead of calling 100 people, you might only need 50, and interview 25, saving time and effort. The difference? Before, you had an 80% failure rate with candidates leaving or underperforming.
With psychometric tools, that flips to 80% success, cutting rework and breaking you free from the constant cycle of rehiring.
How to roll out these tools in your workplace?
Getting your organisation on board with psychometric tools is key—and you don’t need a deck for that. Involve your team and create that “aha” moment.
Let them try the assessments themselves! Once they see how useful the insights are, especially for interviews, it’s like a lightbulb goes off. They’ll know exactly what to look for in candidates, saving tons of time.
Soon enough, managers will be asking for these assessments before interviews. What starts as an HR-driven idea quickly becomes something everyone wants.
Psychometric assessments are the key to hire the right mindsets
In a world where hiring the right fit feels like a constant challenge, psychometric tools give you the edge. They don’t replace your current process—they enhance it. By digging deeper into cognitive and behavioral traits, you’ll not only find candidates who can do the job, but those who will thrive in it. The best part? It saves you time, reduces rework, and boosts success rates. Once your team experiences these insights firsthand, it’s a game-changer.
