Psycho Babble Psychometric Personality Assessment Testing
ve never been that big a article on it which we could cull
fan of psychometric testing and make ourselves look dead
(the science of clever.
personality assessment), since
Jim, Maria and myself were tested There s no doubt there s a
and found to be unemployable in backlash against tests in the
any normal company due to a USA, evidenced by a mass of
collective tendency to stroll lawsuits from people who claim
along to the beat of our their lives have been damaged by
individual drums. So we them, particularly by invading
retaliated by setting up an their privacy and casting
advertising agency named after a aspersions on their integrity.
strange looking animal with no The pronouncement by the American
relevance to advertising on the Psychological Association that
13th of the month in the middle the vital honesty tests to sift
of the worst recession in 20 out the potentially dishonest
years. have a particularly high error
rate hasn t helped, while a
Which pretty much proved there newish book, Cult of Personality
was nothing odd about us, we like , argues persuasively that most
to think. profiling methods are flawed and
damage the interests of all
Nevertheless, as every one of involved the idea that you can
Britain s 100 largest companies capture the essence of a
and some 80% of all the rest, use personality in a 20 minute test
some sort of personality test on is nonsense given how complex
prospective employees, we thought people are, how moods can vary
it would be a good idea to have a while being tested and, more
look at the subject. Especially importantly, how honestly the
as the Sunday Telegraph did a big questions are answered. Re the
latter, most testing groups claim (MBTI), the most successful test
to have anti-cheating ( in the world, used by 89 out of
lie-scales ) measures built in the Fortune 100. Loosely based on
which attempt to measure Jung s view that we all have a
consistency by asking the same predisposition to a certain
question in different ways. That personality type, the 20 minute
s all very well but not all lies tests assign people precise
are conscious there s personality designations for
substantial evidence that people example, you might be an ESPF
see things differently according (Extrovert, Sensing, Perceiving,
to mood, and even day-to-day, and Feeling) type. All good stuff, if
one body of research suggests we do indeed all fall into
that people taking an identical precise personality types, and we
test a second time will be given don t allow for variable
a different personality type up attitudes. For example, I d
to 75% of the time. answer one question about whether
you d rather work for a good
Psychometric fans, on the other natured, inconsistent boss (me)
hand, argue that the tests are or a sharp tongued, logical one
not only a reliable guide but an (Maria) with It depends on the
acknowledgement that personality circumstances and why does sharp
is critical in building a tongued rule out a good nature? .
successful workplace. Which is Other questions to ponder are
why psychology has spent so long whether personality is set in
trying to crack the key to stone anyway and whether all
personality (and sold every downsides are accounted for -
resultant little fissure to most ad agencies would, for
business at every opportunity). example, be desperate for E (Oy!
The big break was the I meant Extroverts) which is
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator great, except E s are prone to
selfishness. While I also wonder Carl Filer, a star salesman at
whether looking for certain types Britain s largest DIY chain who
leads to a dull, uniform was on the fast track until a
workplace without any of the test revealed the shocking news
creative tension we all so know that his favourite colour was
and love ( Write that ad in the blue resulting in his removal
next five minutes or I ll thump for lack of dynamism. Doesn t
you a good one with my menacing beat the story of Prof Glenn
stick - creative tension, as Ellenbourg of New York who, on
created by a certain member of profiling the personality of a
Giraffe). corpse using a test that gave
credit for non-responses, found
Given the disparate views, why the cadaver had an IQ of 45 and
have the tests become so popular? was likely to enjoy a good
Mainly because of the pressure in measure of popularity round the
the 1970 s for workplace equality office.
forcing employers to look for
more democratic methods of At Giraffe, we tend to go by
selection. They then became a fad instinct when hiring, which may
in the 1980 s Helping to make explain one or two little things
people in HR feel wanted that go on round here, and have
according to one expert (don t never tested anyone else in our
even think of shooting the lives. So the 20 years Katharine
messenger) while in the 1990 s Briggs, a Washington DC
the cost of, and problems housewife, spent studying Jungian
involved in, removing unsuitable theory in order to understand
employees finally entrenched what her daughter Isabel saw in
testing in the workplace. So much her boyfriend, Clarence Myers
so that two years ago we were all which is how the Myers-Briggs
entertained by the sacking of tests came about (See. You didn t
know that, did you?) - were pretty much wasted on us.
Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com
In 1995, with Maria Manzo, he set up the UK office of BSA Advertising - a USA - owned agency - which he ran until deciding to set up Giraffe Advertising.
Recruitment Advertising Agency & Website Design Company London UK
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