INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES

What you should know about psychological assessment

Have you applied for a job, are you being assessed for promotion, have you been identified for a career progression or skills development program, or are you engaged in a performance management process? If psychological assessment forms a part of the appraisal, the following are some important things you might like to know:

Remain Calm

If an organisation uses psychological testing it is usually only one of a number of methods used to make decisions about you. In addition to tests, employers may also rely upon resumes, interviews, work performance records, references, and background checks. Tests simply help provide a uniform and objective way of knowing more about you and making fair comparisons between you and others.

If you’re asked to participate in an appraisal, don’t be irritated. Many top organisations require incumbent and prospective employees to undertake psychological assessments. If an employer saw you as nervous or upset at being asked to take a test, they might be concerned about how you will handle normal day-to-day job stresses, so try to relax and you will actually test better.

Don’t fake personality tests.

Personality questionnaires are popular with employers but most people do not understand what they are or how they are used. The most important thing for you to remember is that there are no right or wrong answers. Personality tests are designed to reveal the individual beliefs and unique emotion, thought and behaviour patterns you might typically display.

Some people think they should try to fake it and answer questions in the way that they think the employer wants. This approach does not work for two key reasons:

1. Most personality tests contain measures that detect attempts to misrepresent yourself. If your answers are seen as being dishonest then you might disadvantage yourself, and

2. With the right management, people with different personalities and capabilities may still perform equally successfully in the same role. Personality tests allow employers to understand your individual style and preferences and work with you in a way that gets the best from you on the job.

Even if you are somehow able to fool an employer into believing that you are different from the way you are, it is likely that you will eventually end up dissatisfied with your situation at work.

Make the time.

Depending on the type of test or tests, you may need a few minutes or several hours to complete them. Find out how much time you will need and make sure you take the test in a location that is free from distractions.

Read the instructions.

The most common mistake test-takers make is rushing through instructions. It is very important to read the instructions carefully and make certain you understand them. Tests often provide test-takers with examples of what the questions are like and how to answer them. Test-takers who are comfortable with how to respond to a test will do better.

Privacy

To assist us in complying with the Australian Privacy Principles, we ask that you read the following information carefully. We explain why and how we collect personal information and how we maintain, use and disclose that information. We also provide some detail about your privacy rights along with our general rights and obligations in relation to the personal information we keep on record.

The information collected during a psychological assessment will be used to understand your personal style, temperament, motivational orientation and intellectual abilities in a work context. The information is collected for the purpose of preparing an assessment report, which may be used for recruitment, promotion, development or other management purposes.

By proceeding with an assessment you are providing your consent for us to furnish a written report and/or discuss the information collected about you with managers or other stakeholders connected with the assessment project. We will not release any information about you to anyone else, unless you give us a written and signed request to do so.

We will take all reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification and disclosure.

You may gain access to your assessment information by contacting us. However, due to the evaluative nature of the material obtained, you may not have full access to the results in detail.

You may request feedback of a general nature from a qualified consultant, which is typically provided free via telephone. Simply e-mail your contact details to feedback@fenchurch.com.au.

More detailed feedback will be at your own expense and an accompanying report can also be provided for an additional fee.

Please do not proceed with an assessment if you do not consent to the treatment of your personal information in the ways described in this statement.