You're applying for a new job and you sit down for the interview. Your palms sweat as you flip open your laptop … and start playing a video game. That's all part of the process. As you move through a gamelike simulation of the job you're applying for, the software collects data about your processing speed, problem-solving skills and other cognitive abilities. Score high enough and you'll be called for a next-round interview.
Such games are already being marketed by psychometric-assessment companies including Australia-based Revelian and New York-based Pymetrics to assess job applicants' cognitive, social and personality traits. But it's not always clear how such tools were created or vetted. "There's always tension between vendors [of assessment instruments] offering enough information for scientists and consumers to evaluate what they've done, while at the same time protecting their intellectual property," says Dan Putka, PhD, principal staff scientist at the Human Resources Research Organization.
There are other caveats for human resources departments to consider before embracing high-tech assessments, such as whether such assessments might unfairly penalize some groups of people. Someone with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, for example, might have a slower processing speed while playing a game-based test but still have the skills necessary to do the job well.
But proponents say high-tech assessments can actually help level the hiring playing field. A hiring manager might be swayed by a person's gender or what school he or she went to, while a remote assessment could minimize bias by evaluating candidates on more relevant skills and abilities.
Technology-based assessments may also "allow us to capture applicant behavior in ways we haven't been able to before," Putka says. For example, job simulations can mimic the activities an employee would be expected to handle, says Sarena Bhatia, an organizational psychologist and consultant for the London-based professional services firm Aon. "If you're applying to be a park manager or a waitress, you could go through a simulation and do some of the things you would need to do if you were in those jobs," she says.
But to do it right, companies need input by academics trained in evaluation, Putka adds. "The world of assessment is evolving rapidly, and there are opportunities for industrial/organizational psychologists to be really helpful by partnering with firms in this space." —Kirsten Weir
