Use of Psychometric Tests in the Process of Recruitment in Human Resource Management
By Minhaaj Rehman
Why Do We Measure People?
Since the industrial revolution, organizations have grappled with the same question: how do we identify the right people for the right roles? From Frederick Taylor’s scientific management to Elton Mayo’s Hawthorne studies, from Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to contemporary HR analytics, the discipline has always sought tools to translate human potential into organizational performance.
Psychometrics—the measurement of psychological traits, abilities, and dispositions—emerged as one of the most promising answers.
Minhaaj Rehman’s thesis, Use of Psychometric Tests in the Process of Recruitment in HRM, explores this domain not through abstract speculation, but through empirical case studies with psychometric testing firms in Europe and the United States. It offers an academically rigorous yet practical guide to understanding the promise and limits of psychometric testing in modern recruitment.
What the Research Covers
The study situates psychometric testing historically, tracing its lineage from the civil service examinations of Imperial China to the intelligence tests of Alfred Binet and the personality typologies of Carl Jung. It then examines two of the most widely used frameworks in contemporary recruitment:
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) – its typological structure, applications, and shortcomings.
Keirsey Temperament Sorter – its complementary role in understanding work preferences and interpersonal dynamics.
Through in-depth interviews with psychometric professionals and cross-case analysis, the research evaluates:
The validity of psychometrics in predicting job performance.
The strengths and weaknesses of applying personality measures in recruitment.
The ethical considerations and practical constraints organizations face when using these tools.
Key Insights
Promise with Caution: Psychometric tests can add significant value as an aid to recruitment but should not be treated as autonomous or decisive instruments.
Beyond Skills to Fit: Personality assessments illuminate cultural fit, motivational drivers, and interpersonal styles—areas often missed in conventional interviews.
Standardization Matters: For tests to be reliable, rigorous standardization and ethical administration are crucial.
Managerial Contributions: When used carefully, psychometrics can reduce hiring costs, improve retention, and align candidates with long-term organizational goals.
As the study concludes: “Psychometrics as a field has huge potential and its performance in recruitment spheres is promising. Its mainstream adoption however is a gradual process, and its theoretical assumptions and practical demonstrations require much research before it can be relied upon as an independent recruitment tool.”
Why This Book Matters
For HR professionals, this work bridges the gap between theory and practice. It avoids both uncritical enthusiasm and outright dismissal, offering instead a balanced, research-driven perspective. For students of management and organizational psychology, it serves as a model of how to integrate literature review, methodology, and empirical findings into a coherent study.
Where Peter Drucker stressed “what gets measured gets managed,” this book asks: what happens when we measure people themselves—and can we ever do it responsibly?
Read, Reflect, Apply
Whether you are an HR manager seeking evidence-based tools, a consultant advising on recruitment processes, or a scholar studying organizational behavior, this book offers insights that are both academically grounded and practically applicable.