Did you take part in an aptitude assessment?
We hope your experience with Avila’s psychological assessment was as positive and successful as possible. We have compiled information about the post-assessment process, as well as answers to the most frequently asked questions that may be on your mind after the assessment.
What happens after the assessment?
The assessment psychologist will prepare a report on the entire assessment, comparing the results of the assignments and the interview with the criteria previously defined with the client company. Avila will provide both the candidate and the client company an assessment summary with the same content. It is worth remembering that the assessment summary is always drawn up in relation to the applied position and is therefore not directly applicable for other purposes. However, the assessment report can give you good tips for developing your own self-knowledge, including determining your strengths and areas for development.
If the assessment report expresses some concerns about your suitability for the job, this should not discourage you. The main objective of the assessment is to find the right person for the role, a person who fits the company’s expectations and can succeed in the role. It also ensures that the role and the working environment suit and motivate the candidate.
Can you fail in the assessment?
Taking part in an aptitude assessment can be a stressful experience, especially the first time around. It is natural to want to succeed, as the job is usually an interesting and desirable position for you. But what exactly do “success” and “failure” mean in an aptitude assessment?
The final objective of the assessment is to find the right person who fits the company’s expectations and can succeed in the role. It also ensures that the role and working environment suit and motivate the employee.
Employees become often stressed and feel uncomfortable if they are constantly forced to work against their natural working style or solve overly complex problems. For example, working on things that are too abstract can be difficult if you are used to concrete work tasks. Thus, if the role and the assessment criteria emphasise, for example, complex problem-solving skills or a strong attention to detail, but the candidate is more of a skilled overall manager who likes to work on clear problems, the role may not be best suited to the candidate’s working style or personality. In these situations, a hiring recommendation that expresses some concerns about your suitability for the job is therefore not necessarily a bad thing, as the assessment has brought forward the candidate’s working styles, which are better suited to different types of jobs.
If you answer the questions honestly in your own way, you cannot fail the assessment.
Time spent on the assessment
We understand that recruitment processes are time-consuming, and taking part in an aptitude assessment alongside other day-to-day responsibilities can take up resources. We value the candidates’ experiences, and we do not ask them to spend their time on anything that is not essential in succeeding in the assessment. However, we cannot carry out high-quality aptitude assessments with interviews or individual tests alone, they require a multi-method approach.
The multi-method approach means that at least two independent methods are used to assess a characteristic, because results from a single source do not provide sufficiently reliable information. Using more than one method requires more time from the candidate, but it is necessary for the quality of the assessment and is also in the best interests of the candidate. This allows us to form the most accurate picture of the candidate.
To make it easier for you to spend the necessary time on the assessment, we offer you the possibility to complete the assignments at a time of your choice in an online environment, without having to do them all at once.
Answers to questions you may have when reading the assessment report
When you read the assessment report, its contents may sometimes raise questions, even if the assessment process itself was carried out in accordance with best practices. For this reason, you can find the most common answers for possible questions below. We also provide some perspectives that will hopefully help you understand the contents of the assessment report.
Description of the candidate in the assessment report
The purpose of the assessment is to take a stand on how well the candidate meets the criteria set for the job. The focus is therefore on the candidate’s performance in working life, as reflected in the job in question. This means that the focus can be very narrow in the context of a person’s whole life, and this is the way it should be; the aptitude assessment does not take a stand on matters that are not relevant to the job in question. Because of this, the candidate might sometimes feel that the description of them is rather limited. The aim is not to collect as much information as possible about the candidate, but just enough to assess their characteristics in relation to the criteria set for the job, and to draw a conclusion about their suitability for the job on the basis of the information collected.
Summary of the assessment report
During the assessment process, we use various methods to create a consistent picture of the candidate. This picture is further reinforced by assessing the points presented by the candidate during the interview. Thus, the psychologist’s assessment may seem like a summary of what was brought forward during the interview. It is worth noting that the psychologist always considers the whole picture when making an assessment and does not form an opinion based on individual observations. The assessment is always based on a multi-method approach.
5
Tips for interpreting the assessment report
1. Assessment report
You will receive an assessment report with the same content as the client company.
4. Recommendation
The assessment report only takes a position on issues related to work and the role in question.
2. Summary
When reading the report, please note that the summary is always drawn up in relation to the applied position.
5. Multi-method
The assessment is always based on a multi-method approach, not on individual observations.
3. Self-knowledge
The report can give you some useful tips for improving your self-knowledge.
Questions?
couldn’t find the answer to your question? Contact us – we are happy to help you with your suitability assessment.
Explore our expert content & client references
Read more about our client success stories, observations on the job market and tips for recruitment and personnel selection situations.
A headhunter contacted you – what happens next?
Psychological assessment provides tools for better self-awareness
