Steeplechase For The Mind

They do to the mind what the marathon would do to the body. And endurance through them lands one with a plum job. But job-applicants wonder whether they deserve to go through the harrowing series of tests which companies have devised to achieve greater objectivity in their recruitment process. Complains a marketing executive while recalling the hiring process at Nokia Telecommunications: "The last time I went through something as gruelling was the common admission test for the IIMs. Do the six years of work experience I have mean nothing?"

Fresh MBAs or seasoned executives, all are subjected to exacting tests which have suddenly become the norm in corporate recruitments. The obstacle race could consist of some or all of the following: psychometric tests for charting personality traits, written tests for gauging logical and analytical abilities, simulations such as making presentations to clients, and group discussions. These, in addition to the conventional two to three rounds of interviews.

Consider the tall order at Nokia. A short-listed candidate, besides the regular interview, has to make a presentation (often about the company he/she works for); write the PAPI (a test which reflects what the person thinks of his own temperament, work style, social nature, leadership and followership); tests for logical and analytical abilities; and situational exercises conducted in a group, where each person has a specific role to play (for example, a marketing situation where the group is given a certain product and a budget, and the promotion mix has to be decided). Salespeople and top slot aspirants have to wade through the 16PF (a psychometric test which gives personality type judged on four matrices: introvert-extrovert, sensing-intuitive, thinking-feeling, and judgemental-perceiving), and a picture completion test where they have to fill in a semi-finished drawing. Justifies Seema Grover Barooah, human resources and administration manager at Nokia: "In group exercises, one can assess how the person interacts with others. This may not be possible in an interview."

At Eli Lilly Ranbaxy, after the initial screening on the basis of the curriculum vitae and group discussion, the candidates are required to take psychometric (16PF) and other written tests, before giving two interviews. The selected person is then sent to the field for a day before the papers are signed—an opportunity to get a feel of the job. Says Pradeep K. Sharma, human resources associate at Eli Lilly Ranbaxy: "We don't give absolute importance to marksheets. A positive attitude is what we primarily look for."

The gauntlet at HCL Corporation consists of a thematic apperception test to figure out what motivates a person (one is shown six pictures and has to write about them; the management then looks for key words and concepts used by the examinee to judge if he/she is of the personality type it's looking for); a half-hour 64-question managerial response exercise for middle managers which tests leadership abilities; an in-basket exercise for senior management trainees (where one takes action in half an hour on assorted mail in a basket); stress interviews stretching up to three hours; a series of technical tests, like the Business Analytical Test taken by all at the entry level; and presentations (where top manager-wannabes describe the role they see for themselves, the direction they think the company is moving in and how they can contribute).

Though psychometric tests were introduced recently for the workmen at Godrej GE Appliances' new factory at Mohali near Chandigarh, applicants were already taking written tests. Says V.J. Rao, vice president, HRD: "For engineers, there's a general intelligence test, a simple test of English and a test of basic engineering concepts." Interviews too are getting more objective and oriented towards seeking specific traits. Says Rajeev Peshawaria, director, HRD, American Express Bank: "We have developed best-fit competency models for most jobs and base our interviews on these. Candidates are asked to relate instances from his/her recent past, which display the abilities we look for."

On campus interviews in B-schools, interviewers from Procter and Gamble ask examinees to answer multiple-choice questions and seven descriptive ones. This, even before the student gives in his/her curriculum vitae. Examples of such questions with 'no right or wrong answers': "Compared to other people you knew in school before reaching the university level, how fast did you learn new material?" or "Which of these best describes your study habits while you worked on your first degree—did not want to study, there were other demands on your time, studied regularly, studied only before exams, studied beyond what was required." The descriptive questions, though few, are taxing for the fresh graduate. A sample: "Describe a creative/innovative idea that you produced that led to a significant contribution to an activity or project."

Professionals attribute this trend to rising corporate insecurity. Says Anoop Tewari, manager, HRD at HCL Corporation: "Rising compensation is pulling up the cost of wrong recruitment with it. You have to be more than sure that you are hiring the right guy. Aids in the hiring process minimise the risk and improve the success rate." Agrees Jyoti Grover, a consultant at Noble & Hewitt which handles project hiring: "Today, as the headcount is becoming more critical, and the job description much clearer, the use of these methods is encouraged." Adds Sharma: "With the large number of career choices for those at the entry level, one needs to make sure that the applicant is genuinely inclined." J.M. Ojha, a psychologist who heads Manasayan, a Delhi-based outfit which conducts psychometric tests for companies, puts it succin-ctly: "The tests provide objective information about the candidate not necessarily obtained in the traditional interview."

Sounds rational, but results don't always come out clean. In the logical and analytical tests, for instance, age clearly plays a role. While there are exceptions, younger candidates invariably score higher. And can't psychometric tests be conveniently twisted by the cunning examinee to project a suitable image? "It's a false notion," counters Tiwari. "The same question is framed and asked in at least five different ways. Answering under pressure, in limited time, the candidate has to answer honestly or else is likely to lose consistency." The answers are evaluated by trained psychologists. Besides mapping out broad personality traits, these questions ferret out nuances which would otherwise remain hidden.

THE traits companies seek differ for different levels. The focus also changes with the area of operation. For the senior level, the ability to lead is more important than the ability to work hard. However, at the entry level, ambition, drive, confidence and flexibility are the factors that score. "We look for a more detailed interpretation of the tests for our salespeople (who are all at a senior level and mainly engineers) than for others, besides having some additional tests," says Barooah.

The problem with the psychometrics science (if one can call it that) is that it has a rather dubious history. Many fervent believers agree that the tests are mere aids, and not decisive tools for deciphering personalities. A test has to be followed by an interview. "PAPI doesn't come alive unless you interview the candidate. Two people could appear to be similar in a PAPI but emerge completely different at the interview. But the test results indicate to the interview panel the areas which need to be probed more," says Barooah. Talking of the 16PF test, Sharma adds: "About 85 per cent of the time, the results match the person."

However accurate and beneficial the tests may be, lateral-entry candidates insist that these should be restricted to candidates at the entry level. Interviewers should be able to assess a middle manager on the basis of his bio-data and interviews. Agrees Peshawaria: "While we do have group discussions for freshers, there aren't any for middle managers." At Godrej GE Appliances, no tests are given to engineers and MBAs with more than five years experience. And though applicants take psychometric tests at all levels at Eli Lilly, there are no written tests at higher levels. Says Pushpa M. Prash-ara, manager, personnel, Ballarpur Industries: "The work style and the competence of a person and whether or not he/she will fit in with the organisation's culture are quite apparent from the information from informal channels and interviews." match the person

Psychometric techniques received a big fillip in India with the entry of transnationals. Circumspect about the kind of and the number of people they hire, the TNCs have extended these tests to operations in India. "While big Indian firms had already woken up to the fact, the smaller ones are also becoming aware," says Ojha. Gundeep Singh, who runs the Delhi-based consultancy The Learning Curve adds: "Earlier, Indian companies didn't understand the benefits of psychological testing. Temperament is more important than experience and skill."

While a few tests are developed in-house, most are imported and suitably Indianised. And a TNC may not use the same test worldwide. In the US, one cannot take the liberty of asking personal queries such as on marital status, as one can here. Most tests in India are derived from the US-based PA Consulting Group and the UK-based Thomas International. Graphology (the study of handwriting) has found few takers in India though it is popular in countries like France, where written bio-datas are a must.

In India, the 16PF, PAPI and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator are more common. However, sceptics abound. Ballarpur, which used these tests extensively for two or three years, has stopped them. Says Prashara: "These methods are not decisive. The information we got from them wasn't being put to any good use." She suggests they be used in "non-threatening circumstances" to develop employees, and not to hire.

How long these techniques will last, with the validity of other new-fangled 'sciences' such as psephology and market research already shown to be dubious, remains to be seen. Even as companies are eager to update the tests they use, selection panels are still faced with the choice of picking one out of two equally qualified candidates. It is then the assessment in the interview that brings the final nod.