Abstract
The article focuses on the use of psycho-diagnostic methods in management and HR management. Various methods and their classification are described and analysed for their best uses.
Authors of the article work with the premise, that while psychology itself developed in a neutral clinical environment, eventually it spread to other areas, such as HR management, with a completely different overall approach towards the examined subject. Where clinical psychology focuses on diagnostics separated from the real life, HR psychology examines employees and job candidates in specific situations. It is further influenced by the HR professional's experience and own, subjective calibration. Most managers have no psychological background and tend to think in precise, measurable terms unattainable in psychology. Thus reliability, validity, objectivity and standardization of results is of utmost importance to the applied psychological methods and the results these methods provide.
There are various ways of classifying psychological diagnostic methods in management. These include factors such as individuality, administration or time-scope. The authors, however, choose to look at these methods in terms of their use and purpose. Non-testing methods are described first - observation, interview, anamnesis and analysis of spontaneous products are introduced in detail. Following are personality and performance tests, analysis of their advantages and disadvantages and possible uses.
The main focus of the article lies in detailed analysis of selected psycho-diagnostic methods and their use in the recruitment process through the eyes of managers. The authors interviewed managers with experience in recruitment and selection of new employees and provided also a brief overview of providers of each of the following analysed methods: Behavioural interview, Hogan Personality Index (HPI), Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), The Big Five Questionnaire (NEO), Belbin e-interplace, Achievement Motivation Inventory (LMI) and the Bochum Personality questionnaire (BIP).
The outcome includes basic recommendations for the use of various psycho-diagnostic tools. The most important is the need for the identification of employee selection criteria. Appropriate psycho-diagnostic tools can be selected only once these criteria are well defined. The various tool providers often organise pilot runs to create diagnostic models that are tailored to specific job-positions or clients. Such models are often reliable and their providers should be able to provide data about empirical test results, standardization of the used methods and detailed user and evaluation manuals. Evaluation reports for each candidate are a standard feature of such solutions.
Further recommendations are: psycho-diagnostic tools are not the only source of information about candidates, the number of candidates and the overall time-frame designated for the hiring process play an important role too, some methods are good only for screening while other methods require professional psychologists. Some methods are better for specific positions or can be used to sieve candidates in the first round of the hiring process. And finally, the various tools can be combined for better results which should always be evaluated not in their absolute values but in relation to the desired position and the required competencies.