When you’re building a team, the goal is simple: hire the right people for the right roles. But in practice, that’s anything but easy. Most hiring managers still rely heavily on interviews—but are interviews the most reliable way to assess a candidate? Or is there a smarter way to hire?
Enter psychometric testing: a data-driven, scientifically validated approach to measuring personality, ability, and job fit.
In this article, we’ll explore the differences between traditional interviews and psychometric tests—and why businesses across Australia (and globally) are rethinking how they assess talent.
The Problem with Traditional Interviews
Let’s start with what we know: interviews can be helpful. They allow for face-to-face interaction, insight into communication style, and a chance to assess cultural fit.
But they also come with several major limitations:
1. Unconscious Bias is Hard to Avoid
Even experienced interviewers are influenced by unconscious bias—whether that’s based on appearance, background, or personality. Candidates who “click” with the interviewer may get ahead, even if they’re not the best person for the role.
2. Low Predictive Power
According to extensive research, unstructured interviews have a predictive validity of just 14%. Even structured interviews typically only reach about 26%. That means you’re still relying on instinct, not insight.
3. Interview Skills ≠ Job Skills
Some people interview brilliantly but underperform on the job. Others may struggle to articulate themselves in an interview but would thrive in the role. Traditional interviews miss that nuance.
What Psychometric Testing Brings to the Table
Psychometric tests offer a more reliable, objective way to evaluate candidates. They’re designed to measure key attributes like personality, cognitive ability, motivation, and behavioural style.
Here’s why companies choose tools like RightPeople’s Psychometric Testing Suite:
1. Standardised, Fair, and Objective
Every candidate receives the same assessment, scored using validated algorithms. This eliminates subjectivity and levels the playing field.
2. Higher Predictive Accuracy
Studies show that cognitive ability tests can predict job performance with up to 65% accuracy. Combine that with a personality assessment, and you get a holistic view of both capability and culture fit.
3. Deep Behavioural Insights
Unlike interviews or resumes, psychometric tests offer insight into how someone thinks, solves problems, manages stress, and interacts with others. These factors are crucial to performance but aren’t always visible in an interview.
At RightPeople, we help businesses tailor assessments for specific job roles, making the results even more relevant and actionable.
Why Not Both? The Power of a Blended Hiring Strategy
The best hiring strategies don’t pit interviews against psychometric testing—they combine them.
Here’s what a blended hiring process could look like:
- Use skills and psychometric tests to shortlist candidates based on role-specific criteria.
- Follow up with structured interviews to validate results and explore team fit.
- Use insights from the tests to inform targeted interview questions.
This approach doesn’t just improve accuracy—it also increases fairness, consistency, and candidate confidence in your hiring process.
Real-World Benefits of Psychometric Testing
Leading organisations are already seeing the payoff:
- Unilever reduced time-to-hire by 90% by using psychometric assessments in early-stage screening.
- Deloitte uses behavioural assessments to identify future leaders within their ranks.
- Small and medium businesses report increased team alignment, reduced turnover, and faster onboarding with custom-designed assessments.
Choose the Right Tool for the Job
At RightPeople, we believe hiring should be strategic—not based on gut feel. That’s why our platform offers a full suite of pre-employment solutions, including:
- Personality & behavioural assessments
- Cognitive ability and aptitude tests
- Role-specific skills tests
- Custom assessments tailored to your job requirements
Our platform is easy to integrate with your ATS or HR system, and every test is backed by psychological best practices and decades of research.
Final Thoughts: Rethinking “Reliability”
If your goal is to hire with confidence, relying solely on traditional interviews is no longer enough. Interviews are useful—but when combined with data from psychometric testing, you gain a level of insight that’s simply not possible with conversation alone.
Psychometric testing doesn’t replace human judgment—it enhances it.
Want to see how it works? Get in touch for a tailored solution to suit your business goals.
RightPeople helps businesses across Australia and globally make better hiring, development, and team-building decisions using data-backed assessment tools. Learn more at RightPeople.com.au.
