7 Ways You Might Use Assessment Reports Wrongly

Jackie Chin is a Solutions Consultant at Accendo Technologies, specialising in delivering strategic solutions to meet clients' Talent Management requirements. With a foundation in occupational psychology and over 7 years of consulting expertise, he primarily focuses on multi-faceted portfolios, aiding clients in accomplishing their strategic objectives.

Assessment reports play a crucial role in decision-making across various purposes, from self-development to business decisions. They provide valuable insights and data that can guide essential choices. However, reading these reports can be daunting, and many people make common mistakes that lead to misinterpretation and misjudgment. Here, we will explore the seven common errors and provide strategies for avoiding them to ensure you get the most out of your assessment reports.

The last one on this list is the most commonly observed mistakes that people make!

Seven Common Mistakes People Make

If you plan to use assessment reports for self-development or to increase self-awareness in general, recognising these mistakes can help to create a better understanding of the findings. For business users, navigating these common misconceptions can help to avoid costly bad decisions!

1. Ignoring the Context and Objectives of Assessments

For most people, work assessments often equate to a school examination where one should achieve a score to “pass” specific criteria or to qualify for something. However, not all assessments are built to measure proficiency. Psychometric assessments, such as behavioural, interest and cognitive assessments, are designed to compare test takers' measurements against a larger norm population without implying whether a low or high score is good.

It is necessary to set or understand the objectives and context of the assessment exercise; for example, to know whether you or another candidate is a good fit for a specific job, function or company. Seek to understand whether a score that is lower than average or higher than average contributes positively or negatively. For example, being an extreme introvert means that you may expend more effort needed to excel as a sales representative. When measured against individual contributor roles such as illustrators, it may not necessarily affect your success.

With TalentPulse reports, you can interpret the results of assessment assessments in a way that is relevant to various objectives, such as development, selection and recruitment.

2. Overlooking Assessments Limitations

In the same way that you would find it challenging to tighten a screw even with the best wrench in the world, no assessment tool is without its limitations. Similarly, every assessment result is only accurate and consistent to a certain extent, since validity and reliability are also limited!

With TalentPulse, assessments are conducted on a closed marketplace, ensuring quality standards are met. Assessment tools are verified by Accendo assessment experts to ensure that scientific evidence is provided before being made available on TalentPulse marketplace. This reduces the burden of evaluating the quality of assessments on end users, who are not always equipped with the necessary expertise or access to tool providers' technical documents. Find out more about TalentPulse Assessments Marketplace here.

Apart from the scientific aspects of assessments, factors like people's desire to present themselves positively, personal biases in self-perception, and truthfulness in self-reported answers can make assessment results less accurate.

At TalentPulse, we use different technologies like tracking response consistency and matching adaptive statements based on social desirability to minimise the influence of confusing factors in our assessments.

While assessment results provide great supplementary data points for decision-making, it is also crucial to recognise the need to use other sources of information, including qualitative data to make informed decisions. Some examples include past performance, references, manager's appraisal and interview findings.

3. Misinterpreting Statistics

How does a person know they are tall or have high blood pressure? By comparing their metrics against the group that matters. Most of the assessment scores today are benchmarked against the global population or a select sample population known as a norm population (or group). These scores are indicative of how a person fares among the norm population (as opposed to how typical academic scores indicate achievement against the maximum possible score).

Therefore, one should not interpret their score as “I achieved X% away from the maximum score” because these scores have no maximum limit, just as one would not interpret their height as “I am 60% away from the maximum human height”.

There are many ways to indicate a person’s position among the population for each metric. You may come across a Sten score, percentile, stanfive, stanine, t-score and z-score, with the later formats more often used for statistical calculations.

In TalentPulse, a Sten score ranging from 1-10 is always used for a consistent, simple reading experience. A score of 1-3 represents the score for a measured area that is statistically below the majority of the norm population compared, 4-7 being close to the population average, and 8-10 being statistically above the score achieved by the majority of the norm population. For more information on scoring interpretations, please contact our support team. We can arrange for you to meet with a consultant.

4. Confirmation Bias and Selective Perception

Confirmation bias

It is the tendency to seek out and give more weight to information that aligns with preexisting beliefs or expectations. In the context of psychometric assessments, if an individual strongly believes they possess certain traits or qualities, they may unconsciously focus on the assessment results that confirm their existing views while disregarding or downplaying contradictory information. This can lead to a skewed interpretation of the report, as they may overlook critical insights that challenge their self-perception or blind spots, ultimately hindering their personal and professional growth.

Selective perception

This involves perceiving and remembering information in a way that conforms to one's existing attitudes or expectations. When users approach a psychometric assessment report with preconceived notions about their abilities or personality traits, they are more likely to perceive and retain information that reinforces their initial beliefs. This cognitive bias can make it challenging for them to objectively assess the report's findings and may hinder their ability to acknowledge areas for improvement or development.

In essence, both confirmation bias and selective perception act as cognitive filters that distort the accurate interpretation of psychometric assessment reports, preventing individuals from benefiting fully from the insights they provide.

5. Overreacting to Negative Results

Overreacting to unfavourable psychometric assessment results can have several negative effects on a person's well-being and development:

1. Emotional distress: Receiving unfavourable results can trigger feelings of disappointment, frustration, anxiety, and even a blow to one's self-esteem. Overreaction to these emotions may lead to unnecessary stress and negatively impact mental and emotional health.
2. Defensive behaviour: Overreacting can make one defensive or dismissive of the assessment's findings. They may reject the results or attempt to discredit the assessment's validity rather than use it as a constructive tool for self-improvement.
3. Stagnation: Overreacting to unfavourable results can paralyse yourself, making you reluctant to address areas of improvement. They might avoid challenges or resist personal and professional growth, ultimately hindering their development.
4. Missed opportunities: Instead of using the assessment as an opportunity for self-awareness and growth, overreaction can lead individuals to miss the chance to address weaknesses, adapt to new circumstances, or capitalise on their strengths effectively.

It is important for individuals to view psychometric assessment results as a constructive tool for self-improvement and personal development rather than as a criticism of themselves. Approach them with an open mind and a balanced perspective.

6. Failure in Seeking Clarification

Not seeking clarification while reading psychometric assessment reports can lead to several issues. Assessment reports often use complex language and diagrams that might be hard to understand. Failing to seek clarification or additional information can result in misinterpreting important data, which could lead to incorrect conclusions about one’s abilities or personality traits. This misinterpretation can have a cascading effect, impacting decision-making in one’s personal and professional lives.

You might feel unsure about asking questions regarding the report, which can lead to missed chances for self-improvement and personal growth. Asking for clarification not only enhances your understanding of your assessment results but also paves the way for more productive discussions with assessment professionals or mentors. In essence, not seeking clarification can devalue the benefits of psychometric assessments.

Assessment reports on TalentPulse always include an introduction page and definition to all key measurement areas. It is vital to read the introduction page and definitions to align your understanding while reading the report.

7. Skimming and Not Reading Through the Entire Report

Did I just catch you skipping to the last point? Yep, the one mistake that most readers are guilty of.

It is essential to read the entire assessment report carefully, rather than quickly scanning it. These reports offer valuable insights into a person's abilities, personality, and areas for improvement. Each section contributes to the overall picture, and important details might be hidden within. Rushing through the report can lead to misunderstandings, missing recommendations, or neglecting important areas.

To fully harness the value of a psychometric assessment, a comprehensive and attentive review is essential. This ensures that you gain a more accurate and holistic understanding of yourself or other candidates to make informed decisions and take meaningful steps towards personal and professional development.

Conclusion

Reading assessment reports does not have to be a daunting task. You can make the most of their valuable insights by avoiding these common mistakes and approaches. Whether you are an HR practitioner, manager, employee, or decision-maker in any field, these strategies will help you interpret assessment reports accurately and make more informed choices.