Blog Archives

Should personality tests be used for hiring or developing people?

Many consultants offer personality tests. But not all personality tests are created equally. There are two questions that must be asked in choosing the right personality test: 1) Is the test reliable? 2) Is the test valid – does it…

Tagged with: assessment, personality tests

What does data tell us about the best way to interview and select managers?

Data from employers shows that training interviewers in how to follow a structured interview process can pay real dividends. Trained interviewers tend to make better hiring decisions, which ultimately drives up the calibre of team members as well as the…

Tagged with: assessment, competencies, selection interviews

What can Google teach us about how not to interview?

We at Talentspace have worked with a growing number of web and technology firms in recent years to train their interviewers in competency-based interviewing techniques (also known as capability-based interviews or behavioural interviews). We often heard managers saying that Google…

Tagged with: assessment, capabilities, competencies, selection interviews

What’s wrong with the Myers-Briggs personality test?

We at Talentspace have long had concerns about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), which is probably the bestselling personality test around the world. A recent article on the Harvard Business Review blog encapsulated the issue neatly. Columbia University professor of…

Tagged with: assessment, personality tests

What enables managers to interview effectively? (Video)

This 30-minute presentation is an overview of the principles that allow managers to interview candidates more effectively, i.e. to weed out weaker candidates and hire only the strongest ones. The presentation is based on a day-long interactive training workshop that…

Tagged with: assessment, capabilities, competencies, selection interviews, video

Do we really need competencies when it comes to interviewing?

Many managers believe themselves to be good judges of character. However, most human resources professionals as well as business schools researchers accept that the traditional interview is a poor method for selecting the best candidates. We know this because of…

Tagged with: assessment, capabilities, competencies, selection interviews

When hiring, what are the most effective – and ineffective – interview questions to ask candidates?

Candidates don’t always tell the truth. Some exaggerate while a few may outright lie about their skills and experience. So what questions should managers ask during selection interviews – and what questions should they avoid – if they want to…

Tagged with: assessment, selection interviews

Want to read The Sunday Times’ guide to successfully recruiting and interviewing candidates?

The Sunday Times commissioned Talentspace to write a book on Successful Interviewing and Recruitment. The first edition of the book came out in 2008 but was successful enough to warrant a second edition which was published in 2010. The book…

Tagged with: assessment, selection interviews, talent management

What are the characteristics of good quality feedback and criticism?

Few people enjoy being criticised. Yet constructive, carefully-phrased criticism is a potent tool. Organisations that foster a culture of constructive criticism find that their teams perform more strongly. Individuals who seek out criticism and feedback about themselves learn more quickly…

Tagged with: assessment, coaching, development, selection interviews

What are the pros and cons of using personality tests in the workplace?

Given Talentspace’s deep experience of assessing senior individuals within the banking and finance sector, Finance Week magazine asked for an article on the potential benefits and pitfalls associated with using personality tests at work. The article is reproduced in full…

Tagged with: assessment, personality tests