Value Of Certification In Psychometric Testing: Do They Really Worth?

Hi friends and Seniors :icon1:

(Since this topic is being posted in 'talk to seniors', I need to put two salutations)

I am usually a dormant member of this group for last two and a half year in terms of posting topics...very few....hardly ten.

This question "Value of Certification in Psychometric Testing: Do they really worth?" is hovering in my mind for last two years....I talked to dozens of professors, HODs, consultants and organizational psychologists in India and I found that most of them have their answers directly related to their business need. And I found these answers highly predictable for example all consultants and trainers or organizations who are involved in giving such certification said that a certification is a MUST from every aspect (functional, human and leagal) regardless of your educational background if you want to administer or interpret or develop psychometric tests.

Here is another group- professors of psychology and independent consultants who are using these tests for some or the other purpose- and they all agree without exception that certification adds very little value or worthless from a functional point of view if you are already familiar with theories and assessment principles. It may be helpful from a commercial point of view (a person with a certificate would have greater value that a person without it...in job market)

and lastly, the third group- HR People- who use it in some or the other way. All they communicate that they are confused. They do not know whether certification adds value or not.

After doing this survey in India I looked at other countries starting with USA and then UK followed by France and Africa through Middle East and ending up in Australia.

USA has APA (a semi legal authority) that governs these matters and there one can not administer or interpret a Psychometric Test unless he/she has a Ph.D and is registered with regional authority (state department). No other certification required.

UK has BPS (a legal authority) that governs these matters and they have clear cut categorization of psychometric test on the basis of their complexity and sensitivity and well defined certification levels linked with categories of tests. One can not administer a test untill and unless they have relevant certification mentioned on the test admin manual. But if somebody is chartered psychologist, he/she does not need a certificate.

France has no such legal or semi legal bodies and no certification cource. So everybody has its own standard. Most of them agree that anybbody who has Masters in psychology with relevent discipline is qualified enough to administer and interpret these tests.

Australia is following US pattern but there is no legal body as yet.

African and Middle east countries are quite confused and they are being tossed up between US and Uk standards.

Now about India......

As we all no there is no such legal or semi legal framework as is UK and USA respectively....and psychology (particularly orgaizational psychology) is not treated as profession here (We have Indian Rehabiliation Cousil that handles registration of clinical counseleors but no organization exists to govern use of psychometric tests that are used in organization settings). I have few questions to discuss:

1. To what extent certification workshops conducted by various organizations add value to--a) people who already have a relevent degree in the field of psychology and b) people who do not have any prior knowledge of psychometrics?

2. Who is (and should be) the ultimate authority to use (administer and interpret) psychometric test in organization setting?

3. how can we do something to pressurise governement of India to frame a policy on that?

I would also like to request everybody to share your EXPERIENCES and OPINONS on this subject.
24th September 2008 From India, Hyderabad

Psychometric Test- This is totally blind game nothing works in practical.

I did Predictive Index and Thomas profiling both have failed in my statistical data analysis to establish their utility to improve morale, motivation, Recruitment and Organization Behavious etc etc what ever they promised while introduction.

Your analysis is absolutely correct in all aspect that there are government approved agencies who governs and regulates such praticeses for its validity in the western countries. But in third world countries there is no such legally approved accreding agancy who validates such practices as foolproof on sound scientific basis.

Funny part of such foolish practices are, we can not claim damages from the agencies promoting these baseless concepts because ther is no regulation to monitor and regulate the deliverables they promises.And support our claim for failure to perform.

There is no penalty clause in any of these tools for wrong doing and assured results. Therefore we should not be surprise if in comming years our Indian HR professionals approves one fine day the Art/Science/Technologies of Palmist and Astrology whatever they claim to establish as one among greatest tool for HR intervention. Every HR Manager will become palmist and astrologist very next day and become essential qualification for HR manager in India.

In same forum I come across with one Yoga Guru question for not posiitive to recruit yoga as essential HR tool. Many of our HR talents in our fraternuty from India adovocted the utility of Yoga in HR practices to support his version.
What Yoga has to do with HR? Is it employers baby to force employee for Yoga exercise and appreciate wasting office time.
Instead employer can offer free Yoga club membership to his employees but doesnot mean HR Manager starts Yoga classes in Office.
I was amazed by the response and IQ leval of thses followers of Yoga as HR practice, who are willing to accept anythig in the name of HR practice as tool to bring improvement in employees physical and mental health.

Psychology is serious business dealing with mental illness.
What HR manager will do with mentally sick employees.
Whether he is authorised to prescribe medicine or hospitalise employees and create one special ward in office for employees in Office for recreation etc.

Ridiculous..........

Recently I logon to Inidan HR web Magazine that pbulished one article titled as " MOOD MANAGEMENT"
Is this HR domain?
Whether HR in India means pampering employees?

With this kind of seriousness to HR practices, one day all employees in India will expect that:
" HR Manager should remove Bee's sittting on their noses."

Thanks Mr.Pandey for eye opener to our Indian HR who are being bombarded with many such absurd ideas in the name of HR Specialities/Interventions/Inovtions/ Creativity/perforamnce drivers bla bla bla.........

Unfortunately, no one question the counter gurantee for results of this tools.

Warm Regards

Sawant
29th September 2008 From Saudi Arabia