Psychometric tests have become very significant in legal recruitment. SHL verbal reasoning tests have become widely used in legal recruitment for corporate law firms for London. A lot of weight is given to their results in shortlisting (or not) good candidates for interview for vacation schemes and training contract applications. It is very important that such tests are used responsibly. The history of the development of these SHL tests by Roger Holdsworth and Peter Saville is interesting, and briefly given in Roger Holdsworth’s obituary in the Telegraph:
“Holdsworth became convinced that psychometric testing could be developed to assist companies in selecting suitable employees. In 1977 he got together with Peter Saville, whom he had met at the British Psychological Society, to found Saville and Holdsworth (later SHL), a business to develop and promote psychometric testing. Psychometric testing took off in the Second World War, when it was used extensively in the armed services to assess personnel, but by the 1960s, when Holdsworth began his career as a business psychologist, it had failed to catch on elsewhere. Most companies recruited staff on the basis of highly subjective interviews or through the “old boy network”. Not only did Holdsworth feel this was unfair, he knew it led to poor decisions. From its beginnings in a spare room, SHL expanded rapidly, profiting from growing demand for the tests from large firms seeking to identify their own “corporate culture” and recruit staff to fit that mould. Drawing on his aptitude for languages – he spoke 5 fluently – Holdsworth led SHL’s expansion into more than 30 countries.”
Psychological tests, by definition, have to test well-understood cognitive domains in a validated, repeatable, consistent, measurable way. ‘Legal Recruit’ tests are not specialised psychological tests, examining specific cognitive domains. They are, however, intended to allow practice for SHL tests which are widely used by corporate law firms.
Indeed, tbe British Psychological Society has a register of accreditated tests, which contains some SHL tests. According to their official website,
“Test Registration has been developed to inform and protect the public by the use of ‘quality marks’ on tests that meet the European Federation of Psychologists Association (EFPA) criteria to be classed as having adequate psychological properties. Tests can be registered if they meet minimum quality standards. The quality standards are set by the European Federation of Psychologists Associations and the tests are assessed against the standard through the review process.”
The British Psychological Society maintain standards for psychological testing: according to their website, “Psychological tests are used in all walks of life to assess ability, personality and behaviour. A test can be used as part of the selection process for job interviews, to assess children in schools, assess people with mental health issues or offenders in prisons. The British Psychological Society’s Psychological Testing Centre (PTC) is the first point of contact for anyone who uses, takes or develops tests.. “
I have a deep interest in cognitive neuropsychology, as my PhD from Cambridge and my post-doctoral fellowship from London were in this discipline (particularly the role of the frontal lobes in reasoning, planning and decision-making), As I am disabled with visual impairment, I will ensure that all tests offered by major test providers are designed, and actually implemented, by the major test firms, and it is the responsibility of corporate law firms to ensure that correct conduct of the actual test is actually implemented.
The code of good practice in psychological testing
Draft Data Protection and Privacy Issues in Employment Related Settings
The BPS also draws attention to the disability issues, in keeping with the corporate law firms’ obligations with the Equality Act (2010):
Dyslexia and Occupational Testing
Visual Impairment and Psychological Testing.pdf
Psychometric Testing for people with a hearing impairment1.pdf
The BPS draw attention also to ‘good practice’ guidelines over computerised testing. ‘Legal Recruit’ will be adhering to these guidelines:
International Guidelines on Computer-Based and Internet Delivered Tests
Using online assessment tools for recruitment.pdf
Guidelines on the Validity of Graphology in Personnel Assessment
