Using Psychological Assessment in Selection of Private Security Personnel

Private Security Employment Employment testing has emerged as a major component in today's hiring and recruitment processes because many employers are faced with an ever increasing competitive business environment. Employers are increasingly utilizing different methods of employment testing to help ensure that highly qualified individuals are recruited. In essence, employment testing is used as a major component of today's employment practices to help ensure that the best candidates for the job once a pool of applicants has been obtained (Dessler, 2005, p.210).

The significance of employment testing in the modern business environment has also expanded to other segments including public and private security. Employment testing in private security includes the use of psychological assessment since it helps in examining the cognitive and emotional functioning of applicants in this field. Psychological Assessment in Private Security As previously mentioned employment testing in private security entails conducting psychological assessments of the applicant. These assessments are usually carried out once a conditional employment offer has been made to the candidate.

This is primarily because psychological assessments tend to be expensive to carry out and need to be interpreted by a credible psychiatrist or psychologist. The conditional employment offered to the applicant before conducting the psychological assessment occurs on the premise that the candidate will be granted the job upon passing the remaining selection test. In the private security sector, psychological assessments are usually verbal, written or visual evaluations, which are carried out in order to examine the cognitive and emotional functioning of the applicant.

These assessments are specifically used to examine several mental attributes and capabilities such as personality, achievement and ability, and neurological functioning. Some of the most common psychological assessments used in private security include figure drawings, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, sentence-completion tests, and the California Personality Inventory. Notably, psychological assessment is one of the final tests that are provided to a candidate prior to security employment.

The use of psychological assessment in pre-employment testing in private security is attributed to the fact that it is an effective means of screening applicants with relatively high risks of personality traits that are closely linked to psychological distress. Generally, psychological factors are major reasons for workplace stress, illnesses, injuries, and judgment.

Employment processes in the private security sector are seemingly characterized by concerns regarding employing individuals with high risks of breaking down in stressful conditions or those with psychological disorders that could prevent or hinder their effective functioning as security officers (Roberson & Birzer, 2008, p.290). Psychological assessment before recruitment of an applicant helps in identifying psychological factors or serious psychological disorders. When to Administer Psychological Testing Similar to other tests, psychological assessment in private security is administered at a certain point in the selection process.

As previously mentioned, these tests or assessments are usually administered after the applicant is granted a conditional offer of employment. This test is usually administered at this point in the selection process because of the costs of administration and the need for interpretation of its results by a psychiatrist or psychologist. Employers in the private security sector administer psychological assessments at this point in the selection process in order to avoid incurring unnecessary costs.

Unnecessary costs are likely to be incurred if the tests are offered in the early stages of the recruitment and selection tests since most of the applicants may not be selected or suitable for the job. Therefore, administering the tests after a conditional offer of employment is granted to the candidate is relatively cost-effective and helps ensure that employers realize the full benefits of this process.

In essence, the assessments are administered when employers are relatively sure that they will give the job to the specific private security officer applicant upon passing the test. This essentially means that the tests are administered at the point when employers have already singled out a particular applicant or applicants who are suitable for the job. The main reason for administering these tests at this point in the selection process is for cost savings.

Employers do not want to incur costs on applicants who are not suitable and unqualified for the job. By administering the test at this point in the selection process, employers ensure that the huge amounts of conducting these tests are utilized in a productive or beneficial manner i.e. result in the selection of a highly qualified or suitable candidate. Specific Tests that May be Administered As previously discussed, there are various types of psychological assessments that may be administered in security officer selection.

The existence of different types of psychological assessments that can be used in selecting suitable applicants for private security officer jobs is because employee selection tends to be more difficult that other kinds of personnel decisions. This is primarily because little is known about the applicant and the lack of internal evidence or record about the candidate's previous performance (Cochrane, Tett & Vandecreek, 2008, p.28).

The five specific psychological tests that may administered in security personnel selection are Rorschach "inkblots," Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, figure drawings, the California Personality Inventory, and sentence-completion tests. The use of these different types of psychological assessment in private security is because the tests vary with regards to their categories i.e. achievement, intelligence, occupational, neurological, special clinical, and personality tests. The differences in categories of psychological tests contribute to the existence of different types of assessments that may be used in this selection process.

Some of the various reasons for using these five specific tests include to examine cognitive and emotional functioning, to assess basic personality style, and to evaluate educational or intelligence levels. Traits and Conditions that Could Disqualify a Candidate Psychological assessments are used in private security to help screen out the psychological traits and conditions of an applicant. In this case, employers seek to determine the fit between the specific applicant or prospective employee and the job.

This is achieved through identifying traits and conditions that seemingly predict the applicant's success in the respective private security job. During the use of psychological tests, employers screen out applicants with high risks of traits and conditions associated with psychological distress. The analysis of these.