Around the world, hiring practices are still influenced by cultural preferences. But will technology eventually be used everywhere to single out the best candidates?
Argentina’s ‘rain test’
On paper you’re the perfect candidate for a job in Buenos Aires. You’ve aced a written test and passed the medical. But there’s one last step: meeting with a psychoanalyst, who asks you to draw a picture of a person standing in the rain. Wait, what? Well, the rain is meant to represent external pressure, and the way the character is drawn gives the psychologist clues on how the candidate will react when facing adversity.
Part of the process
This test – known as psicotécnico in Argentina – can also include the classic Rorschach inkblot test and personal questions about your life and family. It might sound unusual to someone from another culture, but comprehensive psychological tests are still frequently part of the hiring process in Argentina (and in much of Latin America).
Writing’s on the wall
While Germany, the US and some Northern European countries, among others, tend to favour aptitude tests, other countries, like Argentina, still utilise ‘soft science’ assessments for recruitment. Many French companies employ graphologists to evaluate candidates’ personalities through their handwriting. Not, it should be noted, that the French Ministry of Labour approves, likening “graphology to astrology” on its official website, and stating its “scientific validity is largely debated”.
Written in the stars
In China job applicants may face ‘horoscope-based discrimination’ if their astrological sign is considered to be unlucky by a potential employer. But the Chinese recruitment market is also evolving with the introduction of high-volume recruitment practices. In 2015, L’Oreal China bypassed CVs entirely and asked candidates to answer three questions by video. A computer program was then used to analyse the results and select the top 500 candidates for a Skype interview.
Data based selection
Is this the way forward? Experts believe that as research into occupational psychology becomes more sophisticated, and competition to secure top talent grows more fierce, international firms, for starters, will increasingly use tests backed by data and move away from ‘soft science’ personality assessments. Using artificial intelligence for recruiting is already happening and is considered the hottest topic in HR tech. For now, if you’re heading to Argentina, and applying for a job, a quick tip: don’t forget to add an umbrella to the picture.
