Many organizations mull over the question of whether to use assessments. If an organization does decide to use assessments, now a Pandora’s box of questions beg for attention. Which assessment(s) should we use? How should we use them? Can assessments really give us any answers and provide solutions? Does one size fit all? How accurate can they be? Can we afford them? Etc., etc., etc. The good news is that these questions and concerns have relatively easy answers.

Expense: Everything comes with a cost. Cost can include the use of…and the cost for failing to use a product. (Oh, come on, you knew that was coming!) Psychometric assessments come in many flavors, colors, and sciences. An assessment can be relatively inexpensive and be valid and reliable. However, are you or anyone on your staff certified or even skilled at interpreting the data? One word in an assessment report can throw some people into a quandary because they misunderstand the context. On the other hand, an assessment can be more expensive, with a skilled or certified individual delivering it who can correctly interpret the data. On the other hand, a misinterpretation gains you nothing and may cause harm.