Projective tests in human resource management and hiring process: a challenge and a boon

Abstract

Industrial and organizational psychology plays a major role in human resource management (HRM).  From the selection of a candidate to promotion, psychology is applied, mainly in the form of testing and assessment. Even though a lot of care has been taken in selecting the right candidate for the right job, many organizations realize hiring mistakes after some time. This is mainly because psychological measurement tools can be easily manipulated by candidates; also, social desirability affects the responses. Personal interviews fail to gauge the right intention of candidates and the inner dynamics remains hidden, making the selection process hard. The objective of this paper is to propose projective tests as a tool to overcome some of the common problems faced by human resource personnel in the hiring process.