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The use of cognitive ability tests for talent management

Sunday 05 November 2023

Talent management is a crucial part of any business. After all, when you are looking for individuals for specific positions, you’d prefer to employ someone with talent and the right qualities to excel.

On one hand, this can be talent from the outside. The goal is to pick out the best choice among the applicants. On the other hand, talent management also takes place within companies. For example, when someone wants to move internally to a better position.

Different types of talent

Talent is a relative term. In fact, there are different types of talent. These can best be divided into the following groups:

  • Natural talent: Describes being naturally good at something. This is an innate quality. You didn't have to do anything to get it. It is purely the 'luck' of your genes. This is therefore a very pure description of the term. Thereby, there is a dichotomy as to whether these talents can be further developed (growth mindset) or whether they are immutable (fixed mindset).
  • Talent as a promising employee: Here, there is purely an expected return on an investment in a person. The combination of knowledge, characteristics, and potential returns to the organization are central. Within the company, this 'talent' is of added value. Talent management is, if possible, based on development, established characteristics, or seeing potential.
  • Talent as an excellent employee: This definition involves personnel who already perform excellently. The company gets more out of this than average. A lot is earned on the talent. The talent is, as it were, head and shoulders above the rest. This can be approached with a focus on risk, low cost, or return.

Using cognitive ability tests during talent management

Through administration of a cognitive ability test, it is possible to find out exactly what a person has to offer. As mentioned, this can involve people from outside and internal staff.

This is extremely valuable information, especially when, as an organization, you want to spot talent as early as possible. After a while, you let them flow through a little further. This way, you train the right people from the inside, for the highest possible yield, however your company defines it.

The Bridge Ability Suite examines the capabilities of a specific person in various areas. For example, you get valuable information about:

  • Maximum level of performance (education or profession)
  • Work and thinking level (MBO, HBO, or WO)
  • Numerical aptitude
  • Verbal aptitude
  • Logical thinking
  • IQ

For convenience and quick access to valuable information, this test is available within just 30 minutes. In addition, the test itself is available at MBO, HBO, and WO levels.

In no time at all, it provides the desired insight. Does the candidate indeed possess the right qualities to meet the requirements? A capability assessment basically indicates what the potential of a talent is, what they are capable of.

It is always also possible to use the results of such a test to develop each talent in a certain way. However, the basis of a capabilities test lets you determine, at an early stage, whether this pursuit is worthwhile at all, and allows you to quickly switch between potential candidates.

Applying The Bridge Ability Suite to different people is, of course, no problem at all. This only makes it easier to compare candidates with each other. It is an effective way to determine which candidate has the best combination of qualities to do well in the specific role.

This is what our satisfied customers say about us

“The Bridge Ability Suite provides us with insights into things we may have overlooked ourselves, and it helps us to stimulate diversity within our organisation.”

Janine Mulder

Kwink Groep