Using Psychological Assessment in Selection of Private Security Personnel Essay

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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.

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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….....

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