Shonky psychometric tests kill potential careers

But hang on a second. Aren't these tests meant to be windows in to our consciousness, in to our deepest and darkest nooks and crannies? How can I cheat on something that is supposed to be evolved and structured, like a spider's web or the slow accretion of water dripping down a stalactite?

My 'favourite' psychometric test is offered by RightPeople (Australia). RightPeople has a "range of psychometric tests designed to identify people who are most and least likely to engage in unethical and illegal behaviour within organisations." That's a quote from their website.

"The Risk Management Profile (RMP) identifies integrity, honesty, poor impulse control, stress tolerance and conscientiousness. Used in combination with our personality inventory it can be an invaluable tool for safeguarding your workplace against fraud and misconduct."

If these tests were so effective, one would have thought that people rolling up to work with a machine gun and killing their work mates wholesale, would be a thing of the past. It's a brave or foolish company that says its product protects against employee criminality.

At its most basic HR should monitor and maintain the social contract between employer and employee. It's the notion that if we work hard and well, the company will notice and respond in kind and we, in turn, will help the company achieve its aims. One wonders just how low HR can stoop in its managerialist pursuit of psychobabble before employers call their bluff.