Psychometric tests - An effective method of matching people to jobs?

Essay from the year 2005 in the subject Psychology - Work, Business, Organisational and Economic Psychology, grade: 53%=2,7, Edinburgh Napier University, course: Work Psychology, language: English, abstract: 'Fitting square pegs into square holes and round pegs into round holes.' (Lorna McKinnon, freelance journalist) The history of test development goes back to 400 BC when Hippocrates attempted to define four basic temperament types: sanguine, melancholic, choleric, phlegmatic. But his method and numerous other attempts were hardly scientific. 'The first attempt to scientifically measure the differences between individual mental abilities was made by Sir Francis Galton in the 19th Century [...] he devised a system which would allow an individual's abilities to be compared to those of others - an idea on which we rely heavily today.' (Healy) In the 1950's Prof. Alec Rodger created the definition 'fitting the man to the job' nowadays more known as 'fitting the person to the job' which exactly describes the concern of a psychometric test. These tests are more and more in use for the selection process in companies. Consequently, in this essay advantages as well as disadvantages of psychometric tests will be discussed. Therefore, there will be a critical analysis whether psychometric tests are an effective method of matching people to the job.