Pymetrics test: Altruism

Question

Hi there, if i understand it correctly, the Pymetrics test measures, amongst others, "altruism" by providing candidates with the opportunity to give money to other people. Do you have any tips on what would be the response that would be most valued by a firm? On first sight, giving away all money and being complete selfless appears to be the most suitable choice. However, do you think there is like a second layer of this measure of altruism? I mean, might firms potentially see being too generous/selfless as something negative?

Best, F

Answer 1

Hi there,

I'd like to elaborate more on what Ken said: In essence, don't try to game personality/culture match tests.

Why?

1) Those tests are designed to measure fit. If you're cheating the game you're actually cheating yourself (hard to see when you're in it, but trust me, you don't want to go somewhere you don't belong)

2) You can't predict/outsmart these things. Given that, would you rather fail knowing you answered completely honestly and true to yourself OR, fail knowing you were ungenuine and just said what you thought they wanted? Imagine not getting in, based on answers that weren't you, and always wondering if you'd be in if you were just yourself!

Answer 2

Hey there,

Generally, I agree with what Ken has already said.

Too much of one thing is not necessarily a good thing. Three things to keep in mind:

Overall its about a balanced personality profile, individual dimensions won't make or break the decision
The Pymetrics will never be used as a sole decision instrument at BCG
Be aware that personality test usually check whether or not you are honest by evaluating similar traits with different means :-) If you were to fake it you would need to show consistency across all questions

If you want to know more, I have written a free and detailed article on the BCG Pymetrics here: https://strategycase.com/bcg-pymetrics-test

Cheers,

Florian

Answer 3

Hello!

To add on top of what has been said already, as many things in life, this is a matter of balance. As when you do a group dynamic, you need to show that you are someone who is abe to work in groups and socially, but also fight for what is yours! -without stepping on others, of course-.

Cheers,

Clara

Answer 4

I have experience taking this test as a candidate too! Based on what I was told afterwards, it seems like it's really about being able to show you are balanced on that dimension based on several scenarios. Some candidates wrongly assume that the employer is testing for your selflessness and take it to extremes which is not a good sign either (i.e., dishonesty).