Zulliger Test For Job Recruitment

The Z test, or Zulliger test, is a projective test developed in 1942. At first glance, it is easily confused with the Rorschach test, which many more are familiar with. However, the Zulliger test does not follow the same protocol and has some advantages over its more famous cousin. It is much easier to manage, and the interpretation parameters are faster.

The goal of the test is the same as any other projective test: to describe personality traits using a psychoanalytic approach. As a result, it is easy to understand why the test has many critics these days, but that does not make it any less interesting. In fact, one of the most common uses is as a tool for selecting candidates during the hiring process.

A positive aspect of this test that sets it above other projective tests such as the sign-a-person-in-the-rain test, the Baum test and the Murray test, is that data supports its validity. Statistical studies of the test give it a robustness that makes it useful for the human resources department.

The Zulliger test: What it evaluates and how employers use it

The fact that the Zulliger test reminds you of the Rorschach test is not accidental. Hans Zulliger, the Swiss psychiatrist who developed the test, was one of Hermann Rorschach’s students. If there is one thing that Dr. Zulliger is known for, it is his influential work as a child psychoanalyst, in addition to being a promoter of psychoanalytic pedagogy.

Before the high point of his career, he spent several years working with Rorschach. His purpose was to gain a deeper understanding of human personality using the classic test of ink stains. Another external factor helped shape his professional career: World War II. When the war began, the Swiss army was looking for tests to help with recruitment, and Hans Zulliger was the man for the job.

Zulliger administered intelligence tests, personality tests and even Rorschach tests. However, he realized that the tests where they use ink stains were too complicated to use effectively. What the army needed at that time was efficiency, speed and the ability to administer the test to an average of 30 people at a time.

It did not take him long to develop a new test. Let’s take a look at what his new test entails.

What does the Zulliger test assess?

The Zulliger test is a projective test. What does that mean? This means that the instrument in question gives many subjective answers. The answers come from stimuli that arouse the imagination of the test person, as well as their sensitivity, desires, personality traits, etc.

• What sets this test apart from other tests of its kind is its validity and ease of use.

• Zulliger designed a test that made it possible to quickly determine if people had mental health problems or not. The test also helped identify whether the test taker had good skills for certain roles in the army.
• The test also helped evaluate the person’s mental processes: their fears, social adjustment, emotional world and self-control.
• Today, many human resources departments use the Zulliger test in hiring processes .

How does the test work?

The test can be taken individually or as a group. In both cases , the test person gets three ink stains. The person administering the test explains that the images have no concrete meaning, but they tend to evoke different things in each person. The test taker must explain what they see in each ink stain.

• The first ink stain is black and white. It is the most compact, and test takers usually interpret it as just one concept. It represents the person’s deep thinking.

• The second is a slightly more interesting image because it uses more clear colors and is more complex. This ink stain tends to evoke more sensory impressions and emotions in the test taker. The way the person interprets this image usually has to do with skills, order, self-control, etc.
• The last ink spot is gray, black and red. It indicates dynamics and movement and relates to social conditions.

When the test taker has finished writing down the ideas, feelings, and images that the ink stains trigger, it’s time to talk. Each person explains to the therapist or psychologist what they see in each detail of the ink stain.

How is it assessed?

Only skilled professionals familiar with this test are qualified to interpret it. It would be useless and useless for a layman to try it. An understanding of projective tests and experience with the Zulliger test is crucial.

• The test has no correct or incorrect answers.
• The person administering the test analyzes the person’s reaction to the ink stains as well as the way they express themselves. The greater the level of detail and emotion the subject expresses, the higher the number of points. They also consider originality, psychological context, self-perception, thinking style, etc.

It is worth mentioning that although this is a projective test with clearly subjective answers, it gives a general idea of ​​the person’s inner life and personality.

Today, many companies use the Zulliger test during the hiring process along with other tests. Although developed more than eight decades ago, it is still an interesting and useful tool.