Intelligence tests have become a common tool for employers and recruiters, but research suggests they may be missing the point.

A high-tech study from the University of Sydney Business School says traditional tests measure “intelligence capacity” but not “realised intelligence” - the level of intelligence achieved by dealing with demands in the real world.

The researchers used advanced neuroscientific tests to look at ways of improving workplace management.

“Job candidates taking traditional intelligence tests typically do not have to multitask or deal with other cognitive demands that reduce available intelligence resources,” says researcher Dr Stefan Volk.

“On the other hand, employees who are best at multitasking, and therefore the demands of the job, are often not those who score well in such tests.”

He said companies tend to hire people with a high intelligence capacity, but ignore those who perform better in the real world.

Dr Volk’s paper - “Leveraging neuroscience for smarter approaches to workplace intelligence” – pushes for a new definition of intelligence.

The experts say a recruiters’ judgment should be focused on the ability to recognise a problem and commit their brain resources towards solving it, while ignoring a potential myriad of distractions.

“This definition encompasses not only intelligence capacity, often used for employee selection via traditional intelligence testing, but also realised intelligence, that is, the degree to which intelligence capacity can be applied in practical workplace situations,” Dr Volk says.