Integration of Thomas Tests in Personnel Management: Motivation and Security

The present study is concerned with the critical challenges confronting Ukrainian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in personnel management in the context of economic instability and wartime conditions. Conventional human resources instruments, such as interviews and the evaluation of résumés, have been shown to be deficient in accurately assessing candidates' behavioural, cognitive and emotional compatibility. This has resulted in elevated levels of employee turnover and protracted periods of vacant positions being filled. In order to address the aforementioned shortcomings, the article proposes a novel integrated human resources (HR) management approach that combines Thomas International psychometric testing (namely, Personal Profile Analysis (PPA), General Intelligence Assessment (GIA), High Potential Trait Indicator (HPTI), and Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue)) with the principle-oriented framework of PMBOK® 7 and advanced AI-driven analytics. A thorough analysis of openly published Western case studies, including those from Everything Office, Johnsons Workwear, and Ice River Springs, reveals significant outcomes: up to a 50% reduction in employee turnover, a 30% decrease in vacancy time-to-fill, and an 18–22% increase in team productivity following the implementation of this three-component model. Utilising these findings, the study proposes an adaptive HR model customised for crisis environments. This model personalises motivational strategies based on employees' behavioural, cognitive and emotional profiles, accelerates onboarding processes, and enhances organisational resilience in unpredictable conditions. The scientific novelty of the present study lies in the synthesis of psychometrics, project management principles, and artificial intelligence into a cohesive HR management system, offering quantitative diagnostics of employee engagement and stress resilience. This is of particular relevance for Ukrainian businesses during wartime and post-crisis recovery. Practical recommendations are provided for the phased integration of psychometric testing, PMBOK-aligned HR processes, and AI-driven monitoring into Ukrainian SMEs, with the objective of optimising recruitment, retention, and employee development. These include the establishment of ethical testing protocols, the benchmarking of job roles, and the implementation of quarterly AI analytics to predict turnover risks. The implementation of these measures is intended to foster sustainable business operations in challenging contexts.