Digital recruitment software is used by 98% of the top companies. One of the most common ways to step up the interview process is to have candidates take a hiring test.
Here, we’ll explain in detail what hiring tests are and the numerous existing kinds. Let’s jump right in!
What is a Hiring Evaluation?
First, let’s define terms to avoid confusion.
A hiring assessment is any procedure used to determine a candidate’s qualifications for a job using a test, questionnaire, or case study. When looking for a job, you may come across the terms hiring assessment, hiring test, and pre-employment testing; nevertheless, they all relate to the same thing.
A wide variety of tests can be used in the hiring process, and no two tests have the same purpose. Below are some possible aspects that could be tested throughout the hiring process.
- Abilities to Analyze and Address Issues
- The ability to think critically
- Personality
- Competencies that require actual effort
- Specifications for the Field
Modern pre-employment processes sometimes include assessments designed to help hiring managers get insight into candidates’ motivations and determine whether or not they possess the necessary abilities.
How Do Employers Make Use of Pre-Employment Tests?
As we’ve seen, each organization and position’s hiring process is unique. Some of how hiring assessments can be useful are listed below.
Evaluations of Competence. In place of resumes, many companies now conduct skills assessments. Questions in a skills test might range from those meant to gauge a candidate’s familiarity with the basics of the position to those that probe their capacity to think critically and creatively about problems in the workplace.
Skill tests are also useful for preliminary candidate screening. Many technologies can also capture basic candidate information, and the software can be set up to disqualify applicants who don’t meet the requirements automatically. This reduces wasted time, discourages dishonest applicants, and improves the caliber of your recruits.
Async video interviews When hiring, it’s important to focus on more than just hard talents, especially for customer-facing positions. Asynchronous video interviews mimic in-person interviews by having participants answer prerecorded questions.
They are also excellent at gauging a candidate’s cultural fit and determining whether or not they possess essential on-the-job abilities like language competence. Using these video introductions saves both the recruiter and the candidate time since the former can record their part only once, and the latter can respond whenever is most convenient for them.
Personality assessments. Personality tests provide hiring managers with valuable insight into an applicant’s true character, complementing assessments of a candidate’s practical abilities like those found in skills tests and async video interviews. Candidates cannot prepare for these examinations, and while they are not always considered to be true pass/fail evaluations, they do have weight in the decision to hire.
Personality tests help get a holistic picture of a candidate, providing light on important factors, including motives, professional goals, and cultural compatibility.
Case studies are a great way for hiring managers to see how a candidate would handle a real-world scenario. A presentation, report, or design document pertinent to the position may be required later in the hiring process.
Although the candidate will have to devote a lot of time to it, it will help them learn more about the job, see whether they are a good fit, and make a more informed decision about whether or not to apply.
Final Words
The debate between the merits of skills and personality tests is a common topic among human resource professionals online.
The reality is that there is no one right answer. Both tests have their uses, and since they measure different aspects, employing them together is typically the most effective strategy.
The reason is personality tests don’t evaluate potential employees based on the practical abilities they’ll need to perform their job. Using only personality tests will give you insight into how a candidate reacts and thinks in a certain circumstance, but it won’t tell you how effective they will be.
Examining a person’s skill level can show how proficient they are and whether or not their emotions and thoughts are in sync with their actions.