Manufacturing

The Ultimate Guide to Aptitude Tests for Manufacturing and MachineOperator Roles

Many manufacturers are struggling to fill critical jobs. In a National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) survey, 65% of respondents cited attracting and retaining top employees as one of their top business challenges. Another NAM study predicts that 2.1 million manufacturing jobs will go unfilled by 2030, even though manufacturing is increasingly automated.

Over 2.7 million industrial robots are used in manufacturing facilities worldwide, including fixed robotic arms, moving cobots (collaborative robots), and autonomous vehicles that move materials and finished goods. However, humans are still needed for many jobs.

Businesses are having difficulty recruiting qualified candidates because there is a shortage of applicants with the needed skills. During the past decade, many companies have upgraded technology, installed new machinery, and implemented digital transformation solutions.

Many applicants’ skills are outdated, and the result is a big skills gap. A Korn Ferry report estimates there is a global talent shortage of over 85 million people—about the population of Germany. So, you are not alone if you feel you are searching for a needle in a haystack while screening candidates.

New challenges call for innovative solutions, which is why many manufacturers have implemented a top assessment solution like the eSkill Talent Assessment Platform^TM and use basic skills tests for manufacturing to recruit top candidates for mechanical, manufacturing, and machine operator jobs.

What Is Manufacturing Testing?

Mechanical aptitude tests for employers, such as machine operator and mechanical reasoning tests, allow you to assess skills and abilities while screening applicants. They also provide insight into current employees’ capabilities so you can identify team members who might be qualified to fill critical jobs.

Hiring the wrong person for a manufacturing or machine operator position could create an unsafe work environment and increase the chance of accidents. It can also lead to lower productivity and increased turnover, negatively impacting employee morale.

When a client or prospect asks us, “What are mechanical aptitude tests for manufacturing, and how can they help me manage talent effectively?” we cite the following advantages:

• Confirm Technical Skills and Knowledge: When you recruit applicants for manufacturing, maintenance, and machine operator jobs, you need to confirm they can perform safely and efficiently. The best way to verify which candidates have the required skills is to test their knowledge.
• Evaluate Cognitive Abilities: Most technical jobs require good critical thinking and quantitative reasoning skills. Cognitive skills tests enable you to evaluate candidates’ ability to learn new material, absorb information, and make good decisions.
• Recruit Good Leaders and Managers: Leadership and managerial skills such as strategic planning, coaching, and change management are important for many middle and upper management jobs. Evaluating assessment results helps you identify which applicants have the right stuff.
• Identify Top Performers: Building a strong team is essential to meet current and future growth goals. By using basic skills tests for manufacturing, you can align talent with optimal roles now and provide top employees with the training and development resources they will need to fill future roles.
• Customize Training and Employee Development: Employees have different strengths and weaknesses. Machine operator and mechanical reasoning tests provide the information you need to create personalized training and development plans that match each team member’s development needs and career goals.

Basic skills tests for manufacturing allow you to use concrete data to make hiring, job placement, and promotion decisions instead of relying on gut instinct. This leads to more objective hiring decisions, better workforce optimization, and improved productivity.

Types of Manufacturing Aptitude Tests

HR teams use assessment tests to evaluate job candidates’ skills and competencies. They also use them internally to pinpoint development needs, improve job fit, identify high-potential employees, and develop personalized training programs. Some common types of aptitude tests used to hire manufacturing employees are:

• Skills Tests: Skills tests measure job-related abilities and technical proficiency in specialty areas like software programming, financial analysis, and machinery operations. Some offer pre-prepared tests that must be used as-is. Leading assessment solutions, like the eSkill Talent Assessment Platform^TM, allow you to customize skills tests to match your job roles.
• Behavioral Assessments: Over 74% of HR leaders say they have hired an employee who ended up being a bad fit for a job or their company culture, so many organizations use behavioral assessments along with skills tests. Behavioral assessments provide insight into applicants’ behavioral traits, attitudes, values, and work styles to help you determine if they are a good fit for a job and your company culture.
• Simulations: Simulations present candidates with tasks they will be required to complete if hired. For example, an applicant for a computer programming job might be required to create code strings using relevant applications. Customer service representative candidates might be asked to role-play a phone, email, or chat conversation with a customer. Applicants for a technical writing position might be asked to write a description that explains the benefits of a product or service.
• Situational Judgment Tests: Situational Judgment Tests (SJTs) present candidates with job-related scenarios and problems and ask them to choose the best and most appropriate solution from a given set of options. SJTs are an excellent tool for measuring critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills and evaluating candidates’ ability to handle real work situations.

What Is a Machine Operator Test?

Many people ask us what skills a machine operator must have and why assessments are important. We ask them to think of what could go wrong if they placed an inexperienced employee on an assembly line or had someone repair an unfamiliar machine or piece of equipment.

We show them examples of aptitude tests in the eSkill Assessment Library, such as Assembly Technician, CNC Operator, Maintenance Technician, and First Line Supervisors—Production and Operations Workers. We explain that these are pre-prepared assessments that they can use as-is or customize to meet their needs.

Suppose you are hiring an employee to operate a highly technical machine or system. You can create a custom assessment by selecting questions from the Assembly Technician and CNC Operator skills tests, adding questions from the Mechanical Aptitude and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) skills tests, and adding questions that pertain to the types of machinery and equipment the employee will use.

What Is the Purpose of a Manufacturing Test?

Many clients and prospects are surprised when we tell them manufacturing workers need specific skills. So, they ask, “What are the aptitude tests for factory workers?”

We give them a tour of the eSkill Assessment Library so they can see the various basic skills tests for manufacturing that are available, such as Assembly Skills and Basic Industrial Skills and assessments they can use to evaluate general abilities such as the Gas, Liquid, and Weight Measurements, Blueprint Reading, and Unit Conversion skills tests.

For instance, if you are hiring an employee who will work on an assembly line, you can create a custom assessment using questions from assembly-related skills tests, add questions from the Basic Industrial Math and GMP skills tests, and add questions that pertain to the products you produce and the manufacturing best practices that you follow.

Why Basic Skills Tests for Manufacturing Are Essential

Since 80% of applicants fabricate or exaggerate on their resumes, business leaders have learned that resumes and interviews are not the best way to recruit and hire top candidates. You can no longer assume that a candidate who looks and sounds perfect is the right person for the job. It could be a big mistake that costs your company many thousands of dollars.

Basic skills tests for manufacturing are essential for smooth production and operations, and it is critical to customize them to match your job requirements. The following fictional scenario illustrates why.

Sophia, the HR manager for a semiconductor fabrication facility, needed to fill an assembly technician position. The person would be responsible for working on a production line and general maintenance and repair of machinery. Therefore, candidates needed extensive experience with the machinery and systems the company used on the production lines.

She posted the job, and many promising applicants responded. When she sent the candidates a basic skills test for manufacturing to complete, Isaac emerged as the top candidate.

His assessment score was among the highest of the candidates who had responded, and his resume listed the right skills and experience. She got good feedback from Myles, the hiring manager, and references from former managers and colleagues were excellent. Sophia offered Isaac the job, and he accepted.

Once Isaac came on board, the problems began. Myles soon saw that he was not familiar with the company’s machinery. This meant he did not know how to maintain it or make repairs quickly and efficiently. This caused downtime on several production lines, which resulted in delays and missed deadlines.

Isaac’s assessment results were excellent. However, the basic skills test for manufacturing only included general questions about assembly operations and equipment maintenance. There were no specific questions about the machines and equipment the company used. If Sophia had included these questions, the results would have shown that Isaac did not have enough hands-on experience with the machinery and equipment he would be working on and maintaining.

Companies That Use Basic Skills Tests for Manufacturing

Companies in virtually every industry use machine operator and mechanical reasoning tests to streamline hiring, decrease time-to-hire, and reduce turnover. The following manufacturing companies have improved hiring outcomes and simplified recruiting by implementing the eSkill Talent Assessment Platform^TM.

• JV Industrial Companies: JV Industrial Companies administers as many as 7,500 basic skills tests for manufacturing each month. Around 90% of them are customized to match the job. As a result, they have a reputation for safety, quality, professionalism, and exceeding industry standards.
• GE Renewable Energy: GE Renewable Energy needed to hire many new technicians and get them out in the field working as quickly as possible. Once they started using basic skills tests for manufacturing, they reduced time-to-hire because recruiters could easily identify top candidates.
• ELIA Transmission Belgium: ELIA operates high-voltage electrical distribution sites, and its technicians and crew members must undergo safety training. Implementing assessments enabled the company to improve the efficiency of its entire testing process and increase daily testing rates by 25%.
• Wastewater Management Company: A wastewater management company that services over 350,000 residents was having trouble recruiting qualified candidates. After implementing skills assessments, they reduced recruitment time by one to two weeks per candidate because they could quickly identify top applicants.

How Basic Skills Tests for Manufacturing Improve Hiring Outcomes

According to a McKinsey study, hiring superior talent can increase productivity by up to eight times, and in advanced fields such as information management and software development, high performers are 800% more productive than average performers.

Manufacturing companies that use an assessment solution like the industry-leading eSkill Talent Assessment Platform^TM to identify top talent accomplish the following objectives:

• Get Hiring Right: Hiring mistakes are expensive, hurt team morale, and negatively impact productivity. According to the S. Department of Labor, a bad hire can cost thousands of dollars in recruiting expenses, incomplete projects, staff disruption, loss of customer goodwill, and potential litigation costs. By using machine operator and mechanical reasoning tests, companies avoid hiring people who lack the right skills.
• Reduce Turnover:S. businesses lose $1 trillion annually due to voluntary turnover, and replacing an employee costs around one-half to two times the employee’s annual salary. Employees who are comfortable in a new job and feel like they fit in will likely stay with the company instead of exploring other opportunities.
• Streamline Onboarding: Onboarding is a new hire’s first experience with a company, so it’s important. According to the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), organizations with an effective onboarding program retain 91% of new hires during their first year of work.
• Find Star Performers: Basic skills tests for manufacturing help you identify star employees. You can consider them for promotions, leadership roles, and other growth opportunities within the organization.
• Mitigate Unconscious Bias: Around 79% of HR leaders agree that subjective bias exists in recruitment and succession planning decisions. By objectively measuring skills and knowledge, basic skills tests for manufacturing help you minimize potential bias that could influence hiring decisions.

Get Started with Basic Skills Tests for Manufacturing

Once you begin using basic skills tests for manufacturing, you are likely to see a reduction in recruiting costs and time-to-hire. Many eSkill clients have reduced hiring costs by 70% and decreased time-to-hire by 60%. Are you ready to learn how using basic skills tests for manufacturing can help you improve hiring companywide? Contact us to request a demo.