Most recruiters say their biggest challenge is improving the quality of their hiring. Approximately a quarter of human resources (HR) professionals surveyed also indicated that increasing employee retention and improving their time-to-hire were also key concerns.
Pre-hire skills tests tackle each of the concerns by reducing the time-to-hire and cost-to-hire. Skills tests also evaluate a candidate’s competency, so you get employees with the skills you need. Skills testing can test for one of today’s top qualities: job fit.
When employees are matched with the right job and culture, they are more engaged. Engaged employees stay at companies longer, they are more productive, and they contribute more. It helps with the bottom line too. According to Gallup, companies with highly engaged employees are 21% more profitable on average.
So, when you are shopping for a skills testing provider for your company, how do you pick the right one?
Here are the most important considerations.
At the top of any list should be working with a company that provides top-quality skills tests. You need to make sure the skills testing process has been vetted by professionals for accuracy and predictive capabilities and can withstand legal challenges.
One of the big benefits of pre-hire skills tests is to get an objective assessment of candidates, but there is serious science that goes into ensuring the tests accurately measure and predict performance. You should only work with a company that has a perfect compliance and legal challenge record and can provide validation services if requested.
Here are some of the other key features that the best pre-hire skills test provider will offer:
The best skill testing companies will offer thousands of pre-built skills tests to measure competency. You want to be able to pick and choose from modules to assess the job skills needed for each specific job.
These skills tests should include:
You should also be able to test for competency across a broad range of skill levels, from beginner to intermediate to advanced.
Even if the job titles are the same, the skills your company needs may be different than any other. You need the ability to add or subtract questions to evaluate candidates properly. You should also look for skills testing that can offer advanced simulations to put candidates through real-life scenarios.
While real-time video interviews are great for getting to know a candidate, asynchronous (or on-demand) video capabilities are also a great tool. It standardizes the interviewing process by making sure each candidate answers the same questions to help provide a more objective process.
On-demand video interviewing is also more convenient for both companies and candidates. There is no more back and forth trying to find the right time to connect. Once interviews are complete, HR teams and hiring managers can review candidates, comment, and give assessments in a collaborative style.
With any software tool, you do not want to spend months learning the system and putting it to use. The right skills testing platform should be intuitive and let you get to work right away. Also, you want a robust online help center to answer your questions when you need fast answers and expert guidance to help you create the best possible skills testing for your organization.
If you use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) such as Oracle, iCims, Bullhorn, or NeoGov, integrating your skills testing provider with these platforms can save you time. eSkill integrates seamlessly with all of these and other popular ATS solutions.
When you are evaluating pre-hire skills tests providers, these 10 questions can help you assess whether they are the right fit for your organization.
Have you ever made a hiring mistake? Nearly three-quarters of employers admit they have made bad hires. Two-thirds of employees say they took a job and realized it was a bad fit, and half of them quit within six months. Pre-hire skills tests help predict job performance and job fit and help you avoid making hiring mistakes.
These questions and key features will help you evaluate skills testing providers so you can choose the best one for your needs. Contact eSkill today to request a demo.
For more information download the Buyer’s Guide: How to Select the Best Skills Testing Provider for Your Company.