How eSkill Tests Compare with Indeed Skills Tests

According to research conducted by Gallup, when organizations systematically select top candidates using validated assessments, they experience 59% less turnover and see 33% higher revenue per employee. However, choosing a pre-employment skills testing solution that meets the unique needs of an organization is never easy.

Skills tests that loosely align with job requirements result in ineffective candidate selections and, more importantly, can have legal ramifications. While employment skills tests have the potential to predict individuals’ future job success with accuracy, employers must use caution when selecting employment assessment providers.

So, how do eSkill employment assessments compare with Indeed skills tests? The most glaringly obvious difference is the legal, and ultimately, financial risk employers shoulder when using Indeed skills tests in the candidate selection process.

Job Analysis, Assessment Validation, and Legal Compliance

Carefully selected and validated job tests are a powerful human resources (HR) tool. When coupled with advanced automation technology, skills tests can screen all candidates in any size talent pool and identify those who are best qualified. However, many employment testing providers like Indeed only offer off-the-shelf skills tests. This makes it impossible for employers to select and configure valid assessments that match the requirements of specific positions within their organization.

Developing an employment assessment test that meets legal and regulatory criteria and professional standards should not be taken lightly. While 71% of organizations used pre-employment assessments in 2019, less than half conducted in-house validation analyses, according to the Talent Board’s research. Skills tests that are not validated in-house are not in compliance with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidelines, and the company runs the risk of legal repercussions.

Although many employment testing providers market their assessments as valid, they are not valid until they are proven to match the core competencies required of a position. According to the Department of Labor, “Employers that use off-the-shelf tests will not be able to defend their use of the tests unless they validate them at their own facilities. Claims by test sellers that their tests are ‘validated’ or ‘EEOC compliant ’ are not considered acceptable evidence of test validity.” 

An employment assessment should be administered to a sample of employees who currently hold the position to establish validity. The results must then be analyzed to determine if the assessment measures what it intends to measure—competencies that predict future job performance. If top employees score high on the test, and if the opposite is true for subpar employees, then it is reasonable to assume that the test is valid.

With Indeed skills testing platform, employers cannot validate the assessments because:

• Employers are not able to view test content. Therefore, HR professionals are unable to verify that skills tests align with position requirements.
• Results from Indeed skills tests only show employers a score and elapsed time, not a breakdown of scores by skills. Without the ability to collect data on specific skills, HR teams have no way to validate the assessments.
• It is not possible to edit Indeed skills assessments to match the core competencies of positions. This limitation makes creating valid assessments unattainable, as there is no way to modify “one-size-fits-all” tests to align with specific roles within an organization.

Since no assessment provider can legitimately state that their “out-of-the-box” tests are valid for an employer’s jobs without conducting the applicable job analyses and validation studies, Indeed defers all legal responsibility for the use of its job assessments to employers.

Per Indeed’s Terms of Service, employers must “agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Indeed from and against any and all claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs or debt, and expenses arising from your use of, and access to, Indeed Skills Assessments. You also agree that you have a duty to defend Indeed against such claims. You agree that this indemnity extends to requiring you to pay for Indeed’s reasonable attorneys’ fees, court costs, settlements, and disbursements.”

Not only is it impossible for employers to validate Indeed skills tests due to the limitations of the software, but Indeed does not even claim to provide validated assessments. On its website, Indeed informs employers that its “candidate assessment scores have not been validated using a larger population of test-takers. Thus, the assessment results may not accurately represent the applicant’s actual skill level in any given assessed area.”

Although Indeed skills tests lack the features needed to develop an employment testing protocol that is legally compliant, creating valid job tests is achievable with eSkill. eSkill’s U.S.-based Client Success Managers assist hiring teams in creating employment assessments on its user-friendly platform that meet guidelines set by the EEOC. eSkill has a nearly 20-year record of employment testing free of litigation—the best compliance record in the employment assessment industry. While complying with legal guidelines for implementing employment testing may seem daunting, using a valid skills assessment will protect your company in the long run.

“Using an assessment that is demonstrably tailored to fit a job’s requirements, is more compliant than using an off-the-shelf test or no test at all.”

– Eric S. Dreiband, Former General Counsel for the EEOC

When selecting an employment testing provider, it’s critical to remember that there is no “one-size-fits-all test” because every position requires employees to have a specific skill set and aptitude. With an immense library of customizable assessments, eSkill makes it easy to administer legally-defensible employment tests.

Customization Options Make the Difference

The only customization option Indeed offers employers is the ability to combine two skills tests. eSkill, on the other hand, gives employers endless customization options, including: 

• Bundling tests. Merge multiple tests into a single assessment to create a comprehensive evaluation.
• Editing questions. Add, remove, bulk upload, or edit every question on a test.
• Setting the difficulty level of questions. Select from beginner, intermediate, or advanced questions to evaluate candidates for any experience level.
• Saving modified tests as templates. Copy existing tests and edit them to create your own version.
• Setting time limits. Set time limits for individual questions or for the test as a whole.
• Adding custom instructions. Add instructions for custom content that you add or for standard questions.
• Automating next steps for candidates. Hiring teams can send candidates to pre-determined landing pages, based on their test scores, which serve as entry points for the next step in the selection process.
• Adding logos and branding. Make the tests your own by adding your company logo and colors to assessments.

On eSkill’s user-friendly platform, employers can trigger automated communications at various stages in the screening process. And for an even more streamlined recruitment process, eSkill’s assessment tools and team scoring dashboard integrate with applicant tracking systems (ATS).

Library of Employment Assessments

Indeed currently has around 50 tests available to employers. eSkill has the largest library of tests in the employment assessment industry with hundreds of job-based and subject-based assessments, 600+ modular subjects, and over 5,000 combinable subtopics. eSkill’s expert staff also assists employers in selecting, developing, administering, and analyzing assessments to align with any position.

Additional Benefits of Utilizing eSkill’s Platform

• Continuous Customer Support. Customer support agents are available to your hiring team and test-takers 24/7.
• Video Interviewing. Streamline your interviewing process by recording questions for candidates to respond to and watch and score their recorded responses at your convenience.
• Team Scoring. Assign multiple members of the hiring team to review open-ended questions or recorded interview responses.
• Interactive User Dashboard. eSkill’s dashboard is an interactive tool that helps facilitate communication with candidates and amongst hiring teams. Review, share and analyze candidates’ score profiles, all in one place.
• From computer coding to call center simulations, eSkill offers a variety of interactive job simulation tests that mimic work environments.

With the broadest test coverage in the industry and extensive customization features, eSkill assists hiring teams configure and administer valid job assessments.

Interested in Employment Skills Tests?

Learn more about the benefits of using eSkill’s skills tests, behavioral assessments, and video interviewing software to find qualified candidates quickly.

Request a demo today.