The world has become digital, and computer proficiency is seen as an essential life skill. It is challenging to find a job without having computer knowledge. The National Skills Coalition compiled data from 43 million job postings and reported that 92% of those jobs required at least basic computer skills.
Companies now list basic computer knowledge for jobs that have not traditionally required them. For instance, sales associates in retail stores use point-of-sale systems to ring up sales and see when shelves need to be restocked. Warehouse workers use iPads to check inventory, and commercial drivers use handheld devices to access maps and document proof of delivery.
Businesses have implemented industry-leading assessment solutions and use computer skills tests to evaluate MS Office® proficiency, typing speed and accuracy for order entry jobs, and knowledge of computer applications and systems. Requiring applicants to complete a computer skill test helps them identify top candidates and weed out unqualified ones, which helps hiring teams make better hiring decisions faster.
What Are Computer Skills Tests?
You are not alone if you are unsure about what type of assessment to use to test candidates’ computer skills. It depends on the types of positions you need to fill. A computer skills test can evaluate candidates’ MS Office proficiency– Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® abilities, assess applicants’ coding skills in Java, C#, and other languages, and measure expertise in specialized information technology areas.
How Organizations Use Computer Skills Tests
Hiring teams use computer skills tests because they can screen candidates quickly and eliminate unqualified candidates so they can concentrate on the ones who are best qualified.
Suppose you are recruiting for non-technical jobs that require good computer proficiency, such as customer service representative, data entry clerk, or administrative assistant. Some of the tests you will find useful include the eSkill General Typing, Data Entry Operator, Form Fill Data, and MS Office skills tests.
If you are recruiting candidates for technical positions, you can choose from a wide array of validated job- and subject-based computer skills tests or build assessments from scratch using questions from various tests. Suppose you need to hire a Java programmer. Software developers and computer programmers must know the programming languages they will use and understand basic testing and QC/QA methods. In that case, your computer skills tests could include questions from the eSkill Java Developer, Java UI Developer, Quality Assurance, and Agile Management skills tests.
Applicants’ computer skills test results show they have the knowledge to do a job but do not show whether they can apply it. So, many HR teams add simulations to a computer skill test to observe candidates’ performance in job-related situations. Some available simulations include the eSkill Digital Literacy assessment, which enables recruiters to assess computer, Internet, and social media expertise, eSkill’s Multitasking and Chat simulations, and all MS Office applications.
Emerging Computer Skills Testing Trends
When an organization develops and implements new technologies, it needs a strong team to manage and support them. These abilities become in-demand skills that every business needs, and candidates who have them are highly sought after. Skill areas currently in high demand are networking/DevOps, business intelligence/data science, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence (AI).
Demand for networking and DevOps engineers has increased 40–45% during the past decade because many organizations embarked on digital transformation initiatives. HR teams that want to recruit top networking and DevOps candidates should use the eSkill Network Engineer, Routing Fundamentals, and TCP/IP computer skills tests and add questions from the eSkill General IT Infrastructure and Networking Essentials assessments.
Organizations worldwide are finding it challenging to manage and monetize huge amounts of data and are wondering how they will manage future datasets that will be much larger. This is why demand for business intelligence and data science professionals will exceed $322.9 billion by 2026. Use the eSkill Data Science and Machine Learning Engineer computer skills tests and add questions from the eSkill Data Analytics and Quantitative Analysis to hire data science and business intelligence experts.
Cybersecurity job vacancies worldwide increased 350%–from one million openings in 2013 to 3.5 million in 2021. Demand stabilized in 2022, but there were still 3.5 million open in 2023, and the disparity between demand will outstrip supply at least through 2025. Hiring teams that need to recruit cybersecurity experts should use the eSkill Application Security, Information System Security Engineer, and Application Security Engineer computer skills tests and add questions from the eSkill Public Key Infrastructure and PKI Administrator assessments.
Competition is intense for candidates with artificial intelligence (AI) expertise because only one in 10 applicants has it. Recruiters looking for the best applicants with AI experience should use the eSkill Basic Artificial Intelligence Knowledge computer skills tests and include questions from the eSkill Machine Learning and Data Analytics skills tests.
Get Started with Computer Skills Tests
Organizations that implement a top assessment solution and use computer skills tests see an immediate improvement in hiring outcomes. They also reduce recruiting costs and time-to-hire. Many eSkill clients have reduced hiring costs by around 70% and time-to-hire by about 60%.
Do you want to learn how computer skill tests can help you hire top candidates now and in the future? Contact eSkill to request a demo.