How to Hire Administrative Support Personnel in Education

Organizations have traditionally relied on reviewing education credentials and work history to identify qualified candidates for administrative support roles, but times are changing. Today, best-in-class educational institutions leverage office administration skills tests to identify top talent. In fact, nearly 90% of Fortune 500 companies use employment tests in their hiring process.

It is no wonder that successful companies have shifted candidate evaluations from subjective criteria to a scientific, data-driven approach. Skills tests provide objective data that verifies the exact skills, competencies, and aptitude candidates possess.

This is a closer look at how organizations in the education sector can effectively leverage skills tests to hire top administrative support personnel.

Start with a Standard Job-Based Office Administration Skills Test

To begin, select and configure a skills test that directly aligns with an administrative support role such as one of eSkill’s job-based Administrative Support Skill Tests. eSkill, an industry leader in employment testing, boasts the most extensive library of customizable skills tests in the human resources (HR) industry. 

• Administrative Assistant Support Skills Test
  • This test measures candidates’ abilities to communicate on the phone, through email, or in-person, and efficiently and effectively perform administrative tasks using various computer applications. The test covers several subject areas, including customer service and call handling skills, front desk skills, event planning skills, and MS Office^® 

• Project Assistant Skills Test
  • This test measures candidates’ ability to efficiently prioritize and execute project tasks such as scheduling, arranging meetings, preparing paperwork, and maintaining communication with stakeholders. The test covers written English communication proficiency, business communication skills, basic computer literacy, MS Office^® proficiency, and time management skills.

• Data Entry Operator Skills Test
  • This test evaluates candidates’ abilities to enter data from source documents into a computer-connected terminal, verify data, and perform clerical tasks, and data processing. The test covers several subject areas, including MS Office^® proficiency, data entry skills, and written English communication.

• Executive Assistant Skills Test
  • This test evaluates candidates’ abilities to provide administrative and executive-level support, collect, compile, analyze moderately complex data, and coordinate projects and deadlines.

eSkill’s job-based Administrative Assistant Computer Skills Test can be used standalone or in combination with hundreds of single-subject skills tests such as Excel simulations, timed typing exercises, and customer service skills assessments. Whatever competencies a position requires, it is possible to test them with eSkill’s wide variety of simulations and standard skills tests.

Customize any of eSkill’s Office Administration Skills Tests to match your organization’s processes and software. eSkill’s expert U.S.-based Client Success Managers will guide your hiring team through the selection and customization process of creating comprehensive assessments.

Analyze Candidates Soft Skills

The absence of interpersonal skills is a significant detriment to a candidate’s ability to perform well in any administrative support role. These skills, or lack-there-of, cannot be objectively evaluated by simply interviewing a candidate. Therefore, employers must evaluate soft skills using employment assessments.

eSkill’s job-based Administrative Support Skills Tests incorporate measures of interpersonal skills and characteristics such as teamwork, empathy, adaptability, and problem-solving. However, combining job-based tests with eSkill’s Interpersonal Skills in a School Setting test is the ideal way to acquire a real, measurable analysis of candidates’ soft skills as they pertain to an education setting.

eSkill’s interpersonal assessments show statistical correlations between how an applicant responds to specific questions and their on-the-job performance. This helps businesses quantitatively measure behavioral characteristics and determine if an applicant has the right personality for a role.

Reach A Larger Pool of Talent

In today’s volatile business environment, using a college degree as a proxy for employability is not sustainable. Implementing a candidate screening process that evaluates applicants based on skillset, instead of a college degree, paves the way to a much larger pool of qualified talent. Online employment tests enable organizations to easily select job-seekers with the skills needed to excel in a role.

Scale your recruiting efforts and immediately improve your talent pool’s diversity and reach with eSkill’s employment tests. Using eSkill’s Administrative Assistant Computer Skills Test to screen candidates levels the playing field by eliminating the risk of unconscious bias in the initial stage of the hiring process. The process delivers standardized scores that enable HR managers to easily compare candidates.

eSkill’s Administrative Support Skills Tests are not only an objective measure but are also valid and well-constructed. In fact, eSkill boasts the best compliance record in the assessment industry with a nearly 20-year record of perfect Equal Employment Opportunity Commission compliance.

Assessing candidates’ skills and aptitude is essential to implement an effective hiring strategy. eSkill’s Administrative Support Skills Tests help employers identify candidates who are most likely to perform well on the job and be successful within their organization. Leveraging pre-employment testing can also yield other benefits such as time and cost savings, reduced turnover, and higher employee morale.

Interested in Using Skills Tests to Hire Administrative Support Personnel in Education?

Learn more about the benefits of using eSkill’s customizable office administration skills tests and behavioral assessments to find qualified candidates quickly.

Request a demo today.