Mechanical Knowledge and Predicting Success in Technical Roles

Hiring teams are finding it challenging to recruit qualified technical talent. Companies have upgraded technology and implemented digital transformation initiatives. Applicants’ skills have not kept pace, and the result is a skills mismatch that affects virtually every industry.

Since hiring has become so competitive, organizations have implemented employment testing solutions and use mechanical reasoning tests to identify and hire qualified technical employees before competitors snap them up.

What Are Mechanical Knowledge Tests?

Mechanical knowledge tests confirm that candidates understand mechanical and technical concepts and processes and have the required skills and experience to do a job.

Any applicant can claim to have specific skills and experience. So, the question on every HR professional’s mind is, “Which ones really do?” When hiring teams review mechanical knowledge test results, they can easily see which candidates are top contenders.

Popular mechanical reasoning tests for technical recruiting include tests such as eSkill’s Mechanical Aptitude, Numerical Reasoning, and Spatial Reasoning tests. Many assess skills for specific jobs, such as eSkill’s Manufacturing Engineer, Maintenance Technician, and Industrial Production Manager. Some mechanical knowledge tests evaluate specialized skills such as Blueprint Reading and Basic Safety Procedures.

Types of Mechanical Reasoning Tests to Use

Hiring teams use mechanical knowledge tests to assess job applicant’s skills and competencies, pinpoint skill and knowledge gaps, identify high-potential employees, and create personalized training programs. These are the most popular types of assessments.

• Skills Tests: Hiring teams use skills tests to measure technical competencies that are critical for a job. For example, a mechanical knowledge test for a fleet supervisor would include questions about the vehicles the applicant will maintain and service. A mechanical reasoning test for software engineer job applicants would consist of writing code and debugging questions for relevant programming languages.

• Behavioral Assessments: Businesses strive to hire employees who will stay with their company. However, 30% of employees leave within the first 90 days. Furthermore, over 74% of HR leaders report hiring applicants who were a bad fit for a job or their company culture. Behavioral assessments provide insight into applicants’ attitudes, values, work styles, and behavioral traits so you can minimize the risk of hiring a candidate who is a bad fit for your company.
  
• Simulations: If you want to be sure a candidate can do a job, ask them to complete day-to-day tasks and evaluate their performance. For example, an applicant for a software quality control tester job might be required to fix a coding problem or test a feature on a specific operating system. Applicants for a technical or content-writing position could be required to write a summary that explains the benefits of a product or service. Candidates for a customer service representative position may be required to solve a problem for an angry or difficult customer.
  
• Situational Judgment Tests: Situational Judgment Test (SJT) questions describe job-related scenarios and prompt candidates to choose the best and most appropriate solution from a list of options. Many hiring teams love SJTs because they can see how candidates will manage realistic work situations. They also offer an excellent way to evaluate management skills such as critical thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving.

Why You Need Mechanical Knowledge Tests

Relying on the information candidates provide on their resumes and during interviews is not a good idea. According to an Indeed survey, around 80% of applicants lie on resumes. The following scenario illustrates how mechanical reasoning tests can help you avoid costly hiring errors.

Moira, the HR director for an automobile fabrication facility, was recruiting candidates for a plant manager opening. The employee would manage a plant with seven production and packaging lines and oversee three shifts of 15,000 workers. She posted the job and received resumes from many promising applicants. 

Drew emerged as the top candidate because his resume listed extensive manufacturing and plant management experience at several automotive companies. His references checked out, and Moira offered him the job.

The problems soon began. Drew wanted to be a plant manager but was not getting interviews. So, he lied about his qualifications, hoping he could get hired and wing it while he learned on the job.

Drew had limited experience scheduling manufacturing runs, managing production lines, and enforcing quality control best practices. This caused quality control problems, downtime on several production lines, and shipping delays, which angered several key customers.

Worse came to worst when one of the company’s major customers complained to the President and CEO about poor quality and late shipments. So, Drew was terminated.

If this company had used mechanical knowledge tests, Moira could have required candidates to complete tests such as eSkill’s Manufacturing Engineer, Production Manager, GMP Quality Manager, and Team Management skills tests, and the results would have shown that Drew did not have enough experience to be successful in the job. The company had spent thousands hiring him and now had to invest additional monies to replace him.

Get Started with Mechanical Reasoning Tests

Organizations need to recruit top candidates with the necessary technical skills, so many implement a leading employment assessment solution like the eSkill Talent Assessment Platform^TM and use mechanical reasoning tests to identify and hire top candidates.

Do you want to learn how mechanical knowledge tests can help you recruit candidates with in-demand skills? Contact eSkill to request a demo.