How Recruiting Teams Can Manage Rapidly Changing Technology with Computer Skills Testing

Most HR leaders agree that rapid technology changes make it difficult to keep up with their companies’ hiring requirements. The in-demand skills managers need seem to change overnight.

In 2002, 44% of US jobs required basic to medium computer skills. According to the National Skills Coalition, 92% of jobs now require strong computer proficiency. This is not surprising when you consider that retail store clerks use point-of-sale systems, restaurant workers take orders on iPads, warehouse employees manage inventory using computers, and commercial drivers document proof of delivery using handheld devices.

Unfortunately, applicants’ skills have not kept pace with technology. One in three lacks the basic computer knowledge and digital skills that companies require. The problem is so severe that 91% of business owners reported receiving no qualified applicants for some critical job openings.

This has made hiring so challenging that organizations have implemented assessment solutions and use computer skills competency tests to identify candidates with essential skills like MS Office® proficiency, knowledge of programming languages, web design, and development skills, and expertise with various emerging technologies.

Why Organizations Use Computer Skills Competency Tests

Computer skills testing enables hiring teams to verify that applicants have the computer knowledge and experience required for a particular job. For instance, a computer skills competency test for an administrative assistant or data entry operator position would be designed to measure MS Word®, MS Excel®, and MS PowerPoint® skills.

If you are hiring a software developer, a computer skills test enables you to assess applicants’ knowledge of programming languages like Java, PHP, or C#. Hiring teams also use computer skills competency tests to evaluate candidates’ knowledge of cutting-edge technologies like cybersecurity, data science/business intelligence, and artificial intelligence (AI).

A computer skills competency test confirms that applicants have the right skills but does not show whether they can apply them, so HR teams include simulations in computer skills tests. Simulations present applicants with situations they will likely encounter on the job so HR team members can observe their performance. For instance, an applicant for a data entry operator position will be asked to enter information on a spreadsheet, and a candidate for a programming position would have to write or debug code.

How Computer Skill Testing Helps Companies Keep Up with Technology

As most business leaders can attest, hiring needs can change at the drop of a hat because of marketplace dynamics and customer demand. This means “hot” skills that every company needed last year are yesterday’s news today.

When we ask HR leaders how they keep up with changing needs, they tell us it is essential to use an assessment solution that enables them to create customized computer skills tests. Customization allows them to add and delete questions, change question difficulty levels, and include questions from multiple skills tests. This is the only way they can keep up with changing hiring needs.

• Typing Skills: Applicants for clerical positions used to be asked, “How fast can you type?” Typing speed and accuracy are still important, but today’s candidates must also show they can create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations quickly and accurately using MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. So, HR teams require candidates to take MS Office assessments, as well as eSkill’s General Typing, 10-Key Data Entry, and Form Fill Data skills tests.

• Productivity Software: Many employees remember wading through piles of pink phone messages and returning phone calls, when they had been out of the office. Today’s employees rarely receive phone calls because they communicate and collaborate with co-workers and customers online. So, HR teams evaluate candidates’ ability to use chat applications, collaboration applications like Dropbox and Google Docs, and video conferencing programs like WebEx and Zoom.

• Development Skills: Businesses use computer skills competency tests to recruit software developers. Today, they might use Java or C# developer assessments to evaluate applicants’ coding and programming skills. Who knows what programming skills they will need a few years from now? Luckily, hiring teams can customize computer skills tests to evaluate the exact skills they need to measure.

• Cutting Edge Technologies: During the past decade, demand for networking and DevOps engineers increased by 40-45%. Demand for business intelligence and data science professionals will exceed $322.9 billion by 2026. Cybersecurity job vacancies worldwide have increased 350% during the past 10 years, and only one in 10 applicants has artificial intelligence (AI) expertise. Organizations worldwide need employees with these cutting-edge skills. So, hiring teams now use computer skills tests like eSkill’s Information System Security Engineer and Machine Learning Engineer tests to recruit candidates who are experts in these areas.

Get Started with Computer Skills Competency Tests

Organizations worldwide have implemented top assessment solutions like the eSkill Talent Assessment Platform^TM so their hiring teams can use computer skills tests to hire employees with the necessary computer knowledge.

Do you want to see how it is possible to customize computer skills tests to hire candidates with the technical skills that you need? Contact eSkill to request a demo.