The digital revolution is here, which means computer skills have now become a must-have for most jobs instead of just nice to have. In 2004, 44% of U.S. jobs required medium to high-level computer proficiency. By 2016, 70% of jobs required good digital skills. A recent National Skills Coalition study shows that 92% of jobs now require good computer skills.
Over 99% of global organizations use Microsoft Office®. Word and PowerPoint are widely used applications, but Microsoft Excel® is easily the most popular program for business users.
This is not surprising since everyone, from data entry operators to senior executives, must create reports to share with team members and internal and external stakeholders. Thus, HR professionals use basic Excel proficiency tests to evaluate applicants’ ability to format spreadsheets, enter information accurately, and use common formulas and functions.
Excel assessments can also be used to evaluate advanced skills. HR teams routinely use Excel proficiency tests to assess applicants’ ability to set up macros, create pivot tables, use statistical modeling functions to create histograms, perform regression analyses, and use functions like VLOOKUP, XLOOKUP, and INDEX/MATCH.
How to Use Excel Proficiency Tests in Recruiting
In the past, business and HR leaders relied on resumes and interviews to screen job applicants. This is no longer considered good business practice because around 70% of applicants lie on their resumes. So, most use a “trust but verify” approach, assume all the applicants who respond are qualified, and then invite them to complete an Excel assessment to see which candidates really do have the required skills.
Most organizations use an industry-leading assessment solution to identify candidates with the Excel skills required for an open job role. These are some of the best practices your HR team should follow to maximize the effectiveness of Excel proficiency tests:
- Initial Candidate Screening: It is not unusual to receive hundreds of responses for a single job posting. So, HR teams should require all applicants to complete Excel assessments and sort them by test score. This will show which candidates have the necessary skills and experience, as well as eliminate unqualified applicants.
- Customize Assessments: One-size-fits-all Excel proficiency tests are rarely effective because job requirements differ by organization and can even vary by department. The best assessment solutions let recruiters customize Excel assessments to perfectly match each job role. They can use a pre-prepared assessment, designate question difficulty levels, and add and delete questions. They can also build their own assessments by selecting questions from multiple skills tests.
- Include Simulations: The best way to separate the candidates who can do a job from those who cannot is to assign them job-related tasks and watch how they perform. Examples of simulations offered by top assessment provider eSkill include MS Office®, Chat, Multitasking, and Digital Literacy.
- Use Video Response Questions: Measuring critical skills using a written Excel proficiency test is not always possible. For example, it might be difficult to evaluate verbal and interpersonal communication skills and foreign language abilities. In these cases, video response questions can be used and allow candidates to record their responses.
How Employers Use Excel Assessments to Improve Hiring
Organizations in every industry use Excel proficiency tests to simplify recruiting, reduce time-to-hire, and minimize turnover. These are some companies that have improved hiring outcomes using Excel assessments:
- Chemonics, a global environmental solutions consultant, wanted to streamline hiring, decrease time-to-hire and reduce turnover. The hiring process for some positions often took months. Once the HR team began using skills tests like Excel assessments, the company reduced turnover by 43% and decreased time-to-hire to 55 days.
- TaskUs is a global business outsourcing company that provides digital and customer services that help companies protect and grow their brands. Once it Implemented a leading assessment solution, it could use assessments like Excel proficiency tests to improve quality of hire and reduce turnover by 25%.
- SolvOne, an environmental compliance company, requires new hires to complete training. Attrition was high because many candidates could not pass the course. When it started using assessments like Excel proficiency tests, it improved quality of hire and increased graduation rates by 26%.
- Texas811 is a non-profit that notifies utility companies and local governments about planned excavations near their underground lines. It used two assessment solutions—one to test typing skills and another with Excel proficiency tests to test data entry skills. It changed to a single provider, consolidated the assessments, and decreased time-to-hire by 75%.
- Charger Logistics, a commercial transportation company based in Brampton, Ontario, reduced hiring costs by 30% and time-to-hire by 33%. It also increased employee retention to 95% when it started using tests like Excel assessments.
- Regency Recruitment and Resources Limited, an HR solutions provider, was using a popular assessment solution but was not satisfied with the results. When it switched to another provider, it used assessments like Excel proficiency tests to reduce recruiting costs by 50% while helping clients decrease time-to-hire.
Get Started with Excel Proficiency Tests
If you plan to implement Excel assessments to improve hiring, these tips will help you screen and evaluate applicants accurately and efficiently and provide measurable data about candidates’ abilities.
Do you want to learn how to use Excel proficiency tests to simplify candidate screening and improve hiring outcomes? Contact eSkill to request a demo.
