As a result of COVID-19, many organizations have laid off or furloughed workers, leaving the number of unemployed U.S. workers at a staggering high. According to the July 2020 Jobs Report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in July was 10.2%, remaining above the Great Recession high of 10% for the fourth consecutive month.
Although the unemployment rate is high, the U.S. economy added 1.8 million jobs in July. And many companies that have adopted new business models in response to the shifting demands of the pandemic must rapidly fill these new roles.
With in-demand skill sets and the way we work evolving continuously, top staffing firms are revamping hiring strategies to find qualified candidates quickly.
Evaluating Skills, Not Keywords
Many staffing firms use automated scanners that instantly create a shortlist of candidates by searching resumes for selected keywords. However, this tech-driven method of dwindling down the talent pool fails to verify that the skills, work experience, and education credentials listed are accurate.
A simple Google search of “resume keywords” reveals thousands of articles advising candidates of the best practices for “beating the resume robot.” After over a decade of applicant tracking systems (ATS) scanning resumes for keywords, the practice has become common knowledge. Candidates are now stacking their resumes with keywords tailored to match the requirements of open positions.
When applicants attempt to “beat the system” with keyword loaded resumes, recruiters face a new set of challenges. For one, the candidates who make it through the initial screening may not even have the skills or competencies listed on their resumes. In fact, 85% of recruiters found that candidates exaggerate skills on resumes, according to Monster’s 2019 State of the Recruiter survey. More importantly, top-talent may slip through the cracks simply because they did not attempt to load their resume with keywords.
So, at a time when 30 million U.S. workers are unemployed and looking for jobs, how do top staffing firms quickly and effectively shortlist top prospects? The answer: online pre-employment assessment tests.
Pre-employment skills testing enables staffing companies to efficiently and accurately verify candidates’ skills, competencies, and attributes. And pre-employment skills testing improves key metrics like time-to-hire, retention rate, and quality of hire.
A Comprehensive Approach to Screening
Top staffing firms understand that finding the ideal candidate for a position requires more than just identifying technical skills. eSkill’s pre-employment skills testing platform enables employers to combine multiple tests into one online experience. Doing so provides recruiters and hiring managers with a comprehensive evaluation of applicants.
eSkill has over 800 skill- and job-specific tests, thousands of modular subjects, job simulations, behavioral and cognitive assessments, and endless questions organized by subject matter. With the most extensive library of customizable pre-employment assessment tests in the industry, staffing firms can tailor candidate evaluations to match any position’s exact requirements, including required soft skills and cognitive abilities.
With eSkill’s pre-employment testing platform, staffing firms can:
eSkill’s pre-hire testing platform for staffing agencies enables staffing firms to easily verify candidates’ competencies, skills, behavioral characteristics, and cognitive abilities. Top staffing firms use the data-driven insights gleaned from pre-employment testing to make informed candidate recommendations with confidence.
Optimized Virtual Interviews
Top staffing firms do not stop at pre-employment assessments when screening candidates. Instead, these firms further streamline the hiring process with on-demand video interviews. eSkill’s video interviewing tools enable talent acquisition professionals to complete interviews faster and with more consistency.
With eSkill, recruiters can automatically send email invitations to complete on-demand video interviews to top-ranked candidates. eSkill’s on-demand video interviewing software prompts candidates to record responses to pre-recorded interview questions. The recorded responses are instantly available to recruiters on eSkill’s innovative platform.
On eSkill’s cloud-based Interview Reviewer Portal, recruiters and hiring managers can evaluate completed interviews, track scoring progress, view feedback, and share the results from anywhere.
Prioritize Candidate Engagement
Top staffing firms engage with candidates throughout the entire screening process to ensure communication never slips through the cracks. eSkill’s Talent Assessment PlatformTM is built for the fast-paced needs of recruitment and staffing firms, making the automation of candidate communications effortless. By automating essential communications, your recruiters are free to build relationships with top talent. From pre-employment assessment test results to interview invitations, put your outreach on autopilot, and deliver a superior candidate experience with eSkill.
eSkill streamlines staffing processes with customized workflows that provide key stakeholders access to data-driven insights. Set your firm apart from the competition by equipping your recruiters with the tools they need to verify applicants’ competencies and make hiring recommendations with confidence.
Learn more about the benefits of using eSkill’s pre-employment skills tests, behavioral assessments, and on-demand video interviewing platform to find qualified candidates quickly.
Request a demo today.