In many private- and public-sector companies, administrative employees are the glue that holds the company together. Senior managers rely on them to keep everything operating smoothly. Other employees value them because they always know where to find things and how to get things done.
Administrative staffers wear many hats. They are responsible for managing supply inventories, researching and compiling reports, keeping track of appointment calendars, and scheduling meetings. They work with senior managers, employees at all levels, customers, and other internal and external stakeholders. Therefore, they must be organized, have excellent verbal and written communication skills, and be excellent time managers. They must also have strong MS Office® skills and be adept at learning other computer applications. So, strong computer proficiency is essential.
What Do Office Administration Skills Tests Measure?
When you assess candidates for administrative jobs, you must evaluate hard skills like computer proficiency, which show which candidates have the required abilities and experience, and soft skills such as verbal and non-verbal communication, which show whether they are a good fit for the position. These are skills that an administrative support skills test should measure.
- Communication: Applicants should be confident and at ease when sharing and exchanging information with senior executives, working with employees at all levels, and communicating with customers, suppliers, and other external stakeholders.
- Time management: Top candidates should demonstrate that they can prioritize projects, create to-do lists, and meet critical deadlines.
- Organization: Candidates should be able to parse larger projects into smaller, achievable tasks, organize and manage data, maintain office supplies inventories, and keep track of executives’ schedules.
- Computer Proficiency: Applicants must show they are comfortable using MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.
- Software use: Candidates must be proficient with other mainstream software applications such as G Suite (Google Docs, Sheets, Slides), Email and calendar scheduling tools (Outlook, Google Calendar), and video conferencing applications (Zoom, GoogleMeet, WebEx).
What Different Administrative Tests Are Available?
The eSkill Assessment Library includes hundreds of validated office administration skills tests. HR teams can use them as-is or build a custom assessment by choosing questions from multiple skills tests. These are some administrative support skills tests that are available.
- Legal Typing
- Financial Typing
- Medical Typing
- Call Center Typing
- Contact Data Entry
- Form-Fill Data Entry
- Government Typing
- Business Text Typing
- MS Office (all years and versions)
- MS Excel (all years and versions)
- Typing 10-Key Data Entry
- Administrative Officer
- Administrative Coordinator
- Office Manager
- Administrative Assistant
- Virtual Assistant
- Attention to Detail
- Business Communication
- Verbal Communication
- Written Communication
- Phone Etiquette
- MS Office
Most administrative jobs require employees to organize and manage data using spreadsheets and create reports. In fact, over 99% of businesses worldwide use Microsoft Office. As a result, applicants for all administrative jobs are advised to learn MS Excel® or improve their skills, to qualify for more jobs and careers and increase their earning potential.
Which Industries Should Use Administrative Tests for Hiring?
Organizations in virtually every industry use office administration skills tests to identify top candidates for administrative assistant roles. These are some examples of clients that streamlined hiring, decreased time-to-hire, and reduced turnover using eSkill.
- A placement service matches executive assistants with CEOs and C-level executives at top companies like Intuit, Chime, Terminus, Loom, Mozilla, Teach for America, and Indeed. The organization implemented administrative support skills tests to identify applicants’ skills gaps so they can provide the tools and training they need to be successful. The result was faster placements, which reduced time-to-hire by about 40-50%.
- Conservice, a large utility management and billing company, was using a homegrown assessment solution that required tests to be administered in person. They also had to give separate MS Word and Excel tests. The HR team created an office administration skills test that covers both applications that can be tailored to fit each job. It previously took the HR team about 20 days to fill a position, from screening job applicants to extending an offer. It now takes 15 days—a 25% decrease in time-to-hire.
- Chemonics, a multinational consulting and solution development company, implemented administrative support skills tests and other pre-employment assessments. It has reduced time-to-hire to 55 days and is working to reduce it to 45 days from the initial interview to a job offer being accepted. It has also reduced turnover by 43%.
- Houdini, Incorporated provides wholesale gift baskets to warehouse clubs, mass merchandisers, liquor purveyors, and specialty stores. It used office administration skills tests and was able to instantly select 30 top candidates for seasonal work from a pool of 458 candidates.
Get Started with Administrative Support Skills Tests
HR teams that want to hire top candidates use office administration skills tests to get the measurable data they require to evaluate candidates accurately, efficiently, and impartially.
Do you want to learn how administrative support skills tests can help you recruit top candidates and improve hiring outcomes? Contact us to request a demo.
