When it comes to skill assessments, most of the focus tends to be on technical skills. Computing, coding, engineering, and other so-called “hard” skills are often the primary skills that HR teams are looking for because many jobs require that employees have at least a moderate grasp of technical skills. Without that baseline knowledge, an employee cannot succeed.
Recruiters also acknowledge that soft skills are just as important. Qualities such as empathy, ethics, communication, and problem-solving are all vital components in finding a candidate with the right Job Fit. In fact, according to SHRM, 97% of business leaders said soft skills were either more important or as important as hard skills. But unlike hard skills, soft skills cannot be easily quantified. To assess a candidate’s aptitude for these skills, you need to get creative.
If you are using the right testing and assessment company, you can find many different tests to assess these skills. eSkill’s Talent Assessment PlatformTM includes a library of more than 800 tests and content is continuously updated. Users can also create their own tests by selecting questions from one or more existing tests and importing their own content.
Using Communication Skills Tests to Evaluate Aptitude
The ability to communicate effectively is one of the most important skills in almost any industry, so much so that the National Association of Colleges and Employers note that 73.4% of employers prioritize finding employees with good written communication skills. Both written and oral communication are important factors in determining an employee’s Job Fit, which means that it is vital that HR professionals have the ability to assess a candidate’s communication skills.
eSkill offers several tests that allow you to test candidates’ ability to communicate. These communication skills tests come in a variety of formats. Job-focused tests assess communication ability in particular settings such as call centers, retail environments, and management situations. On the other hand, cognitive tests allow for a more general assessment of communication skills.
Apart from pre-prepared tests, you can also set up video questions that allow candidates to record responses to questions. This gives you a holistic view of their communication abilities and also allows you to test their ability to think on their feet. Written or oral, eSkill’s communication skills testing gives you the insight you need to ensure the right Job Fit.
Problem-Solving Skills Tests as an Evaluation Tool
Another key soft skill is problem-solving. eSkill offers the assessment tools you need to evaluate this skill, as well. As with communication skills tests, problem-solving skills tests are available in several formats, including job-based and subject-based pre-prepared tests.
These tests take various approaches to assessing a candidate’s problem-solving aptitude. Microsoft Word skills tests show a candidate’s logic processes; negotiating skills tests combine problem-solving with decision-making. Math skills tests provide insight into abstract problem-solving.
As with communication skills testing, you can easily use your own material to create test questions. For instance, you can set up a simulation of a typical business situation and see how the candidate works their way through the problem. This enables you to evaluate whether a candidate was able to solve the problem and provides insight into how they approached the problem and decided on the best solution.
Other Soft Skill Evaluation Tests
Other soft skill assessments are available as well including attention to detail and organization skills tests. In fact, if you do not see the test that you want, you can easily create your own test. Every client is matched with an assessment expert who can be reached via phone or chat to answer any questions and provide help and guidance as needed.
For organization skills tests, for example, you might decide that the pre-prepared tests that are available do not cover the specific situations you feel are critical for a particular job. You can create a simulation on your own that requires the candidate to demonstrate their organizational skills or contact your assessment expert for help.
You could ask candidates for an administrative assistant position to organize a series of dates and create an Outlook calendar that a client can use or provide them with a set of file names and ask them to organize them by priority. With eSkill, you have maximum flexibility and options.
Request a demo to learn how eSkill’s communication and problem-solving tests can help you identify candidates with the soft skills you need for your open job roles.