Determining the candidate that will be the ideal fit for your organization for years to come is an arduous task when you have only a resume and interview to review. Pre-employment assessments are a hiring tool that can give you additional insight into candidates’ abilities and aptitude. The skills and characteristics that are measured vary widely and are determined by an analysis of the tasks required of a specific position. These assessments produce standardized scores to facilitate a simple comparison across candidates.
It is not surprising that large companies worldwide are turning to pre-hire tests to streamline the recruiting process. Not only does the use of online assessments speed the vetting process, but it also increases the employee retention rate. Evaluating candidates is made simple by eSkill, an industry-leader in pre-employment assessments. With a track record of producing valid and reliable assessments since 2003, eSkill has won the praise of many large companies.
FedEx, a multinational industry giant in the delivery services industry, utilizes eSkill’s pre-employment sales assessments to measure a range of criteria, including deal-closing skills, relationship building, and the ability to overcome objections.
“eSkill has enhanced our pre-employment skills testing. With a large database of questions readily available, it is easy to create or alter a test to fit a specific position or department. The website is user-friendly for both the applicant, and the administrator. The people at eSkill have been extremely helpful and friendly on any question that has arisen.”
-Shonna Wessels, Human Resources, FedEx
There is real, measurable value in using pre-hire tests to determine the candidate that is best suited for a position. Pre-Employment assessments measure candidates’ job-based knowledge, learning potential, specific skill sets, and emotional intelligence.
One type of pre-employment assessment, a job-based test, measures candidates’ knowledge of a particular profession or expertise. eSkill’s job-based tests assess the information a candidate must know before being hired. For example, eSkill’s “AutoCAD Technician” test measures candidates’ ability to create and update technical drawings using AutoCAD, based on certain specifications, as well as their ability to read and understand mechanical concepts. This test was designed to measure candidates’ performance on the entire scope of tasks that are required of AutoCAD technicians. The candidates’ standardized scores can then be used to facilitate the selection process.
Unlike the job-based tests, pre-employment tests that measure learning potential do not require candidates to have job-specific skills or knowledge. Learning potential or cognitive ability includes candidates’ ability to problem solve, reason, think abstractly, and learn quickly. Assessing applicants’ learning potential allows employers to hire individuals who may not have the relevant work history or education credentials, but can learn the skills needed for a particular position quickly. This is critical at a time when the U.S. unemployment rate is at a historic low (3.6%). eSkill’s pre-employment assessments cover a wide range of cognitive ability tests, including spatial reasoning, verbal reasoning, and logical thinking.
Another type of pre-employment assessment measures the skills needed to complete a specific task. Skills tests do not focus on a broad scope of job-based knowledge; instead, they hone in on one particular skill. For instance, an employer may already have a group of AutoCAD technicians on staff, but they would like to determine the technician that is best suited for a promotion to a position that requires the additional knowledge of civil engineering. The employer can then administer eSkill’s “Civil Engineering Skill’s Test” to all of the AutoCAD technicians on staff. The quantifiable data derived from the completed assessments will facilitate a simple comparison across candidates. With thousands of skill-based assessments, eSkill makes it possible to quickly and easily measure skill sets across all industries.
Pre-employment tests can also measure emotional intelligence, including an individual’s behaviors, temperaments, and personality traits. Assessing the soft skills required to succeed in a particular job role is vital to productivity and employee retention. Examining applicants’ emotional intelligence provides a deeper understanding of their pattern of thinking, feeling, and behaving. This is especially helpful in customer-focused positions, such as those in the hospitality industry. It is essential to use eSkill’s behavioral assessments to determine if candidates have the necessary characteristics to excel in a position.
The share of large U.S. companies using pre-employment assessments rose from 26% in 2001 to 57% in 2013. This trend has undoubtedly risen in recent years. Companies of all sizes are beginning to turn to pre-hire assessments for a variety of reasons. The rise in the use of pre-hire tests is not a surprise, as they can measure broad job-based knowledge, skill-specific knowledge, cognitive ability, and emotional intelligence. Depending on a companies’ goals and objectives, eSkill’s pre-employment tests can be customized to fit the needs of any position in any industry. These tests eliminate human biases while increasing employee retention and productivity.
Learn more about the hiring benefits of using eSkill’s assessments to find qualified candidates quickly.
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