Computer Skills Tests
The Statistics Speak for Themselves
According to CSO Online, demand for cybersecurity experts will create 3.5 million new jobs in the next few years.
According to LinkedIn, mobile development is one of the top 10 skills in high demand.
According to a Cybercrime Magazine study, 35% of CIOs nationwide say it is difficult to find skilled, qualified IT professionals.
Top Skills and Abilities to Look for in IT Professionals
Application Skills
Programming skills and as well as knowledge of web analytics, software testing, and quality assurance.
Development Skills
Software programming and database design experience, as well as an understanding of how IT systems work.
Operations Skills
IT networks and infrastructure only work effectively if employees have in-depth knowledge and experience with IT systems.
Computer Skills Tests You Should Use
Off-The-Shelf: C# Developer, Network Engineer, Analyst, Web Developer, e-Commerce Project Manager, Java Developer, and more.
Standard Subject-Based Tests: Microsoft Office ® Simulations, Typing and Data Entry, QA Testing, SQL, AWS, Java, C++ System Administration for Windows, Macintosh OS, and more.
Customize From Over 800 Modular Subjects: Create a multi-subject test in seconds by hand-picking your favorite topics and questions from eSkill’s hardware and networking, databases, business intelligence, operating systems, and Internet browser tests.
Simulations: Determine if candidates can do a job by asking them to complete realistic simulations such as Multitasking, Chat, Word and Excel. We can also create custom simulations on request.
Situational Judgement Tests (SJT): Assess candidates’ Job Fit for a position and determine whether they will succeed in your corporate culture using Customer Service, Sales, Remote Leadership and Change Management SJTs.
Upload Your Own Content: Choose questions from the eSkill Test Library, add your own questions and use eSkill Author to build customized tests.
Why Choose eSkill IT Assessments?
- eSkill will help your organization hire better-qualified team members faster and with defensible compliance.
- OSF, Randstad, General Dynamics, and hundreds of other companies use eSkill’s computer skills assessments. Learn why.
- Include Video Interview questions into your assessments for a seamless, complete candidate evaluation experience.
- Select from over 800 standard tests, or easily customize tests from thousands of topics relevant to your job or training requirements.
- eSkill makes assessing IT professionals’ job skills, cultural fit, and interview presentation skills easy and seamless.
Looking for More?
Learn about specific solutions designed for your needs, read client success stories and review integration options.
Why eSkill
eSkill provides the most relevant and valid pre-employment assessment tests for skilled jobs.
How it Works
Small business and enterprise solutions for evaluating candidates’ skills quickly, easily, and accurately.
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Tech-Savvy Talent Acquisition: A Comprehensive Framework for Computer Skills Assessment
Employers need top-quality IT employees due to the current digital revolution. Industry experts say we can expect to see increased demand for all jobs that require computer expertise, such as web designers and developers, data scientists, database managers, business intelligence managers, and artificial intelligence (AI) specialists.
A Gartner study shows that 91% of organizations are implementing digital initiatives, and 87% of senior business leaders say digitalization is a priority. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, demand for computer and information research scientists is projected to grow 23% by 2032.
Employers know all too well that productivity improves when the right people are in the right jobs. According to a McKinsey study, if you launch a cross-functional project that will take three years to complete and replace 20% of the average employees on the team with top performers, you will complete the project in less than two years, if the team is 400% more productive, and less than one year if they are 800% more productive. Furthermore, if a competitor hires talent that is just 20% better than yours, it will beat you to market on the same project, even if you have a year or two head start.
Statistics like these have prompted business leaders to ask how to test basic computer skills to recruit top talent. Many have found that the answer is to implement an industry-leading assessment solution and incorporate computer skills tests for employment in their hiring.
What Is a Computer Skills Placement Test?
HR teams use computer skills placement tests to assess whether job candidates have the technical knowledge and abilities required for a job. Computer skills tests for employment help them make better hiring decisions, which ultimately leads to smoother, more efficient operations and higher productivity.
Instead of reviewing hundreds or even thousands of resumes, recruiters can identify top candidates by evaluating assessment results to create shortlists of promising candidates who have proven they have the right skills and experience.
These are some ways computer skill tests help hiring teams recruit technical talent with proficient computer skills:
- Streamline Candidate Screening: Many candidates who apply for a job lack the required qualifications. Computer skills tests for employment help HR teams weed out unqualified applicants so they can focus their efforts on the ones who are best qualified for the job.
- Avoid Hiring Errors: Hiring mistakes are a manager’s worst nightmare because they negatively affect team morale and kill productivity. They can also be expensive. A bad hire can cost as much as $240,000, including recruiting expenses, staff disruption, time-to-market delays, possible litigation costs, and loss of customer goodwill.
- Customize Computer Skills Tests: Top assessment solutions include access to a library of validated job- and subject-based skills tests. HR teams can use the off-the-shelf versions or modify them by adding and deleting questions. They can also build customized computer skill tests by selecting questions from various assessments. For instance, if you need to hire a programmer with intermediate Java and advanced C# skills who understands Agile methodology, you can create a computer skills test for employment using questions from the eSkill Java, C# Developer, and Agile Management assessments.
- Job Simulations: Computer Skills Tests show that candidates have the right skills and experience for a job but do not show whether they can apply the knowledge. So, when clients ask us how to test computer skills in an interview, we recommend they include simulations in computer skills tests for employment. Simulations require applicants to solve problems they will likely encounter on the job. For example, if you are hiring a software engineer with advanced Python skills, you can create a simulation that requires candidates to write code and troubleshoot problems.
- Video Response Questions: Most technical skills can be tested using written computer skills tests for employment and simulations. Hiring teams use video response questions to evaluate abilities that written tests cannot measure. Suppose you are hiring customer service representatives who will provide technical support over the phone or demonstrate products for prospective customers during video meetings. In this case, you need to require applicants to answer video response questions to confirm they are articulate and can explain technical concepts so users can understand them.
What Are the Five Basic Computer Skills?
Software development companies need top technical talent to develop, launch, and support products—before competitors do. So, when clients and prospects ask us what are examples of computer skills they should evaluate while hiring, we cite these software skills examples as areas where they should focus their efforts.
- Programming Languages: Well-written code is the foundation of a good software application. So, HR teams should use programming language assessments such as Java, C#, and PHP developer computer skills tests for employment to ensure software engineers have strong programming skills.
- Project Management: Most organizations assign programmers to specific product teams headed by a lead engineer. All team members must understand how the development process works and know what is expected of them to ensure smooth operations. HR leaders can use a project management skills assessment to ensure applicants for software developer positions understand product development best practices and the project management process.
- Agile Management: Global software engineering teams use the Agile project management system to keep the entire team on track during development and testing. This is why recruiters should use an Agile Management computer skill test to assess job applicants’ knowledge of the Agile Mindset, the Agile Way of Working, and Value Delivery.
- Software Testing: No company wants a reputation for launching applications that do not execute effectively or have a lot of bugs. So, developers and programmers must have a good understanding of software testing and troubleshooting techniques. A software testing skills test can help you measure job candidates’ knowledge of programming concepts and testing methods.
- Quality Assurance: Hiring managers know quality assurance is a big priority for software applications. This is why they use a QA skills test that covers the essentials of alpha/beta testing, troubleshooting and fixing bugs, and QA/QC testing for applications and websites. They know candidates with high scores on these computer skill tests will have the skills needed to develop and deliver problem-free software, applications, and websites.
Which Specialty Computer Skills Will You Need?
Technology is always changing, and it waits for no one. So, the in-demand skills that every company wants today can change on a dime. This means organizations need a technical staff that can quickly learn new technologies and how to implement and manage them. These employees are highly sought after because they can adjust rapidly to accommodate market changes and customer demand.
For the foreseeable future, experts predict demand will be high for technical employees with expertise in networking/DevOps, application and web development, business intelligence and data science, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence (AI). These are some computer skills tests for employment to use to assess candidates’ expertise in each area:
- Networking/DevOps: Demand for networking and DevOps engineers has increased by 40–45% during the past decade because 89% of companies have embarked on a digital transformation initiative or plan to. An HR team that needs to recruit networking and DevOps candidates can use the eSkill Network Engineer, TCP/IP, and Routing Fundamentals assessments and some questions from the eSkill General IT Infrastructure and Networking Essentials computer skill tests.
- Application and Web Development: Websites have become the foundation of most companies’ marketing programs, and if there is anything you want to do, “there is an app for that.” So, it is not surprising that demand for web and application developers is projected to grow 23% by 2031. We recommend hiring teams use the eSkill Web Developer, Web Designer, and Web Applications Tester skills tests along with computer skill tests to assess candidates’ knowledge of essential computer languages such as Java, C#, and Python.
- Business Intelligence and Data Science: In 2020, every person generated 7 megabytes of data per second. Organizations need to store and manage all this data to monetize it effectively. They also need to improve data quality because inaccurate data costs the US economy around $3.1 trillion annually. So, it is easy to understand why the demand for business intelligence and data science professionals will grow by $322.9 billion by 2026. Hiring teams use the eSkill Data Science, Machine Learning Engineer, and Artificial Intelligence computer skills tests for employment and include questions from the eSkill Data Analytics and Quantitative Analysis assessments.
- Cyber Security: Global cyber security spending surpassed $202 billion in 2023—a 20% increase from $170 billion in 2017. Organizations constantly fight fraud and identity theft threats because bad actors always find a way to circumvent security measures. Thus, the demand for cybersecurity experts has steadily increased during the past decade, and industry experts predict that it will continue to expand. When HR leaders recruit cyber security experts, they can use the eSkill Application Security, Application Security Engineer, and Information System Security and include questions from the eSkill Public Key Infrastructure and PKI Administrator Engineer computer skill tests if needed.
- Artificial Intelligence: According to the World Economic Forum, artificial intelligence (AI) will create 97 million new jobs by 2025. Recruiting top candidates is vital because businesses rely on machine learning and AI software to maximize the efficiency of mission-critical processes. Competition for candidates is fierce because only one out of 10 workers has in-demand AI skills. When hiring teams hire candidates with AI expertise, they can use the eSkill Basic Artificial Intelligence computer skills tests for employment and include questions from the eSkill Machine Learning and Data Analytics assessments.
Why Computer Skills Tests Are Important
Business leaders know that hiring top talent is critical to current and future success. For unskilled and semiskilled jobs, the top 1% are three times more productive. For mid-level jobs such as technicians and supervisors, one person in the top 1% is worth 12 in the bottom 1%. For highly complex jobs, the difference between top and average performers is so big it cannot be measured.
Business leaders also see computer skills tests for employment as indispensable because they help hiring teams recruit the best-qualified applicants from a limited talent pool. Since we are experiencing a global talent shortage, employers are finding it challenging to recruit technical candidates who have the in-demand skills needed for critical jobs. This is partly because many companies are still feeling the effects of the Great Resignation, but the problem is mainly due to a skills gap that has been growing for the past 10 years.
Organizations have adopted new technology and launched digital transformation initiatives to streamline operations and improve efficiency. Their hiring needs have changed because they need employees to manage and support their new infrastructure. Unfortunately, many applicants’ skills have not kept up with technological advances. So, they do not have the in-demand skills employers need. In short, companies receive responses when they post jobs but find that few applicants have the required skills.
This has caused a skills gap that is affecting organizations in every industry sector. In a recent Wall Street Journal article, 71% of CEOs cited a shortage of critical talent as their biggest business challenge for the foreseeable future.
HR leaders have learned they can no longer rely on traditional hiring practices like resumes and interviews. Many industry experts say around 55% of applicants lie on resumes and during job interviews, and some say the number is higher—around 85%. This means a candidate whose resume looks perfect and who sounds great during interviews could end up being a hiring mistake that costs thousands of dollars.
Companies that implement an industry-leading assessment solution like the eSkill Talent Assessment PlatformTM can use computer skills tests for employment to recruit top technical talent quickly and efficiently.
Get Started with Computer Skills Tests
Computer skill tests are the perfect solution for organizations that want to build a strong team. Companies that use the eSkill Talent Assessment PlatformTM improve hiring outcomes, reduce recruiting costs, and decrease time-to-hire. Many eSkill clients have decreased hiring costs by about 70% and reduced time-to-hire by around 60%.
Do you want to see how computer skills tests for employment can help you hire the best tech-savvy talent? Contact eSkill to request a demo.