Information Technology

The Top 5 Skills Tests for IT and Cybersecurity Roles

Employers need top-quality IT employees because we are in a digital revolution. According to Gartner, 91% of organizations are implementing digital initiatives, and 87% of senior business leaders say digitalization is a priority.

Data compiled by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics supports these findings because job growth for the IT field is expected to grow 22% by 2030, which is “much faster than average.” The entire field will see an increase in demand for all types of positions, from web developers and database management experts to data scientists, business intelligence managers, and artificial intelligence (AI) specialists.

Employers know they must successfully recruit talented applicants to fill critical technical job roles because productivity improves dramatically when you have the right people in the right jobs.

According to a McKinsey study, if you replace 20% of the average talent on a project team with top talent, the project will take less than two years to complete if the team is 400% more productive and less than a year if it is 800% more productive. And 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.

Business leaders need a top-notch technical team to maintain their competitive edge over competitors and meet growth goals. When they ask, “How do you test someone’s computer skills,” they learn that implementing an industry-leading IT skills testing like the eSkill Talent Assessment Platform^TM is the answer.

What is a Computer Skills Assessment Test?

HR professionals use computer skills assessment tests to measure applicants’ knowledge and abilities that pertain to a job they have applied for. Instead of reviewing hundreds or thousands of resumes, hiring teams can instantly screen applicants and create shortlists of promising candidates whose assessment results prove they have the right skills. This helps improve hiring outcomes, which leads to better-functioning teams and higher productivity.

These are some ways IT skills assessment tests help organizations hire top technical talent.

• Prevent Hiring Mistakes: Hiring mistakes are every organization’s worst nightmare because they are productivity killers and negatively affect team morale. They are also expensive. A bad hire can cost as much as $240,000, including recruiting expenses, disruption to existing staff, time-to-market delays, possible litigation costs, and loss of customer goodwill. Skills tests help hiring teams avoid costly hiring mistakes by showing which applicants have the skills to perform a job at the expected level.
• Streamline Applicant Screening: Companies can receive thousands of applications in response to a single job posting, and many candidates lack the required qualifications. So, HR teams need an easy and efficient way to identify top candidates and weed out those who are unqualified. Skills tests improve hiring by allowing hiring teams to instantly eliminate unqualified candidates so they can focus their efforts on the ones that are best qualified for the job.
• Customize Skills Tests: eSkill clients have access to a library that contains hundreds of validated job- and subject-based skills tests. HR teams can use them “as is,” edit them by adding and deleting questions or create customized assessments by selecting questions from various skills tests. For instance, suppose you want to hire a programmer with advanced Java and intermediate C# skills who understands Agile methodology well. In that case, you can use questions from IT skills assessment tests such as the Java, C# Developer, and Agile Management assessments. 
• Realistic Job Simulations: Applicants’ skills test results show who has the right skills and experience for a job but do not show whether candidates can apply the knowledge on the job. So, HR teams include simulations in IT skills tests that require applicants to handle realistic job situations. For example, if you are recruiting developers with advanced Python programming skills, you can create simulations that require them to write code and troubleshoot problems to ensure they have the required level of experience. 
• Video Response Questions: HR teams include video response questions in IT skills assessment tests when evaluating abilities that cannot be measured using written assessments. For example, suppose you are hiring technical support representatives who will provide technical support over the phone or demonstrate products for prospective customers during video meetings. In that case, video response questions can help you confirm they are articulate and can explain technical concepts so users can understand them. 
• Dedicated Assessment Expert: The eSkill Talent Assessment Platform^TM is so easy to use that most HR teams have it up and running within a day. However, they still like knowing they can get help when needed. A Dedicated Assessment Expert is assigned to each client with an eSkill subscription. This means the HR team always has someone they can contact if they have questions or need assistance developing and implementing a new hiring strategy. 

Why IT Skills Assessment Tests Are Important

IT skills assessment tests are invaluable to employers because they help recruit the most talented applicants from a limited talent pool.

We are experiencing an unprecedented talent shortage, and employers worldwide struggle to find candidates with the skills to fill job vacancies. This is partly because 47.4 million workers quit in 2021 during the “Great Resignation.” However, the problem is mainly due to a skills gap that has grown for the past decade.

Many organizations adopted new technology and implemented digital transformation initiatives. Their hiring needs changed as a result, but the applicants’ skills did not keep pace. Therefore, they do not have the in-demand skills that employers need. This has caused a skills gap that is so severe that 71% of CEOs believe say a shortage of critical talent will be their biggest business challenge for the foreseeable future.

HR leaders have also learned they cannot rely on the information candidates provide on their resumes. A recent article in Entrepreneur asserted that 55% of applicants lie on their resumes and during job interviews, and a HireRight study estimates the number is actually higher than 85%. A candidate who looks great on paper and sounds good during interviews could be entirely wrong for a job.

Companies that use an industry-leading skills testing solution like the eSkill Talent Assessment Platform^TM can recruit top technical candidates quickly and efficiently because they can instantly see which candidates have the required job skills.

What Are the Five Basic Computer Skills I Should Assess?

Software applications are available to help businesses automate tasks that used to take hours to complete. Software development companies that develop, launch, and support these products require specific expertise. So, when HR teams ask us, “what is a basic computer test” and what are the five basic computer skills they should evaluate when building a software development team, these are the IT skills tests we recommend: 

• Programming Languages: Well-written code that executes effectively is the foundation of a good software application. So, hiring teams must use programming language assessments such as the Java Developer, C# Developer and Ruby on Rails Developer skills tests to ensure software engineers have strong programming skills.
• Software Testing: All developers and programmers need a good understanding of software testing techniques. The Software Testing Skills Test assessment measures applicants’ knowledge of programming concepts and testing methods and techniques.
• Project Management: It takes a team to develop a software application, and all team members need to know what is expected of them to ensure the process goes smoothly. This is why HR leaders should use the Project Management Skills Test to ensure candidates for software developer positions understand project management methods well.
• Agile Management: Software development teams worldwide use the Agile project management system to keep everyone on the same page during development and testing. Therefore, recruiters need to use the Agile Management Skills Assessment to assess candidates’ knowledge of topics such as Agile Mindset, the Agile Way of Working, and Value Delivery.
• Quality Assurance: Hiring teams often ask what is asked in computer skill tests. The Quality Assurance Skills Test covers the essentials of QA/QC testing for websites, troubleshooting and fixing bugs, and alpha/beta testing. Candidates who perform well have the skills to deliver problem-free software, applications, and websites.

Which Specialty Computer Assessment Tests Do I Need?

When new technologies emerge, businesses need employees with the expertise to implement and manage them. These employees are sought after because they have the “in-demand” skills every organization needs. For the foreseeable future, experts predict demand will be high for IT professionals in application and web development, Networking/DevOps business intelligence and data science, artificial intelligence (AI), and Cyber Security. These are some of the top computer skills assessment tests for each area.

• Application and Web Development: Websites have become the cornerstone of a company’s marketing program, and there is an app for virtually everything you need to do. So, it is no surprise that the demand for web and application developers is projected to grow 23% by 2031. Hiring teams often ask what is a basic computer skills test they can use to evaluate applicants for web and application developer positions. We recommend the Web Developer, Web Designer, and Web Applications Tester skills tests along with skills tests to assess candidates’ knowledge of essential computer languages such as Java, C#, and Python.
• Networking/DevOps: During the past decade, demand for networking and DevOps engineers has increased by approximately 40-45%. This trend should continue as more organizations embark on digital transformation initiatives. A shortage of candidates with networking DevOps and networking engineers will hinder companies from adopting new technologies. In fact, a recent Gartner survey shows that 64% of IT executives say lack of access to qualified talent is the biggest hurdle they will face implementing new technology and digital transformation initiatives. When HR teams need to recruit networking and DevOps candidates, they use the Network Engineer, Routing Fundamentals, and TCP/IP skills tests and often add questions from the General IT Infrastructure and Networking Essentials skills tests.
• Business Intelligence and Data Science: In 2020, every person generated 7 megabytes of data each second. Organizations need to store all this data as well as manage it so they can monetize it. Additionally, poor data quality costs the US economy around $3.1 trillion per year. This is why the demand for business intelligence and data science professionals is predicted to grow to over $322.9 billion by 2026. The Data Science Skills Assessment Test is popular with HR professionals along with the Machine Learning Engineer and Artificial Intelligence skills tests. Many also add questions from the Data Analytics and Quantitative Analysis skills tests.
• Artificial Intelligence: Competition for candidates with artificial intelligence experience is intense because only one out of 10 workers have in-demand AI skills. Recruiting top applicants is critical because businesses rely heavily on AI and machine learning software to optimize the efficiency of mission-critical processes. When hiring teams create computer skills tests for job interviews to hire candidates with AI expertise, they use the Basic Artificial Intelligence Knowledge Skills Test and include questions from the Machine Learning and Data Analytics skills tests.
• Cyber Security: The demand for skilled cyber security professionals has steadily increased during the past decade because organizations need to be vigilant about fraud and identity theft. Experts predict demand will continue to expand because global cyber security spending is expected to surpass $202 billion in 2023—about a 20% increase from $170 billion in 2017. When HR leaders create basic computer tests online to recruit cyber security experts, they use the Application Security, Application Security Engineer, and Information System Security Engineer skills tests and can include questions from the Public Key Infrastructure and PKI Administrator skills tests if needed. 

Get Started with IT Skills Assessment Tests

IT skills assessments tests are the perfect solution for businesses that want to build a top-notch technical team. Organizations worldwide use the eSkill Talent Assessment Platform^TM to 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%.

If you and your team are asking yourselves, “What is a computer skills assessment test” and would like to see how they can help you hire top IT professionals, Contact us to request a demo.