Skills Assessment Tests

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Definitions, pros and cons, how to find the best assessment tools,

Skills assessment tests are used to measure the abilities and skills of job candidates and employees. These tests assess the technical and soft skills required to successfully perform the required work.

Pros and Cons of Skills Assessment Tests:

Pros

• A broad range of quality, objective testing tools that are strictly job-related are available online.
• Online tests are more objective than other forms of assessment because answers are auto-evaluated, meaning there is no bias involved.
• The tests' reporting allows a quantifiable view of the overall strengths and weaknesses of candidates to guide an employer's hiring decisions.
• Online testing is more cost effective than paying for in-person testing infrastructure and reimbursing candidates for travel expenses.
• Online testing tools are easy to use.
• The employer can save time and effort by using these tests to narrow the candidate pool before inviting candidates to interviews.
• Using online testing tools means that the same test can be administered to all candidates, giving everyone the same opportunities to succeed.

Cons

• Each test only measures one aspect of a job's criteria and must be a valid test for that particular job or they are useless.
• These tests can't capture the uniqueness of individuals and so should be used in conjunction with other pre-employment assessment tools to get a well-rounded view of candidates.
• These tests can be discriminatory towards minority candidates. For example, physical strength assessment tests could screen out female candidates.
• Some tests may invite untruthful answers due to the social desirability bias, where people present themselves in the best light.
• Administering various tests to candidates can slow down your hiring process.
• Some tests can have ambiguous questions and answers, leading to unreliable results.

Why should a company use skills assessment tests?
Skills assessment tests are reliable, objective, affordable, and provide valuable insight into candidates' skills. They help employers to eliminate candidates who are underqualified for a position, despite what their resumes say. These tests help employers to verify candidates' claims and identify candidates who may be better suited to a different position. Employers can also use these tests to identify employees who are ready for promotion or who should be moved to a different role.

With skills assessment tests, employers may be able to identify areas in which the company is successful or struggling. With this information, employers can give extra training and nurture and develop employees to help them reach their own goals. Employers can also use the information from these tests to compare the talent within the organization against industry and geographical benchmarks.

As they are used to evaluate both potential and current employees, skills assessment tests allow employers to make informed, data-backed decisions about recruitment, training, and promotions.

Types of Skills Assessment Tests:
There are many types and categories of talent or skills assessment tests, including:

• Hard skills assessment tests.
• Soft skills assessment tests.
• Work sample or job knowledge tests.
• Cognitive ability tests.
• Personality tests.
• Psychometric tests.
• Integrity assessments.
• Situational judgment tests.
• Interviews.

How to Choose the Right Skills Assessment Tool:
1. Determine your goals.
Determine what you want to accomplish with your skills assessment test. Do you want to evaluate candidates or current employees? Are you looking to hire someone with a specific skill set? Are you looking for skills gaps in your current workforce? How many people do you need to evaluate?

2. Define which skills you want to evaluate.
Some tests evaluate both technical and soft skills but some specialize in evaluating specific skills. Outline what kind of skills you need to assess: soft skills or technical skills.

3. Outline the characteristics of your ideal assessment tool.
Consider what characteristics you are looking for from the testing company and the logistics of the tests. For example, ask yourself if you want the tests to be scientifically validated. Do you want to be able to customize the questions? Do you want the assessment tool to be integrated with your ATS? Is there 24/7 customer support?

4. Research the market.
Research the market for your ideal skills assessment tool. Browse testing companies' websites and compare them against each other.

Source: https://www.betterteam.com/skills-assessment-tests