Various types of skill assessment tests are conducted by organizations to test the knowledge of the candidates during the hiring process. Instead of shortlisting them based on CVs and/or interviews, companies use the skill assessment tests to evaluate the specific skill-based potential of the candidates. Studies show that about 82 percent of companies today use some or the other form of skill assessment tests. These tests provide in-depth insights into the candidates which are generally not possible with interviews. With a wide variety of skill assessment tests now available, organizations can get a 360-degree profile of the candidate using these tests.
Skills determine the success one will have on a job and skill assessment tests basically help the recruiter evaluate a candidate’s skills vis-à-vis the requirements of the job. These types of skill assessment tests are used by organizations to ensure that the candidates with optimum skills for the jobs are shortlisted and selected. It should be hardly surprising that skill assessment tests are increasingly becoming one of the primary methods used by recruiters to screen candidates.
The skill assessment tests can be further divided into technical skills and soft skills.
Technical Skill Test.
Based on the job role in question, the skill assessment tests will have to be modified accordingly. For e.g., If you are hiring a developer, you need to check their coding skills and may even have to check the quality of the code written by the candidate. On the other hand, if you are hiring a floor engineer, you will have to test his technical skills pertaining to AutoCAD or conduct a mechanical engineering test.
One of the best ways to screen candidates for technical jobs is by technical skill test as it enables the recruiter to determine the competency level of the candidate. Oto_Code from Otomeyt helps recruiters assess any technical skills including front-end, back-end technologies, API skills, Databases, Machine Learning, testing frameworks (Selenium) and many more. It can generate a GCVS score that reflects a candidate’s coding capability on code reliability, maintainability, scalability, performance, code quality, and test cases.
Soft Skill Test
Depending on the role, companies also opt for evaluating soft skills of the candidates such as communication, flexibility, determination, persistence, punctuality, quick learning ability, etc. A type of skill assessment test, soft skills assessment is required when organizations are hiring for positions such as sales, or public relations. These roles would require the candidate to possess top-notch communication and people skills.
Depending on the goals of your organization, you can also test the candidates for next-gen skills such as artificial intelligence, data science, machine learning, blockchain, big data, etc. As the name suggests, these are next-gen skills that will become more relevant in the years to come. Since these are upcoming fields, testing the candidates for their actual skills should help you in separating the claims from reality.
Cognitive Skill Tests
While cognitive skills may not test specific skills that would be required on the job, it tests the overall aptitude and thinking about the ability of the candidate. Irrespective of the role, these skills are desirable in any candidate.
The cognitive ability test evaluates the candidate on the verbal, logical, numerical, and abstract topics to gauge the general mental capacity of the candidate. This type of test evaluates the memory, concentration, speed, language, and reasoning abilities of the candidates. Employers conduct such tests as a primary scanning test to shortlist the applicants based on the candidate’s thinking ability. It is worth noting that with practice, the test takers can improve their score.
Conclusion
Different types of skill assessment tests are being used to ensure that the candidates meet the qualities required for the job. Recruiters can maximize the effectiveness of using the pre-employment tests by using a combination of these tests rather than relying on just one type of test. Platforms like Otomeyt.ai can help recruiters conduct various types of skill assessment tests, especially technical tests easily and get highly credible results. It allows the employer to better understand the skill-level, aptitude, and personality of the candidates resulting in a perfect hire.
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