All About Skills Assessment Tests

Skills tests or skills assessment tests help employers select employees. They are typically given following sourcing and screening, but can be administered at different points in the hiring process. Below, we will cover the following information about skills assessment tests.

What is a skills test?

To effectively and efficiently gauge the skills and potential of job candidates, organizations use a variety of skills assessment tests. These are used to evaluate the potential employee on whether or not they possess the necessary skills required to perform the job in question.

Skills assessment tests are given before, during, or after a job interview.

Other times, a school, not an employer, administers a skills assessment test. An individual takes a skills assessment as part of completing coursework, in person or online, to verify that they have learned the material.

Types of skills assessment tests

There is a very wide variety of skills assessment tests. Skills tests can measure “hard skills” such as coding skills, machinery skills, driving skills, or writing skills. Or, they can measure “soft skills” — sometimes called durable skills — such as innovation skills, leadership skills, or teamwork.

Here are some more specific examples of skills tests:

• A cable company has applicants do an online simulation to see how they would handle an unhappy customer or one who was difficult to understand.
• A busy startup technology company tests a job candidate’s calmness under pressure.
• A hotel uses virtual reality to test a candidate’s customer service skills for a front-desk job.
• A factory or warehouse assesses forklift skills.
• A company that delivers packages assesses a job candidate’s driving ability.
• A management consulting firm tests applicants’ cognitive ability.
• A school asks prospective teachers to prepare or teach a sample lesson.
• A restaurant asks cook applicants to take a cooking test.
• A company that has many candidates to interview at once invites attendees of a group interview to do a teamwork exercise to assess how they work together to solve a challenge.

Some frequently used skills tests measure people’s work preferences. They will ask questions such as “Would you rather give a presentation to a very large group, or be alone making a PDF?” Multiple questions of this nature will indicate a candidate’s orientation toward work by categorizing them into groups that have certain characteristics or tendencies.

Even job interviews can be considered an “assessment” or a skills assessment.

Finding a skills assessment provider

Whether administered in person, on a computer, or even with artificial intelligence or virtual reality, the skills testing marketplace is a big one. Here are some tips for choosing a testing vendor.

• Make sure the skills assessment test integrates smoothly with your applicant tracking system (ATS) or other technology, or doesn’t slow down the hiring process unnecessarily.
• Ask prospective vendors how they avoid potential bias in testing.
• If you have access to an employment attorney and/or Industrial-Organizational (I/O) psychologist, discuss the test with them and whether they feel it will improve your selection process.
• Only use tests that are absolutely necessary for a given job and correlate to success on the job.
• Try to determine if the test is a good fit for your industry and type of organization.
• Focus on potential in addition to skills. A candidate may be able to learn necessary tools quickly even if they aren’t familiar with specific software.

Skills tests and the candidate experience

The candidate experience should be a major consideration when using a skills assessment test.

Here are some things to keep in mind.

• Timing: Asking people to take a skills assessment test early in the hiring process can cause a candidate to abandon their application.
• Length: The assessment should not be so time-consuming that the candidate feels disrespected or undercompensated.
• Perception of fairness: Candidates may be uneasy with assessments that seem irrelevant or unfair.

Understand the usefulness of skills tests

A skills assessment test can enhance your company’s employment brand. An interesting and relevant test can show candidates that your company is innovative and forward-thinking.

Assessments should only be used when necessary and meaningful. Understand how the results predict job performance and strive to ensure a positive correlation with success in the role.

Over time, continue to refine your assessment strategy by staying informed about industry developments and advancements in I/O psychology.