The days have gone when one was able to get a job just on the basis of a round of personal interview where some senior people were to ask a few questions and judge the talent of the candidate. Nowadays every organization has professional HR people who are doubtlessly expert in recruitment, but there are some troubles they also have to face. One of the troubles is if the candidate holds enough expertise in operating a computer and that too as per the requirement of the organization.
The HR talks with the candidates, but in a few minutes, it is not possible to know for the HR if the concerned candidate is telling the truth or not. Hence a better option is to test him about his skills. The market has endless tests which are used by HR people, and one of these tests is the computer-based test where the candidate is asked to appear in a specific test and complete a few tasks. On the basis of responses he has submitted in the test, a recruiter can decide if he is the right person for the concerned job and if he should be offered the job or not.
Also considered to be pre-hire skills tests or pre-employment tests, companies are now enhancing their interview process to gain the right candidates while separating them from the crowd.
These screening methods are supposed to evaluate an individual’s proficiency in a certain field and deem them good enough for the job. These simple tests seem quite uncomplicated to having a great amount of depth, which is why they are such a success. Behind their worldwide acceptability is the need to hire skilled employees, who will serve the company for good so that it can bring about a positive change.
According to these tests, a candidate who performs well will be an asset to the company. They will be able to accomplish all kinds of tasks- critical or casual, complicated or easy. Since predicting a person’s performance and intuitiveness regarding the job is very difficult only through a face-to-face interview, this test acts as a second line of defence. A lot of headache goes behind perceiving how these tests work. It is said that numerous case studies based on retention and hiring, coupled with employee data go behind structuring the tests properly, hence making them efficient. Every company has their set of specifications which they look in a candidate. This test will analyse who every individual stands out in their parameters. This indication is necessary, as people make a lot of mistakes during the hiring process and ultimately the organization pays for it.
Types of pre-employment tests
There are two types of talent assessment tests:
- Online tests: This is the most preferred one, owing to its convenience. The procedure behind this is very simple. After an in-person interview, the interviewer shortlists candidates for the tests. This option is not necessary, as the tests will be able to single out the right candidate, even if the number of unfit candidates is high. The link for the computer based test is sent to the respective candidates, along with the timing of the exam. The best thing about this test is that it can be attended form any part of the world, as the user has access to a computer and a working internet connection. After taking the exam, the candidate can submit the paper with a single click. The result is out quickly and requires no amount of human intervention. Ultimately, the right candidate for the job, as per the specifications of the company, will be selected and the names will be given to the person in charge of hiring.
- Offline tests:The procedure in this type is similar to its counterpart, but it is not very popular due to the same reason for the acceptance of the online test- convenience.After the shortlisting of the candidates who will appear for the exam, the details are sent to them. The details include the venue of the exam, their respective roll numbers, identification card (if necessary) and the time to report. After the exam, a computer can be used, only to find the top scorer in the exam. There can be more than one individual selected if multiple candidates earn more than the passing marks. Human intervention is necessary during the conductance of the exam to ensure that no one cheats in any manner during the process. Offline tests are not eco-friendly as they require lots of paperwork to be managed, the same reason why they are a time-consuming hassle.
How these tests work
As mentioned above, specifications are the essence to detect the right person for the job. These parameters are different for every job post, which is why the tests are different for every profile. One of the things a test will efficiently do is to create a crunch scenario. The character of a person is best illustrated during testing time, and a test will properly analyse an individual’s thinking and decision-making capabilities through their answer. It has been seen in many cases that an employer set up a simulation to see first-hand how a candidate will react to various situations. For jobs requiring brute strength, a test will clearly enunciate how a person works. These tests also evaluate how much the concerned knows about the tools necessary for the job.
This norm, of testing a candidate to find the right match has been prevalent in almost all the fields. Their acceptance and appreciation is a thing of the past which has been repeated consistently due to their overwhelming success. All kinds of companies, multi-nationals, and locals, have availed the service of the tests providers. The vision behind this initiative is to motivate the accumulation and right use of knowledge, and a future where every skilled candidate has a chance to land on their dream job. As evident since the past decade, the demand for skilled employees has significantly increased, which will lead us to better products and services.
