When you’re looking for a new employee, is a resume and an interview enough? Or, should you go one step further? Here’s how using skill testing in a competitive job market can work to your benefit.
What Is Skill Testing?
Like work sample tests or experiential interviewing, skill tests are designed to show how candidates will perform on-the-job tasks. Usually, skill tests involve hands-on activities. Instead of answering typical interview questions, applicants may complete short assignments, collaborate on a project, or participate in a role play.
What Are the Benefits of Using Skill Testing?
- Improve the Quality of Hires
Resumes and interviews can be misleading. Obviously, candidates are going to sell their strengths and downplay their weaknesses. This could result in you hiring a person who is not quite the right fit. Skills test eliminates the guesswork. Rather than having an applicant explain what they might be able to do, you will see them in action. - Reduce Hiring Bias
Despite your best intentions, studies show unconscious biases routinely influence hiring decisions. For example, people tend to give extra points to candidates who remind them of themselves. Skills tests make the process more objective. You’ll be focusing on actual abilities, not on appearance and personality. - Increase Retention Rates
Sometimes, candidates jump at an offer. And if they don’t know exactly what position involves, they may leave a few months later. Done correctly, skills tests give applicants a real sense of the job before they join your team. By combining skills tests with a strong onboarding experience, your organization can work to prevent unnecessary turnover. - Provide a Better Candidate Experience
If someone is applying at multiple companies, skills tests help your organization stand out from the crowd. After all, a project, challenge, or role-play could be a welcome break from the same-old stale interview questions. For the best results, aim to make your process dynamic, engaging, and of course, authentic. - Set New Hires Up for Success
Skills tests identify both strengthens and weaknesses. This can be valuable when hiring an almost-perfect candidate with a few shortcomings. Plus, workers have needed to develop even more essential skills during the COVID crisis. Knowing where a new hire may require support allows your organization to immediately provide the necessary resources and training. As a result, your new employee will become productive faster.
How Do You Create a Skill Test?
Start by listing the specific skills and qualifications you would like to see in an ideal candidate. Then, try to design a scenario in which the applicant produces relevant sample work. Also, remember this means trial and error. As a hiring expert, Scott Wintrip points out about experiential interviewing, “Planning is key. Any time you try something new, it’s going to be clunky at first.”
Do You Need Help Finding Candidates in a Competitive Job Market?
BOS Staffing matches talented people with top companies in Atlanta, Georgia, and beyond. Our recruiters will screen, interview and skill test potential candidates, so you get the right employee the first time. Learn more about the advantages of hiring through BOS Staffing today!
