Making the Most of Employment Tests

Employee assessment tools can make hiring the right job candidate easy

Employers have found numerous benefits of employee skills testing. Reported advantages include lower turnover rate, less training, monetary savings and streamline the hiring process. Employment testing may involve rating a prospective employee’s skill level, personality, literacy, health and more.

Making the most of personnel skill assessment tools includes looking at what type of test that you should administer for the position. For example, it may be a good idea to give a health and physical test to a labor intensive job.

1. Determine the benefits of employment testing tools. The major benefits include finding a candidate that can fulfill the physical and mental demands of the job.

2. Purchase skills assessment software. With a software program, you can streamline testing and receive results instantly.

3. Get advice on how to best administer employment tests. You have to determine where to hold the test, workstations to use and time given to complete the exam.

 

Look at the advantages of employment testing

Incorporating employee assessment into your job hiring process has numerous benefits. Using a test to find an employee that meets your company's criterion can help ensure that you have high productivity while retaining employees for longer periods of time.
Try: The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology gives a comprehensive overview of employment tests as well as the advantages and disadvantages. Competency Management gives a breakdown of the obvious and the hidden benefits of using employee testing to screen job candidates.

Buy employment testing software

Instead of designing your own pre-employment testing tools, you can have the work done for you. You can find several skills assessment software packages on the market that can give an evaluation of a person's office skills, general knowledge, personality and more.
Try: Through Biddle Consulting Group, you can purchase OPAC, a type of software that can measure office skills, software knowledge and clerical abilities. Prior to purchasing, you can take a virtual tour of the program. On eSkill, you can find over 100 subjects that you can use to test potential employees, including Microsoft Office, data entry, typing speed and accuracy, software knowledge and more.

Administer employment testing tools in an effective manner

Making the most of employment tests also includes giving the exams in a way that will give the job candidate the best possibility of scoring well. You'll want to choose a quiet area that the employee can complete the tests without interruption. Additionally, you'll want a workstation that's easy to use and has all of the functions needed to complete the exam.
Try: The Resource section on the Previsor website provides information on how to administer employee skills testing as well as ways to implement safe and legal testing practices. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission provides a fact sheet on how to legally follow the guidelines of administering tests to potential employees.

 

• You'll have to decide whether or not to tell candidates about the employee assessment prior to the exam. For example, you should inform employees if you require a medical or physical exam.

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