Finding the right candidate fit for your organisation can be daunting. As many as 85% of job applicants lie on their resumes, so the stakes are high. The consequences of a bad hire can be substantial and far-reaching. If you’re tired of sifting through an endless pile of resumes and wasting time in interviews, candidate assessments, and evaluation tools offer a competitive edge in identifying top talent. These tests offer consistency, fairness, and objectivity in the hiring process by reducing bias. In the long term, you’ll improve hiring quality, reduce staff turnover, and enhance team performance. Read on to see how these tools can help you make data-driven hiring decisions.
The range of candidate assessments: Types and uses
Various types of candidate assessments are available. These include skill assessments, workplace personality tests, and cognitive ability evaluations. Each plays a crucial role in the recruitment process, evaluating a different facet of your candidate.
Aptitude tests provide insight into abilities like reasoning, perceptual speed, number speed and accuracy, word meaning, and spatial visualisation.
Gain insight into: Which candidate will perform best in the role. How strong are their problem-solving and critical-thinking skills? How quickly do they grasp new concepts?
Personality tests assess traits that help you predict job success and risk for derailment.
Gain insight into: How resilient are they to stress? Are they open to change? What is their level of competitiveness? What is their communication style? Will they be a good cultural fit?
Behavioural assessments offer insight into a person’s behavioural preferences and communication style.
Gain insight into: What motivates them? How do they deal with conflict? What is their thinking style? Do they have leadership potential? How do they overcome setbacks?
Emotional intelligence assessments measure emotional traits around well-being, self-control, emotionality, and sociability.
Gain insight into: How do they interact with others? How do they deal with conflict and confrontation? How do they handle pressure and adapt to new situations?
Collectively, these assessments will give you a good idea of the candidate’s capabilities and identify their training needs.
Maximising the impact of candidate assessments
We recommend integrating various assessments at various stages to maximise the effectiveness of candidate assessments in your hiring workflow. In your initial job posting, be transparent about the fact that pre-employment assessments are part of the process. Give as much detail as you can so as not to catch candidates unawares. Consider an aptitude test for all applicants in stage one. This will reduce your pool to those who are capable of performing in the role. In later stages, candidates can complete personality and behavioural assessments to deduce who will be the best organisational culture fit. Each organisation will have different requirements – the order of this process will vary.
To analyse and interpret assessment results accurately, you must first understand the purpose and objectives of the assessment. Here at Thomas, all our candidate test results are analysed by proprietary technology and presented to you in an easy-to-read report. Insights gained from the assessment can be used to make informed decisions, placing candidates in roles they are likely to thrive in. Keep in mind that one assessment in isolation will not capture the full spectrum of a candidate's potential. We recommend using these tests as part of a holistic assessment strategy.
It's important to improve the candidate’s experience by making the journey as simple as possible. Technology has advanced, making the assessment process accessible and efficient for your organisation and the candidate. Be wary of unnecessarily testing every candidate for everything, respect their time, and always provide valuable feedback, regardless of the hiring outcome. Align assessment tools with the specific role requirements, and you’re sure to find a seamless fit.
Navigating challenges in candidate assessments
Despite their obvious developmental benefits, candidates can be reluctant to complete assessments. Common challenges include doubts about fairness, concerns regarding legal compliance, and general resistance to the entire concept. Mitigate these risks with a transparent communication strategy that emphasises how equal this data-driven approach is to the hiring process.
As an employer, adapt evaluation strategies to meet the needs of your teams and organisations. Re-evaluate periodically to ensure your approach stays effective and relevant. Communicate the reason for the assessments, whether it’s personal and professional development, leadership training, performance appraisals, team building, or talent development. To build trust, consider providing ongoing developmental support and training. Stress the ongoing benefits that these tests provide, such as self-awareness, improved communication, and enhanced emotional well-being.
Embracing candidate assessments for future-proof hiring
Candidate assessments have a critical role in modern-day talent acquisition, from reducing the administrative load to offering invaluable insights into candidates’ abilities and potential. Incorporating assessments into your hiring process will help you make informed decisions, enhance team dynamics, lower staff turnover rate, and foster a productive environment.
In a fast-paced world with a global skill gap, harness the power of candidate assessments to streamline hiring. For more information on integrating assessments into your hiring process, please schedule a consultation with us. We’ll show you how to gain deeper insights tailored to your organisation’s unique needs.
Staying ahead of your competition requires innovative tools and rock-solid strategies. Candidate assessments are shaping the future of hiring and offering a gateway to building a dynamic and resilient workforce.
Getting started with candidate assessments
If you’re interested in leveraging candidate assessments in your recruitment process, start by building out a candidate profile. Very simply, this should be a detailed description of the team culture for personality matching and the duties and responsibilities of the role in question for skills matching. Once you’ve identified what you need in a candidate, select the appropriate assessment tools. Consider partnering with a professional company to manage this process for you. At Thomas, we can provide access to a wide range of assessment tools, strategies, analytics, and ongoing training and support.
