Pre-employment Testing – The blueprint for an efficient workforce

Introduction 

Pre-employment testing has become a popular method of assessing candidates in an objective, reliable, and accurate manner. By referring to a massive library of technical and non-technical skill sets that are continuously developed (and optimized), employers can make the right hiring decisions.  

 Given the ability of these tests to assess candidate performance across a wide array of skills, it is with a reason they have become an integral part of the hiring process. In this blog post, we will explore the future of pre-employment testing and how it can help organizations make better hiring decisions. These technological advances will allow organizations to get an even more accurate assessment of a candidate’s skills before making a hiring decision.  

What do pre-employment tests measure?  

Pre-employment tests measure a variety of things such as cognitive abilities, job-related knowledge, physical abilities, personality, and interests. By accurately measuring these characteristics, employers can identify which candidates have the potential to excel in the role and which ones are likely to struggle.  

Here are some key trends in employee assessment you should know about: 

• Principles remain the same: The important principles of good talent assessment will not change regardless of whether you are a small business or large company. They apply equally as much in the case where every hire is critical (like say Facebook) versus one that has thousands upon millions of employees like WalMart! An assessment platform like Yaksha can help you take the load off, with customizable assessments.  
• Increased investments in employee assessment: The idea of investing in talent assessment technology is not new, but it has become more popular in the last five years. From AI sourcing tools that can find employees better than ever before or screening procedures for applicants, so you do not have any missed prospects through customized candidate experience solutions. These solutions provide hiring managers actionable insights during the recruitment processes rather than speculating on potential. 
• Modern assessment models: As work becomes more flexible and diverse, so too must our assessment models. The move to focus on skills instead of titles or positions is a reflection that nature has changed within organizations – which means they need new competencies for those who will be doing all types of jobs in these changing landscapes. The focus is now on proficiency levels rather than job descriptions, with an emphasis on filling skill-gaps to keep up with the competition. 
• Using technology to build skills: The potential for innovative technology to revolutionize the way we train and assess students is almost limitless. The latest advancement in augmented reality, virtual reality or metaverse could bring about a leap forward when it comes time for building work simulations online–potentially allowing high validity assessments at scale while still being affordable enough that businesses everywhere will finally have access, they need! 
• HR professionals are being marginalized: The changes came too big, and the HR function cannot keep up with all of this new technology that’s popping up every day- unable to design assessments solutions or understand how they work on an AI level (or even just summarize what each one does) The changes that came about were so large, fast and unexpected they can’t keep up with all of this new tech or analyze talent cycle data on their own anymore- which means HR may need supplementing through assessment experts and AI if things don’t change quickly enough! 

What types of pre-employment tests will be in 2022?  

There are many diverse types of pre-employment tests on the market today. Some of the most commonly used tests include cognitive ability tests, personality tests, physical ability tests, and interest inventories. Employers often use more than one type of test to get a well-rounded picture of a candidate’s skills, abilities, and personality.  

•  Cognitive ability tests: These tests measure a candidate’s ability to learn the latest information and solve problems. They are often used for positions that require critical thinking skills.  
• Job-related knowledge tests: These tests assess a candidate’s knowledge of the specific skills required for the job. For example, a customer service representative might be given a test that measures their knowledge of company policies and procedures.  
• Physical ability tests: These tests are often used for positions that require physical labor or dexterity, such as factory workers or nurses.  
• Personality tests: These tests measure a candidate’s personality traits, such as extroversion or agreeableness. They can be used for any type of position but are often used for customer-facing roles where it is important to have a good match between the candidate’s personality and the company culture.  
• Interest inventory tests: These tests measure a candidate’s interests and work preferences. They can be used for any type of position but are often used for positions where it is important to have a good match between the candidate’s interests and the job duties.  

The Benefits of Pre-employment Testing

Pre-employment testing comes with a host of benefits that make it an essential tool for organizations. There are many benefits of using pre-employment tests including improved accuracy in hiring, reduced turnover, increased objectivity, and compliance with equal employment opportunity laws. Additionally, pre-employment tests can provide valuable insight into a candidate’s motivations and work style which can be helpful when making decisions about job fit.  

Here are some of the key benefits:   

• Improved Accuracy in Hiring: One of the most important benefits of pre-employment testing is that it can help you improve the accuracy of your hiring decisions. By using tests that measure things like job-related skills and abilities, you can ensure that you are hiring the best candidates for the job. Additionally, by using personality assessments, you can get a better understanding of how a candidate will fit into your organization’s culture.  
• Reduced Turnover: Another benefit of pre-employment testing is that it can help reduce turnover in your organization. This is because pre-employment tests can help you identify candidates who are likely to be a good fit for the job and the organization. By hiring employees who are a good fit for the job and the organization, you are less likely to experience turnover due to things like job dissatisfaction or poor performance.  
• Increased Objectivity: Pre-employment testing also provides an objective way to assess candidates. This is especially beneficial if you have a large pool of candidates to choose from. By using assessments that are standardized and validated, you can be sure that you are making unbiased hiring decisions based on each candidate’s merits.  
• Compliance with Equal Employment Opportunity Laws: Pre-employment testing can also help your organization comply with equal employment opportunity laws. This is because pre-employment tests must be validated before they can be used in hiring decisions. This means that the test must be shown to accurately predict job performance for all groups of people, including women and minorities. By using a pre-employment testing platform like Yaksha, you can be sure that you are getting the best hire for the role. 

To learn more about the value of pre-employment testing, read our previous blog here.  

Scope of Pre-employment Testing 

As technology continues to evolve, so will pre-employment testing. Here are some ways in which pre-employment testing is likely to change in the future:     

• Virtual Reality: Virtual reality is quickly becoming more realistic and affordable. In the near future, it will be possible to create virtual environments that accurately simulate real-life work tasks. This will allow organizations to get a better assessment of a candidate’s skills by seeing how they perform in a realistic work setting.  Artificial Intelligence: Artificial intelligence (AI) is also likely to play a role in pre-employment testing in the future. AI can be used to create more customized test experiences for candidates. Additionally, AI can be used to score tests to provide more accurate results.