As the job market continues to become increasingly competitive, it’s important for businesses to make smart hiring decisions. One way to ensure you’re making the right decision is by using assessment tools during the hiring process. These tools provide numerous benefits for both the employer and the employee.
Identify Strengths Early On
Using an assessment tool during the hiring process can help you identify a candidate’s strengths early on. This can be particularly helpful for positions that require a high level of competency. For example, developing an assessment that includes a real workplace scenario with a brief response on how the applicant would handle the scenario can demonstrate the potential strength of an applicant. By selecting applicants that respond with the best quality answers or the most efficient solution, an employer can often end up with people that regularly display the strengths required for the position.
Weed Out the Underqualified
Assessment tools can also help you weed out under qualified candidates. If a performance assessment delivers job-related questions which are consistently answered incorrectly by applicants this could point to an applicant being underqualified. By choosing applicants that score well on an assessment, an employer or recruiting agency can waste far less time in the hiring process.
Save Time
Assessment tools can save time during the hiring process. Instead of having to ask all of these questions up front from the perspective of an employer or manager, the bulk of the interview can actually be handled by the performance assessment. Of course, an introduction and meeting should be required before hiring any new employee. Testing their skills, knowledge and personality on an assessment can make the meeting or conversation more personal and more efficient. Rather than having only work scenarios or responses included in an interview, the speaking aspect of an interview could be simply to get to know the person in conversation. Performance assessments can speed up the process of interviews considerably as prospective applicants will take the test before their interview begins or on an earlier scheduled interview.
Higher Productivity
Assessment tools can also lead to higher productivity from employees. In a study performed by Hire Select and a leading apparel retailer, the average sales per hour for employees that passed a performance assessment was roughly 20% higher than employees hired that had not passed their performance assessment test. If every new employee that a company were to hire was able to achieve a 20% sales increase as a result of their skills as assessed, this could result in a huge return on investment for a company. Vetting prospective employees with an assessment can lead to a better bottom line.
Takeaway
In today’s highly competitive job market, it is crucial for businesses to have a workforce that is not only highly skilled but also productive and efficient. This is where assessment tools come in as an essential tool for hiring and employee development. As we have seen, assessment tools offer a wide range of benefits that can help businesses identify the best candidates for a job opening and also develop the skills of their existing workforce.
Assessment tools allow businesses to identify key strengths in potential employees at an early stage. Through real-life workplace scenarios and brief responses, employers can determine the potential of an applicant and select those who demonstrate the necessary skills for the position. In addition, assessment tools can help weed out under qualified candidates, thereby saving businesses valuable time and resources during the hiring process.
Moreover, assessment tools can help streamline the hiring process and reduce time-to-hire. By utilizing pre-employment tests or skill assessments, businesses can evaluate job-related knowledge and skills of candidates before an interview, thereby making the hiring process much more efficient. This not only saves time but also provides the hiring team with more accurate data about each candidate, enabling them to make more informed decisions.
Perhaps the most compelling benefit of using assessment tools in hiring and employee development is the potential for increased productivity. A study conducted by HireSelect and a leading apparel retailer showed that employees who passed a performance assessment had an average of 20% higher sales per hour than those who did not. This demonstrates the power of using assessment tools to vet prospective employees, and how it can translate into real-world improvements in productivity and the bottom line.
In conclusion, incorporating assessment tools into your hiring and employee development strategy is a smart decision that can lead to significant benefits for your business. By identifying key strengths, weeding out under qualified candidates, reducing time-to-hire, and increasing productivity, assessment tools can help you build a highly skilled, efficient and productive workforce. By leveraging the advantages of assessment tools, you can set your business up for success and stay ahead of the competition.