5 Types Of Pre-Employment Assessment Tools For Hiring Managers

HR managers use pre-employment tests to gather data on candidates during the hiring process. During your new hire onboarding process, it is essential to practice with a series of pre-employment assessments. These tools provide an objective and standardized way to gain insight into the traits of prospective employees. From personality traits to critical thinking skills, these assessment tools measure a variety of useful criteria. This criteria accurately predicts each applicant’s ability to perform in the workplace. To screen applicants efficiently, companies are implementing many tools to streamline the testing process. Here are some of the most popular types of pre-employment assessment tools.

Aptitude Tests

One type of pre-employment assessment tool is an aptitude test. Aptitude tests are particularly useful for mid level and higher level jobs. They measure critical thinking, problem solving, and cognitive aptitude. You can use these tests to assess the applicant’s general intelligence and understanding. Studies show that the two most important qualities employers seek are problem solving and the ability to learn new concepts. Pre-employment assessment tools that focus on aptitude thoroughly assess each of these skills. Since these abilities are essential to performance in a variety of fields, aptitude tests can be used for hiring in any industry. A great indicator of job performance, hiring managers use aptitude tests to measure prospective employees’ skills.

Integrity Tests

Another type of pre-employment assessment is an integrity test. Integrity tests are used to identify the values of prospective candidates. This helps companies avoid hiring unreliable, dishonest, or undisciplined people. These are two different types of integrity tests used by HR managers to assess employees. Overt integrity tests ask direct ethical questions. Covert tests assess personality traits associated with integrity, like honesty and reliability. Both of these tests are useful for identifying trustworthy candidates. These tests are unbiased and serve as good predictors of job performance. They also assist in hiring employees whose values align with company policy. An integrity test is another pre-employment assessment tool.

Knowledge Tests

Recruiting hiring managers can also use knowledge tests to assess employee skills. These tests measure a candidates theoretical or technical expertise in a field. They are useful for identifying candidates with knowledge of a particular industry. These assessment tools take the form of a multiple choice test. They ask prospective employees about specific aspects of the topic at hand. Well-designed knowledge tests are not limited to a specific area. They cover all aspects of a topic to gain a thorough understanding of a candidate’s areas of knowledge. A data analyst, for example, may be asked various statistical questions in their knowledge test. This provides hiring managers with an in depth understanding of what each candidate already knows and can bring to the workplace. Knowledge tests are another useful tool for assessing prospective employees.

Criteria Based Skills Test

Criteria based skills tests can also be used to assess candidates. A skills test is particularly useful for hiring entry-level employees. These tests assess the basic math and verbal skills required to succeed in these jobs. They are 20 minute tests that measure basic grammar, spelling, math, and language skills. Employers can individualize these tests based on job requirements. Content writers, for example, may not be required to complete the mathematics portion of this exam. Once completed, each candidate is given a raw score and a percentile ranking. The raw score identifies how many questions that individual got right. The percentile ranking tells hows they scored relative to others that took the test. This information is useful for hiring managers to determine the most suitable candidate for each job. Use a criteria based test to measure the skills of prospective employees.

Simulation Tests

Lastly, a simulation test is another useful pre-employment assessment tool. Simulation tests immerse candidates in a virtual environment that recreates job activities. This allows employers to gain a thorough understanding of how they will perform in the workplace. Simulation tests also provide early hands-on learning that proves useful if a candidate does get hired. Simulation tests are particularly useful for hiring customer service professionals. Call center skill tests, for example, provide objective data on how potential candidates will respond to real-life calls. Hiring managers can use a simulation test to assess the job performance of each candidate.

When you are hiring employees, there are a variety of pre-employment assessment tools available for hiring managers. Aptitude tests, for example, measure critical thinking and problem solving skills. Integrity tests identify the values of prospective candidates. Knowledge-based tools measure individuals theoretical and technical expertise in a field. Criteria based skills test measure the basic math and verbal requirements necessary for entry-level positions. Lastly, simulation tests provide employees with a working example of each candidate’s proficiency levels. These are a few types of pre-employment assessment tools for hiring managers.