Deciding on the right candidate through skills testing

Acriticalinstance in recruitment is when you must decide between two equally worthy candidates. Skill testing candidates is the best solution in this hiring process. Recruiters and employers are constantly dealing with the challenge of determining which candidate would be the better fit for their company.

Potential candidates are always evaluated on professional and educational qualifications that are applicable to the role. These are the foundation on which most candidates are assessed initially. The list of candidates is narrowed once they begin ticking off other important criteria like soft skills, the amount of relevant experience, the compensation requirements, etc.

However, as the hiring process draws to the end with only the best applicants making it to the shortlist, how should you make the ultimate decision between two similarly talented candidates?

 

Skills testing

Skills testing has become a necessary pre-employment assessment tool adopted by recruiters globally, typically as part of an integrated suite of recruitment software products.. While having work experience and degrees are important, the right skillset can be the ultimate deciding factor. There are some fundamental skills required in every job. Finance and accounting professionals must be proficient in MS Excel because it is an integral tool in their work. Secretarial work requires the employee to know their way around Word and be competent at typing and data entry. The hiring company expects shortlisted candidates to be skilled at a certain level.

Recruiters, in order to meet this expectation, should include all candidates in a pre-employment skills test to measure competency. Skills assessment is a quick way to analyze at what level a candidate can perform in the job. When facing the choice of two similarly qualified candidates, reviewing results from the skills test gives a close look at the candidates’ abilities and helps make informed decisions.

 

Relevant experience

As a professional gathers work experience and climb up the ladder, their knowledge and experience become more valuable during the recruitment process. But this work experience has to be relevant to the role in question. When you have two applicants with similar educational backgrounds but different professional records, the recruiter will pick the one whose work experience leans toward the role being filled. If a recruiter has to choose between an experienced salesperson and a beginner, they will surely go for the former.

 

Cultural fit

Nowadays, hiring is not limited to ensuring that candidates can do the job. An applicant’s ability to fit into a company culture is also factored in during recruitment. Employers will carefully consider how well the shortlisted candidate can blend with the existing team. This is not to suggest that diversity is not important. It is – but recruiters and hiring managers should be appraising how well a candidate’s visions and goals align with that of the company.

Hiring for cultural fit means the right candidate will also contribute to the long-term growth of the company. The employee whose personal goals match with the company is likely to stay longer in the business.

Once again, you can assess a candidate’s personality through psychometric testing to see how seamlessly they would fit in the existing company culture. This test attempts to measure a candidate’s aptitude to solve problems, adapt, and connect with others. It is a self-assessment tool that can be used to inform recruitment decisions. The results are quite comprehensive and can be used to analyze a candidate’s results against other individuals taking the test.