The Use of Job-Specific Assessments by Employers

Job candidate reading assignment in assessment center. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

When they graduate and start looking for jobs, many individuals focus on polishing their resumes and crafting immaculate cover letters highlighting their experience and skills. A number of students do not know about job-specific assessments until they begin applying for jobs. Companies and recruitment agencies in different sectors have begun to increasingly use these assessments to determine whether candidates will likely be suited for certain types of jobs. Job seekers should not discount job-specific skills and personality tests as unimportant because they may be used by employers during different parts of the hiring process. By doing their best on these tests, job seekers can ensure they stand out among other candidates in their fields.

Job assessment tests vary based on job type and field. The tests are often centered around the skills and tools that employers expect workers to have from the start. These skills can come from their studies or their work in their fields. Industry specific tests often assess candidates’ math and verbal reasoning, reading comprehension, grammar, clerical or computer abilities. Some tests are more specifically related to the industry while others, such as 10-key typing and Microsoft Office application tests, are used by a wide range of industries for office workers. Sometimes employees can prepare for these assessments by doing online self assessment tests.

These assessments often require job seekers to complete tasks within a specific computer application, type based on a computer prompt, read a passage and answer questions, give specifics about their personality traits or figure out math or accounting problems. These assessments can be multiple choice, short answer or essay format, depending on the employers’ or recruitment agencies’ preferences. Companies may have candidates take tests prior to or during the interview process. Job seekers taking these tests want to make sure that they understand the test-taking guidelines so that they do as well as possible on these tests and impress the employers considering them for positions within their companies.

Companies use job-specific assessments and personality tests for a wide variety of purposes. Many businesses and organizations tests candidates prior to the interview process to assess their knowledge and skills beforehand. Assessments can allow them to narrow down their field of candidates, especially if they are only considering job seekers with a score above a certain level. Aptitude tests can allow recruitment agencies and businesses to see very quickly if candidates have not been truthful on their resumes. These tests may also give employers an idea, before the interview process, of the areas where candidates are stronger and weaker. When companies are deciding between a narrow pool of individuals with similar skills, job histories and educational backgrounds, job-specific skills assessments may help them to make their final decisions.

This post comes courtesy of Harrison Assessments, who provide the most trusted and accurate employee assessment tools by dedicating a large portion of its resources to research, development and user friendly software engineering.