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According to a report carried out by Oxford Economics, the cost of replacing a member of staff is just over £30,000 per employee. While recruitment agency fees, advertising expenses, lost management time through interviews, and hiring temporary workers all contribute to this figure, the biggest reason why it costs so much is because the average new hire takes 28 weeks to reach optimum productivity.
Therefore, more and more employers are looking at ways to not only streamline the recruitment process, but also make sure that candidates with the ability to hit the ground running get hired first time around. Thankfully, there is a way to make this recruitment dream a reality.
Online skill tests enable any organisation to identify and assess a candidate’s expertise and ability. This can be carried out early on in the process too, thus eliminating time wasters and creating a short-list quickly. But how exactly should you approach this potentially revolutionary recruitment method? Here to explain is industry specialist Skillsarena.
Test technical and soft skills
Seeing as technical and soft skills will be used in the workplace, it is crucial you test both during any pre-employment assessment. After all, an engineering graduate could come up with an innovative invention but be unable to communicate how it works. A simulation is usually the best method for testing both technical and soft skills, as it can portray real-life scenarios accurately.
Focus on the job
There is little to no point testing an individual’s generic skills that every candidate will most likely possess. Instead, focus on the position you are advertising for and include questions that directly relate to everyday responsibilities or on-the-job performance. You might want to shadow existing employees to see what skills they use the most during a typical day for inspiration.
Choose the right method
Once you know which skills to assess, you will need to choose the right testing method. For example, a customer service position could benefit from a role-playing game, where the candidate’s journey is determined by their ability to solve problems or make decisions. Although this won’t necessarily give the individual a grade, it will reveal whether they need to work on specific skill sets.
Look at skills and personality
Even if you have found an ideal candidate for the position, don’t ignore or overlook the importance of their personality. There is every chance that they might not have the same attitude as fellow employees or the attributes required to fit in with the company culture. Skill tests aren’t just about productivity and performance, they can also help out with keeping employee turnover to a minimum too.
Consider testing existing employees
Despite the fact most businesses use online skill tests for potential recruits, there is no reason why you can’t utilise them for existing employees as well. Along with being able to plug any gaps in an individual’s knowledge, you may find that certain members of staff would be better suited elsewhere in the organisation.
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