The value of skills testing

To what extent do you use skills testing in your organisation?

As CEO of a company that supports employers with marketing their vacancies and recruiting their candidates, it probably won’t surprise you to hear that I’m a firm believer in how useful they can be when making recruitment decisions.

Don’t just rely on CVs…

Estimates vary but there’s quite a lot of research that tells us not everyone is telling the complete truth on their CV. In some cases that might be because people are actively trying to hide the fact that they don’t have all the skills needed for the role they’re applying for.

But actually, for a lot of people it can be a genuine overestimation of their abilities. And the same is true in reverse. There are plenty of applicants out there who underestimate their capabilities or who feel uncomfortable promoting their strengths and abilities. Used in the right way, skills testing can help those people shine. When I say used in the right way, I mean as long as the tests are chosen with care – they must be clearly job-related, validated for those types of positions and be reliable and consistent in what they are measuring.

For candidates who might feel uncomfortable showcasing what they can do on their CV, or who find interviews difficult, tests can help to level the playing field by providing more quantifiable insights about their capabilities. For employers who are inundated with applications, they can be an extremely valuable way to focus the shortlist. There are obviously limitations as to what tests will tell you, but when combined with other sources of information, they can help employers make better informed decisions about who to move on to the next stage or who to hire.

And while they won’t be appropriate for use in every recruitment scenario, psychometric profiling can add another element too, by providing employers with some valuable insights about a candidate’s personality that can be explored during interview to initiate some really interesting conversations.

Supporting an organisation’s approach to development

Don’t overlook the potential of skills tests and psychometric profiling for developmental purposes either.

We have several clients who are using tests to help clarify strengths and gaps and to establish where to focus development for existing employees. Psychometric profiles are being used to raise employees’ self-awareness about preferences in the way they work and giving them insights into how they might come across to others. This can lead to some positive conversations about employees’ natural styles and how they can use them to perform at their best or alternatively work on any areas that don’t come so readily. And then by sharing this information with colleagues, it can improve mutual understanding of one another’s approaches and encourage teams to reflect on how they can best work together.

Skills tests and psychometric profiles can support internal promotion decisions too. Even though there will be more information to hand about employees than when recruiting externally, the information can still prove useful for employees who are putting themselves forward for a move into a new function or into a more senior position for example.

What’s been your experience?

Do you use skills testing and psychometric profiling for recruitment and development decisions? Or have you tried them but don’t really find they’ve helped? Do let me know in the comments below.

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