You may be wondering why recruiters use assessment tests and resume shortlisting to evaluate a candidate's skills, potential, and ability to perform the job during the hiring process. Employers rely heavily on resumes and interviews to learn all they can about candidates.

You have probably heard of Pre-employment Testing and Assessment before, but have you ever considered what these tools can do for your recruitment process? The CV screening process and unstructured interviews alone are not enough when trying to find the best talent because candidates may include misleading information in their resumes.

Additionally, candidates may provide inaccurate information during the face-to-face interview process in the hopes of impressing the recruiter.

Companies may have different testing needs for different types of skills, depending on what they are looking for in candidates. Recruiters likely evaluate cognitive ability and personality traits when hiring senior-level executives and looking for sociable person, people who are on time, and who are conscientious when hiring a service worker.

According to research, 78% of resumes are laden with phrases that indicate the candidates are perfect for the job. The same is true for interviews that are not well-structured and standardized, which offer little insight into the candidate's likelihood of success.

An effective method of evaluating candidates is pre-employment assessment. These tests can involve hard skills tests, such as typing and math tests, as well as softer ones, like personality tests.

Reasons for using assessments over resumes

A resume is a form of advertising. It highlights the benefits you have to offer and promotes your unique skills and qualifications, and achievements in brief. This shows a potential employer what you've done previously. It outlines your skills, education, and training, as well as the accomplishments you made with previous employers, and relays in a clear manner what a hire of you will mean for the company.

Below are a few of the most compelling reasons why organizations use assessment tests during hiring:
 

• To win the job, every candidate wants to make a strong first impression. Therefore, resumes often provide exaggerated information in order to highlight one's skills.
   
• Recruiting and retention case studies are used in assessment tests. Candidates are tested in order to determine how closely they match the hiring criteria. By doing so, the company will reduce the risk of making bad hiring decisions and hire better candidates.
   
• As the tests are normative, they allow employers to identify the best match for a given role by comparing different candidates. The results of assessment tests are also proven to be scientifically reliable, making the test score a good predictor of job performance.

Assessments for pre-employment can be classified into five types, based on their placement on the hard-soft skills continuum.
 

1. Testing hard skills
2. Tests of work samples
3. Assessing the interview
4. Testing cognitive abilities
5. A personality test

Pre-assessment tests benefit both employers and candidates. With pre-employment testing, hiring is faster, more equitable, and new employees are more likely to succeed. The selection tests discussed so far increase the odds of new hires succeeding in their new roles.

In addition to streamlining the hiring process and enhancing quality, assessment tests have many other advantages. As a result, it aligns the company's recruitment process with its goals and culture.

A few paramount benefits are as follows:
 

• A streamlined hiring process gets better results and saves time.
• Employee retention and satisfaction increased.
• Negative costs associated with an incorrect hire will be reduced.
• The new hires are more productive.
• The company's culture fits this employee well.
• The recruitment process of the company becomes more objective, fair, and legally sound.
• By standardizing and validating measures, bias can be reduced
• By casting a broader net, we can increase diversity
• Scheduling and availability barriers are eliminated
• Engagement of candidates

A structured hiring strategy, as evident from these examples, is an excellent resource in attracting top talent. Well-validated assessment tools can also simplify the recruitment process. As a result, it's clear that organizations that leverage assessment tests will experience a noticeable positive impact in the form of Return on Investment (ROI). All the more reason for you to work hard, be in the best shape possible, and get hired!