Verbal reasoning is one of the most important skills a candidate can have for almost any kind of role and industry. It is defined as an individual's ability to read, understand and critically analyse information conveyed through written texts.
At first glance, verbal reasoning may just seem like the ability to understand vocabulary and grammar - but it's actually more complex than that. When faced with a large passage of text, many people choose to skim read and jump to conclusions with their answers. With verbal reasoning, individuals are expected to use deductive reasoning and logical thinking to extract information from complex pieces of text. With this information, they'll be able to answer questions, assess situations and solve intricate problems.
Which industries and roles use verbal reasoning?
Law
Understanding the law and the plethora of complexities surrounding it requires a high level of verbal reasoning. Those pursuing a career in law must have a strong grasp of literacy, be able to read and comprehend long pieces of text and work well under time constraints.
I.T.
While many consider numerical reasoning to be key for jobs in I.T., verbal reasoning is just as essential. Roles within the tech and I.T. industry often involve interpreting complex technical reports, and a good level of verbal reasoning is needed in order to fully understand any issues at hand and respond effectively.
Marketing
Different roles within the marketing sector, such as marketing analysts, need to have a strong grasp of verbal reasoning. This industry involves large amounts of research and creative thinking to put together projects and prepare campaigns.
Retail
Individuals working within the retail industry should ideally have a strong grasp of verbal reasoning. As a customer facing industry, its employees need to have strong communication skills in order to understand customers' questions and problems to provide helpful answers.
What is a verbal reasoning test?
A verbal reasoning test helps employers assess how candidates use their verbal reasoning abilities in practice. They're used to evaluate a person's problem-solving and analysis skills by providing real-world examples and seeing how they react to and answer them.
Verbal reasoning tests often require candidates to have a strong grasp of reading comprehension. Candidates are given questions regarding letter sequences, reading comprehension, deductive reasoning and analogies. These will often consist of statements or passages of text followed by a question regarding the text. Candidates will then need to use logical and verbal analysis to come to a conclusion that will help determine the right answer to the question. The questions can also be answered through different formats such as multiple choice, true or false or manual entry answers.
Many employers have begun using verbal reasoning tests - and other forms of psychometric testing - not only for potential employees but for existing employees as well. Due to their accessibility and ease, employees can use these tests to practice and maintain their verbal reasoning skills while at the same time upskilling and learning new techniques.
How can verbal reasoning tests help with recruitment?
Verbal reasoning tests and other forms of psychometric testing have become an increasingly common part of the recruitment process. They are often done prior to the interview stages. Many employers have begun including them as they have seen the various ways they can be helpful, both as a hiring and training strategy.
Skills are put into practice
It can be difficult, at times, to judge a candidate's suitability for a job just by looking at their CV. By incorporating assessments such as verbal reasoning tests into the recruitment process, that element of guesswork and risk is removed. Employers can then see tangible evidence of the candidate's verbal reasoning skills and make more accurate hiring decisions.
Removes unconscious bias
Psychometric assessments like verbal reasoning tests provide an objective measure of ability and can therefore help reduce the chances of unconscious bias affecting the hiring process. Candidates will take the test without having ever met anyone on the recruitment team, and only those who have scored highly would move on to the next stage of the application process.
Reduces time and cost
By using our verbal reasoning test (alongside our wide range of tests and assessments), your recruitment process becomes much more cost and time efficient. All the tests can be taken online through our user-friendly platform, which means that individuals won't have to travel to external testing sites to practice and take the tests. The test also reduces the chances of employers making a bad hire; a mistake that can be very costly to a company.
Lowers rate of turnover
Incorporating psychometric assessments can also lower a company's employee turnover rate. With tests such as these, candidates' abilities are put into practice as they answer questions relating to real-life situations. Recruiters can then see how the applicants would realistically fare in the role and ensure that they are making the right hiring decisions. As a result, these hires are more likely to thrive and stay at the company.
Increases productivity
Pre-employment assessments are able to successfully predict an employee's and a team's productivity levels. The tests can assess the skill levels a candidate has, which helps employers understand how suitable they would be for the job. Employers can also use these tests on current employees to analyse any correlation between test results to productivity, which can help them see what would need changing and strengthening in order to increase the team's productivity.
If you would like to learn more about our wide range of tests and assessments, please do not hesitate to contact us.
