Pre-employment tests cover a range of topics. Some allow a recruiter to evaluate a potential employees core skills, while other tests are tailored to gauge a person’s skills in a specific area, i.e. Microsoft Word or Excel. Different tests can be used at different stages of the recruitment process too, making it easier and faster to find the best potential candidates for each role. Regardless of the types of tests a would-be employee might take, the results always have one thing in common. They always help highlight the best employees a recruiter could choose from the available applicants. This would be difficult, if not impossible, to do without help from such tests. Sifting through hundreds of applications by hand is almost certainly going to see encouraging candidates missing out, simply because the process of finding them is done by hand.
Employee testing removes the human factor

If all applicants are required to take the same pre-employment tests, the results will be consistent across the board. This applies whether there are 10 or 1,000 applicants. Indeed, the more people that take the test, the more time you’ll save when finding the best people to hire. It would be impossible for a recruiter to evaluate every applicant in the same way if they didn’t resort to testing of some kind. Personal bias would almost certainly get in the way, whether that is a positive or negative bias. Even without this element playing a part, an individual could well miss information given within a CV that would point to a good candidate. Human error is always going to play a part, even if we do all we can to avoid this.
Testing goes beyond an employees CV and application form

Most people would admit to polishing their CV and making it appear as impressive as possible. Most won’t lie, but they might word things to sound better than they are. The same applies when completing application forms. Pre-employment skill tests make sure your applicants have the required knowledge they say they have. Core literacy and numeracy skills can be tested in a controlled situation, providing recruiters with far more accurate information that highlights the best people in the field. Situational judgement tests go further still, giving you vital information on how candidates might perform once in the job role. It’s possible that someone may be perfect on paper and yet fall short in this crucial area. Furthermore, personality profiling gives the recruiter yet more information on the way someone thinks and acts. Are they best when working alone or as part of a team? Are they flexible or rigid in their job role? Such information is very useful when whittling down the field to find the best employees you could hire. You can see there is plenty of information to be gleaned from pre-employment testing of all kinds. This information is unlikely to be found in the average CV or application form, yet it highlights the individuals who would shine once employed in the role they are applying for.
Final thought on why pre-employment tests deliver better employees

These tests are an investment in the future of your business, giving you a chance to employ the right person first time, every time. No more wasted appointments, leaving you with someone who cannot perform as well as you thought, creating further expensive issues down the line. Pre-employment tests are the best way to find the best employees. Skillsarena provides a range of pre-employment tests for all businesses. If you would like to find out how we can help you find the best recruits, call today on +44 (0)203 693 2201. Alternatively you can email us.