The Human Resource (HR) department in any organization is the epicenter of activity. Hiring new talent, training the internal talent pool, managing employee compensation and benefits, and building a highly competent talent pool are some of the key activities that keep the HR department bustling with activities. There are several effective recruitment tools that HR can use to spot the right talent for open job positions. The HR department can use employee assessment tools for hiring talented candidates and identifying the skill gaps in the internal talent pool. Read on to understand what are pre-employment assessment tools and the multiple ways in which they can be used by the HR team.

What are Employee Assessment Tools?

Online employee assessment tools or pre-employment assessment tools provide the hiring team with a standardized method to gather information about the job applicants and cross-check whether the information matches their hands-on skills. These tools are extremely useful for making insightful, data-driven decisions in recruitment. Pre-employment assessment tools comprise questions on job-related skills, behavioral evaluations, situational simulations, soft skill evaluations, and reasoning ability evaluations. Subjecting prospective hires through such comprehensive assessments helps employers to decide whether they will fit into the work environment, how they would handle work challenges, and of course their hands-on skill level.

The HR team also uses employee assessment software to evaluate the skill level of existing employees. What is the purpose of evaluating internal skill levels? With technological innovations and advancements happening in every industry, the skill requirements in the job market keep changing according to these innovations. To stay relevant in the job market, job seekers need to update and upgrade their skill sets. Similarly, the internal talent pool in an organization also needs to be upgraded regularly for the business to stay competitive. Employee skills assessment software evaluates the skill level of candidates.

The test comprises questions as per the current skill levels in the job market. The performance of the employee in these evaluations reveals the skill gaps. The HR team can organize training and development programs to bridge this skill gap. These tools are usually online talent assessment tools that can be shared with the employee/s via email. Once the employee completes the test, section-wise performance reports are presented to the HR team. Based on these reports, the skill gaps can be identified and appropriate measures can be taken to bridge the gap.

Employee skill assessment tools help increase professional training efficiency, track employee performance over time, and digitize the assessment paperwork and process. In addition to assessing skill level, these assessments can also be used for determining personality types, working styles, learning styles, and many more details of the employee. Skill assessments are not the same as examinations. Examinations are taken to pass them, while skill assessments generate different outcomes that help recruiters learn more about the candidate/employee. When used as a pre-employment tool, these assessments help determine if the candidate is a good fit for the position and the company’s culture. Skill assessments help narrow down your pool of choice and help the hiring team determine the perfect fit for the role.

Why Should You Assess Employee Skills?

As mentioned in the above section, skill assessment tools can be used in the hiring process and also for evaluating the skill levels of employees. When used for hiring employees, skill assessments are the first step in the selection process. The performance reports of these assessments shed light on the technical skills, personality type, working, and learning style of the candidate. The insights gained from the performance report and analytics are extremely useful in deciding on the perfect fit for the role.

Now the question arises when we are screening candidates during pre-employment Why should we assess their skills after employment?

1- Identifying Skill Gaps –

Pre-employment screening is more about assessing whether the prospective hire is the right fit for the role, while employee assessment is conducted to identify skill gaps. The skill sets in the job market are dynamic, and new skill requirements are being added to technical and non-technical roles every day. So that an organization stays competitive, the internal talent pool needs to be upgraded and updated as per the new requirements in the job market. For that, we need to evaluate the current skill level of the employees first.

2- Planning Training Programs –

Let us consider this example, a software developer is given a skill assessment that evaluates their coding skills, domain knowledge required for the role, personality trait assessment, and soft skill evaluations that determine their ability to work in a team and collaborate with colleagues, and communication assessments. At the end of this assessment, the HR team is provided with reports and analytics that reflect the skill level of the employee and how good a team player they are. Suppose their communication skills assessment wasn’t up to the mark, then the HR team can organize appropriate communication training programs to help them improve in that area. In case the coding skills of the employee are not up to the mark, then technical training programs can be organized to close the skill gap.

3- Building a Competent Internal Talent Pool –

Updating and upgrading the skills and competencies of the internal talent pool in an organization is the most effective way to stay competitive in the market. Employee assessment tools come in handy in evaluating the skill levels of the internal candidate pool. Periodic evaluation of employee skills helps the HR team identify the skill gaps and organize appropriate training modules to bridge the gap.

4- Stabilizing the Organization –

Enabling employees to upgrade their skills via training programs adds value to their careers. Employees are happy to participate in company-organized training programs without having to spend money out of their pocket. The cost-saving aspect aside, regular training programs are a great way to engage employees. Actively engaged employees tend to stay with the organization for longer periods. This improves employee retention rates, which in turn stabilizes the organization.

Advantages of Employee Assessment Tools

Both during the pre-employment and post-employment phases, the use of skill assessment tools provides several advantages to the HR team. When used as pre-employment assessment tools, they help find the right talent for open positions. When used as online assessment tools for employee skill evaluation, they help identify skill gaps and plan appropriate training programs. The main advantages of using employee skills assessment software are:

1. Quick and Effective Hiring –

Screening several candidate profiles can be done easily using these tools. All that the hiring team has to do is to share the test link via email with prospective hires. The test is conducted in a secure browser environment that ensures that the candidate does not indulge in any fraudulent practices. The performance reports of the employee/candidate are provided to the HR team upon completion of the test. All this is done within a few minutes. The hiring team saves a considerable amount of time and effort by using the pre-employment skill assessment software to screen candidate profiles.

2. Comprehensive Evaluation –

Unlike traditional screening methods like written exams or interviews that are subjective, online assessment tools focus on objectively evaluating a host of skills. Psychometric tests to evaluate personality traits/type, job simulations to evaluate working styles, reasoning ability evaluations, and cognitive evaluations are part of employee skill assessments. At the end of the assessment, the employer not only has an idea of the technical skill level of the candidate but also whether the candidate would fit into the organization’s work culture and personality type.

3. Cost-Effectiveness –

Using a skill assessment tool saves the hiring team oodles of time in screening prospective hires. With these tools in hand, they need not spend time evaluating their performance. The software provides comprehensive performance reports and analyses that help hiring teams decide on the suitability of the candidate. Saving time translates to cost savings. The hiring process is cost-effective when you use pre-employment assessment tools.

4. Streamlined Hiring –

Based on the reports and analytics provided by the skill assessment software, the hiring team can plan further hiring steps. The interview questions can be created to test the candidate further in areas of competence/skill revealed by the skill assessment. The hiring process becomes more streamlined and organized with the use of these tools.

5. Remote Hiring –

Online skill assessments can be shared with candidates located at any geographic location. The hiring process can be conducted despite the candidate being at a different location. Skill assessment software also features remote proctoring that helps prevent fraud and cheating during the evaluation.

Top Employee Assessment Tools for 2024

Choosing the right employee assessment software is critical for successful hiring. Employee assessment features provided by each software vary. Here are some must-have features of employee skill assessment software.

• Fully customizable skill assessments
• Remote proctoring feature
• Secure test environment
• Easy test administration
• Insightful reports and analytics
• Comprehensive skill library

To make it easy for you to decide on the right skill assessment tool, we have compiled the list of top employee assessment tools for 2024.

• VidCruiter – This is an end-to-end online assessment platform that features screening, testing, reference checks, and interviews.
• CodinGame – CodinGame is a screening tool exclusively for developers that provides millions of coding challenges. It is the best bet for companies looking to hire developers.
• SkillRobo – This is an end-to-end online assessment platform that provides all of the must-have features of skill assessment software. It features role-based customization, remote proctoring, fraud and cheating prevention, and instant reports and analytics.
• Vervoe – This is a growing vendor fully focused on candidate assessment. They are extremely effective for AI technology-based assessments.
• ESkill – This is a comprehensive talent assessment platform that comes with capabilities that span the entire employee lifecycle, from pre-employment to behavioral development.
• HackerRank – This is one of the largest tech assessment platforms that is used by customers like DropBox and AirBnB.
• HireVue – This is a powerful video interview platform that keeps improving its product offerings.
• MyInterview – This is a video interview platform that uses AI technology for evaluating candidates.
• PyMetrics – Based on AI technology to vet, assess, and manage candidates. An ideal persona can be created for each role and the test determines the potential match to this persona.
• Searchlight – The software uses the best in class software to understand how talent does on the job.

Improving the efficiency of your hiring process depends largely on the choice of skill assessment platform. Choosing an end-to-end online assessment platform like SkillRobo is advantageous for your organization. Pre-employment skill assessment sets the tone for the rest of the recruitment process. To begin the recruitment process with a powerful skill assessment tool for efficient and effective recruitment.

Conclusion

The HR team is tasked with hiring skilled and competent candidates for all the open positions within the organization. This is considered the primary task of recruitment. But what we fail to acknowledge is that HR also needs to keep the internal talent pool up to date with the latest trends in the market. In addition to hiring competent candidates, HR in any organization also needs to ensure that the skill level of existing employees is as per current industry standards. For skill evaluations that are done during hiring, pre-employment assessment tools are best suited, and employee assessment tools can be used for evaluating the skill level of employees.

SkillRobo provides pre-employment assessment and employee assessment tests that ensure a comprehensive assessment of skills and competencies. Using an end-to-end online assessment platform like SkillRobo presents the HR team with powerful tools to evaluate candidates. The trial version of SkillRobo introduces you to some powerful assessment features for role-based skill evaluation.

To explore employee assessment features provided by SkillRobo, Sign Up for the trial now.