Trying to create a skills assessment can be like looking at a blank canvas. Where to start? What questions to ask? What order should they be in? How long should it be?
Based on best practices from over 8,000 organisations, here is a guide to creating a skills assessment that is personalised to a specific business.
Figure out what to test
Skills assessments should be about skills. This does not mean only technical skills or only interpersonal skills.
A custom skills test will assess what matters to the company in its hiring.
To start, look at the job description and discuss it with the team or hiring manager to understand what a new hire might do on a day-to-day basis. To get a sense of the core hard and soft skills a new hire needs, consider:
- The tools they are likely to use daily
- The tasks they will be responsible for
- The business goals and how this person contributes to them
- How the team works together and the values they share
Create the right questions
Think about questions that paint a picture of what a candidate will contribute.
Creating a skills test can be simple if one is familiar with the role or extending an existing team. If an email marketer is being hired, for example, the rest of the marketing team can help create specific questions or situations the person might face.
It is harder to create a skill assessment for an unfamiliar role, especially if it has complex technical components.
Start with thinking about the three most important tasks the candidate will have to do on the job and write one question for each one. Ask candidates to do the task itself or something as close as possible.
It will provide more relevant insights if people demonstrate how they approach the job’s actual tasks instead of hypothetical situations.
Vervoe’s assessment creator can prompt with relevant questions. Based on the job description, a list of the skills that are usually sought out in this role will come up and provide a good starting point for questions to help understand how well someone demonstrates those skills.
Use a variety of question formats
How do you make the questions seem less like a survey and create a skill assessment that is engaging for candidates?
Include a variety of questions to prevent candidate drop-off, and it provides better insight into the candidates.
For example, it would be nearly impossible to tell if a digital marketer could write content based on a multiple-choice question. And a short-answer question will not show if a sales representative can deliver a presentation.
To show how well they can do the job, applicants should be assessed on the way they would solve the problem in the course of the role.
To assess how well someone can write, they should be asked to give a sample of writing.
To see how they communicate verbally, use an audio recording. And if the role includes creating presentations, editing documents or writing code – ask them to do that too.
A word of caution. It can be easy to get carried away with video questions. Of course, recruiters would like to see the candidates’ faces, but is it necessary to want to watch tens or even hundreds of videos, each a few minutes long?
The purpose of video responses is to pick up on things more substantive than the answer: body language, communication style and confidence. This can be important for some roles, sales for example. But for others, the proof will be in their answers to real problems.
The magic number for video questions is two to three per assessment. And only if it is really necessary.
Here is an example of the different formats available in a Vervoe assessment for a customer support representative.
For this role, it was important to write emails to customers and provide support over the phone. In one assessment, they were asked how they would respond to customers in both formats.
Create a good assessment flow
Now the questions can be put together into an assessment. Based on data from 8,000 companies, here is what works to make sure candidates complete the assessment.
- Ease into the assessment: A conversation with someone does not start by grilling them with hard questions. An online assessment is the same. When creating a skill assessment, start with a multiple-choice question that eases the candidate in.
- Ask them to solve a problem: The meaty part of the assessment should be based on real-world scenarios. Get the candidates to dive into some of the challenges they will come across in the role.
There should be three to five of these heavy-hitting questions. Make it real. Allow applicants to think, draw on their experience and apply what they have learnt.
- Wrap it up with culture: Towards the end of the assessment is the best place to include questions relating to values and culture.
How would they contribute to the organisation? Do they share the “why” of the business? This is an excellent place to wrap up with one or two questions.
Creating a skills assessment is not an exact science but there is a natural flow, just like a conversation.
Focus on the skills candidates bring to the table and set them up for success rather than tripping them up. Then refine the list and raise the bar.
Make it the perfect length
The purpose of a skills assessment is to screen people in based on their skills, not screen them out of the process by making it impossible to complete.
Generally, about 10 questions is good to aim for, with a completion time of less than one hour. For entry-level jobs, consider a shorter assessment that homes in on the core skills that must be demonstrated.
For complex roles, a more in-depth assessment might be needed.
Final tips on creating a skills assessment
For any skill assessment, and for hiring in general, communication is critical. While candidates say they love showing what they can do, they must be prepared for the process.
Let candidates know upfront that a skills assessment is part of the process. It is not something candidates need to be wary of, it is an opportunity for them to showcase their talents and put their best foot forward for the role.
This article first appeared in Vervoe.
At Vervoe, their mission is to fundamentally transform the hiring process from mediocracy to meritocracy.
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