Sudhanshu Ahuja
April 6, 2022
Making the wrong hire is costly, with each poor decision costing the organisation around USD $17,000, according to Career Builder. But with an estimated 50% of job seekers misrepresenting skills and experience on their resumes, finding the right hire isn’t always easy.
Traditionally, recruiters and HR rely on the interview to determine the veracity of a candidate’s claims, but this isn’t foolproof. Most experienced recruiters and HR professionals can likely recall a candidate who said all the right things at the interview but ultimately couldn’t perform the job.
So, how do you get certainty that a candidate has the skills you need? The answer lies in AI-based skill assessments.
What are AI-based skill assessments?
AI-based skill assessments come in many forms, and the term broadly refers to any process that uses machine learning to measure a candidate’s capabilities. These assessments range from exam-style questionnaires to interactive job simulations or even chatbot discussions reviewed and analysed by assessment platforms.
AI assessments can measure both technical and non-technical (or soft) skills. And with growing demand for soft skills in many industries, assessments in this latter category have become ever more popular.
Why use AI-based skill assessments?
As outlined above, accurate AI-based assessments give you certainty of skills, so you aren’t relying on testimony from candidates or referees. In addition, because responses are reviewed and graded by technology, there is no element of human bias in the shortlisting process. Assessment platforms work based on facts, not conscious or unconscious feelings about a candidate’s gender, race, age or location.
These assessments can be graded, and applications progressed without human intervention, leading to a refined and accurate shortlist in a fraction of the time. And, because human interviewers have certainty of each shortlisted candidate’s skills, the interview can dive deeper into other aspects, such as cultural fit and goal alignment. This, in turn, enables you to make faster, more accurate and informed hiring decisions.
Streamlined use of these assessments also accelerates the hiring process, offering a fast,seamless experience that keeps candidates engaged. They can also save your HR or recruitment team significant time that would have been spent manually delving into applications to determine skills.
What to look for in assessment tools
With a myriad of options in the market, identifying the best assessments can be a challenge. Today’s technologies can assess just about anything in a candidate’s application. However, too many assessments make the process difficult for candidates and the amount of data overwhelming for the recruiter.
So the first step is to be clear on the targeted things you want to measure. For example, what skills will make the most difference to someone’s ability to complete the role? This is what your assessment should measure.
Next, look for solutions built on industry best practice, evidence-based research and organisational psychology principles. Your assessments must be fair to candidates and provide an accurate picture of their skills, so those underpinned by these things are best placed to achieve this goal. Providers should be happy to talk to you about their credentials in this space.
To make the most of the efficiencies on offer, it’s also wise to look for a platform that integrates with your existing recruitment tools.
If you are looking for a better assessment partner for your organisation, impress.ai can help.
We partner with several leading assessment platforms, including Codility, SHL, The Predictive Index, Thomas, Pysmetrics and the Hacker Trail, offering integrations that streamline internal processes and the candidate experience.
Want to make better use of AI to find the right talent? impress.ai can deliver a seamless, automated end-to-end hiring process that saves you time and money while driving the best possible recruitment outcomes. Talk to our team today to see it in action for yourself.
