The assessment is basically defined as the procedure or instrument that would be used to evaluate the candidate to check the relevance of their skills, abilities, and knowledge to the open job position. The forms of assessments are many and include but are not limited to written exercises, psychometric assessments, and interviews. The idea behind making an assessment is to extract, in an unbiased manner, information regarding the candidate’s competence – and upon which base an employer would make their recruitment decisions. For example, technical positions often ask some coding test questions to ensure the required programming skills of the candidate. In contrast, a sales position may need some role-playing to test the interpersonal and negotiation skills of the candidate.
Just, realistic, fair, reasonable, valid, and reliable tests should be designed so that a stable and consistent measure should be obtained which could reflect candidates’ potential performance at the job as best as possible. Generally, employers utilize a variety of assessments simultaneously to have a more comprehensive view of a candidate’s capabilities. For example, while psychometric tests reveal personality characteristics and cognitive potentials, practical assessments can show fundamental skills. The results can make significant impacts on the hiring process and ensure that suitable candidates are obtained who fit in well with the culture while possessing the right skills. Moreover, such a well-designed assessment can improve the experience for the candidates by giving them a clear insight into what the job requires and expects.
You may also be interested in learning about these terms:
Assessment
Culture Fit
Psychometric Testing
Personality Test