In a world of virtual hiring, where the internet reigns supreme, HRs and employers have finally caught on to its potential for streamlining how they engage, shortlist, hire, and retain talent. And with more companies embracing remote/hybrid work, it’s no surprise that renewed, virtual recruitment strategies are in high demand.
Anyone who has been a part of business recruitment processes would agree that most resumes are like a fancy cake with heaps of icing on top, but there’s not much substance underneath. And let’s not even get started on unstructured interviews that feel more like a casual chat with a friend!
It’s time to ditch outdated methods and rethink your campus recruitment process to ensure your company engages with the top talent. In fact, according to recent surveys,
68% of recruiting professionals say that investing in new recruiting technology is the best way to improve recruiting performance over the next five years.
Now, let’s make this a little more exciting!
Let’s dive in to understand one of the crucial factors in finding the best candidates for your team, and that is an online assessment and virtual candidate test!
Read on to explore the nitty-gritty of online assessments and how they can help your campus recruitment process.
What exactly is an online assessment?
Online assessments are a test that evaluates the candidates learning of a particular subject. They are like high-tech magnifying glasses that allow you to zoom in on your candidates’ knowledge, skills, and abilities. These tests are administered online with a specific goal,
From numerical reasoning to personality questionnaires, online assessment tests come in many flavors and can assess various skills and characteristics.
An online assessment is a detailed and structured evaluation of an individual’s expertise, knowledge, or skills. These tests are hosted online and use modern web-based technologies to assess multiple aspects of a candidate, including their suitability for a particular job role.
In a LinkedIn post, Yajas Sardana tells the best way to prepare for online assessments.
Think it over with this example,
Assume you are recruiting for a sales position. In the online assessment, you can ask candidates to engage in a virtual sales pitch to demonstrate their ability to persuade and close a deal. Similarly, when you hire for a coding and programming role, the online assessment might include more technical questions or coding tests.
According to Emergen Research,
The global assessment services market is on the rise and is projected to reach a whopping USD 23.28 Billion by 2030.
That means that more and more companies realize the importance of using assessments to make informed hiring decisions, and as a result, the demand for these services is increasing.
So, with that in mind, let’s move to the next important question.
What are the 5 types of online assessment?
Assessing candidates during campus placements is a logistical nightmare for many colleges and companies! Many have already figured out that traditional pen-and-paper assessments won’t cut it for finding and engaging thousands of students year-to-year. Moreover, the cost of conducting the whole process is hard to justify today, especially when we have more efficient and convenient methods at our disposal!
Options like online recruiting platforms and virtual assessments are here to save the day! With objective insights from these tests, talent acquisition teams can make informed decisions and find the perfect candidates to build winning teams.
And the best part? Online assessments allow assessing candidates in various talent verticals and skills. Here are some of the most frequently used virtual candidate assessments that help employers evaluate candidates on crucial skills and traits.
A. Psychometric Assessments
During virtual campus drives, psychometric assessments are a powerful online tool to evaluate a candidate’s personality traits and competencies, including communication skills, emotional intelligence, and problem-solving abilities. They provide an objective and thorough analysis of a candidate’s strengths and weaknesses, allowing employers to make informed hiring decisions and match the right candidate with the role.
They are divided into two categories:
1. Cognitive Ability Tests
Think you have what it takes to outsmart the competition? Employers use cognitive ability tests to assess candidates’ potential to learn, adapt, and excel in a particular role. These online assessments measure your aptitude for problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision-making skills.
So, tell me, are you a mastermind or just a mere mortal when it comes to cognitive abilities?
2. Personality Tests
Personality tests are an exciting way to understand your unique traits and tendencies. These online assessments use a series of questions to evaluate various aspects of your personality, such as your level of extroversion, openness to new experiences, and emotional stability.
But personality tests aren’t just for self-discovery. Employers use these tests in virtual hiring to evaluate job candidates’ personality traits and determine how well they may fit within a particular work environment. By understanding a candidate’s personality, employers can make better hiring decisions and create a more harmonious workplace.
B. Job Simulations
Job simulations are online assessments that take the guesswork out of hiring by allowing you to show off your skills and knowledge in real-world scenarios.
They are just a way for candidates to showcase their skills and benefit employers by providing valuable insights into a candidate’s ability to handle real-world situations.
They come in many forms, from video interviews to situational judgment tests. In these assessments, you get assessed on challenges and scenarios that are likely to the role you’re applying for. You’ll then be evaluated based on your ability to navigate these challenges and make effective decisions.
Let’s talk about them.
1. Video Interviews
In the age of remote work and virtual hiring, video interviews have become an increasingly popular tool for employers to screen job applicants. With just a click of a button, employers can now connect with candidates through campus recruitment systems from across the globe without the hassle of time-consuming and expensive travel.
For your ease, there are platforms like Superset where you can;
- Track the real-time candidate movement
- Get interview recordings and live statistics
- Multi-person calls
- Drag and drop the candidates into the interview room; no manual scheduling is required
- Get custom feedback forms
Sounds intriguing, right?
Video interviews provide an opportunity for candidates to showcase their communication skills and presence while enabling employers to evaluate them in a more personal way. It’s like a mini window to the candidate’s world! Plus, video interviews are more efficient, environmentally friendly, and a fun way to make a great first impression!
2. Situational Judgment Tests
Situational judgment tests are online assessments that evaluate a candidate’s ability to handle real-life scenarios and make sound judgments. These tests present job-related situations and ask the candidate to choose the best course of action from multiple-choice options. With situational judgment tests, recruiters can measure candidates’ decision-making skills and assess how they respond to work-related challenges.
This online assessment is a great way to gauge a candidate’s thought process and problem-solving abilities, making it an effective tool for hiring top talent through the campus hiring process.
C. Skills Assessment
Are you a master of your craft? Can you work your way around complex software like it’s a breeze? Skills assessment tests aim to answer such questions and more.
These online tests evaluate a candidate’s expertise in different areas, including technical and soft skills. They help identify candidates with the right skills for a particular job. Skills assessment tests are valuable to organizations, enabling them to find the right candidate to hit the ground running and add value to their team from day one.
They are divided into two categories:
1. Technical Skills Tests
Looking for the right fit for a technical role can be a daunting task for employers. A single misstep can result in a team member disrupting projects and draining resources.
Technical skills tests can help prevent such scenarios by assessing a candidate’s technical skills and knowledge before hiring them. These tests use questions and techniques to evaluate candidates’ understanding of their technical domain and help recruiters make better hiring decisions.
2. Role-Based Assessments
Role-based assessments are online tests that evaluate a candidate’s skills and knowledge in a specific role. These assessments can be modified and customised for various job functions, including marketing, sales, finance, operations, customer support, and more. In addition, they are tailored to different industries and can be used to evaluate a candidate’s ability to perform specific job functions.
D. Behavior Assessment
Imagine this for a minute, you’ve just started a new job and are excited to join a fantastic team. But soon, you realize that one of your colleagues is incredibly difficult to work with, and their behavior is starting to impact the team’s productivity. If only you had known about their behavior patterns beforehand, you might have been able to avoid the situation altogether. That’s where behavior assessments come in.
Behavior assessments are online tests that help evaluate an individual’s personality traits and behavior patterns in a work setting. They can provide insight into how people interact with their colleagues, their communication styles, and how they handle conflict. By understanding these traits, employers can build a cohesive team that works well together and avoids potential conflicts or issues. Example,
Assume you’re hiring for a customer service role and want to find someone who can easily handle challenging customers. A behavior assessment can help you identify candidates who are patient, empathetic, and have strong communication skills. That will ensure that you hire someone who can effectively handle customer complaints and provide excellent service, ultimately leading to higher customer satisfaction and retention.
E. Communication Skills Assessment
Are you a master communicator? Can you deliver a message clearly and concisely, no matter the audience or situation? Communication is an essential skill that’s vital in any workplace, and the ability to communicate effectively can make or break your virtual interview.
Here’s a story that might interest you.
A friend of mine went for a job interview for a marketing position. He was confident in his ability to communicate, but during the interview, he struggled to articulate his thoughts clearly and concisely. As a result, he didn’t get the job. Later, he took a communication skills assessment and realized he needed to structure his ideas more effectively. So he worked on improving his communication skills, and in the following interview, he communicated his ideas clearly and impressed the interviewers, ultimately landing the job.
This type of assessment evaluates a candidate’s ability to communicate in various settings, including written, verbal, and nonverbal communication. They help identify areas of strength and weakness and provide candidates with actionable feedback to improve their skills.
How do online assessments improve the hiring game?
An effective online assessment platform can facilitate high-quality hiring by enabling the identification of the most suitable candidates for specific job roles.
1. Cost-Effectiveness
Well, recruiters! Are you tired of spending a fortune on traditional hiring methods, like job fairs and recruitment events?
By taking advantage of the cost-effective benefits of online assessments, you can save on recruitment expenses while still finding suitable candidates for your organization. In addition, online assessment allow you to assess candidates from the comfort of your office without needing expensive travel or on-site testing.
2. Accessibility
Online assessments are like a virtual job fair that’s open 24/7 – you never have to worry about missing out on top talent!
By offering online assessments, you can provide equal opportunities for all candidates, irrespective of their location or circumstances. So say goodbye to the days of being limited to candidates within a certain radius or those who can travel to on-site testing locations.
With online assessments, you can open your candidate pool to the world and find the best talent for your organization. It’s like having a global recruitment network at your fingertips!
3. Time-Saving
In online recruiting, by taking advantage of the time-saving benefits of online assessments, you can quickly and easily evaluate candidates’ skills and abilities without sacrificing the quality of your evaluation.
With features like automated grading and customizable tests, you can streamline the assessment process and save time for other essential tasks.
4. Instant Feedback
With features like automated grading and real-time reporting, recruiters can receive immediate candidate performance and progress feedback. That allows recruiters to identify strong candidates and address any areas for improvement.
5. Enhanced Security
Online assessments provide enhanced security measures that are crucial in maintaining the integrity of the assessment process.
With traditional assessments, there is always the risk of cheating or tampering, which can lead to inaccurate results and undermine the hiring process.
However, in virtual hiring, online assessments can provide a secure environment for candidates through password protection, randomized questions, and monitoring tools. These security features ensure that candidates cannot cheat or copy from one another and that the test results accurately reflect their true abilities.
Furthermore, online assessments can help prevent identity fraud by verifying the identity of each candidate through methods such as facial recognition or ID verification. Here’s how Superset does it:
6. Flexibility
With online assessments, recruiters can schedule and administer tests anytime and from anywhere with an internet connection. That eliminates the need for candidates to travel to a physical testing location, which can be a significant barrier to entry for some candidates.
Further, online assessments are customizable. You can easily modify them to fit your organization and the role in focus. You can choose from various question types, testing formats, and difficulty levels to ensure that the assessment accurately tests the skills and abilities required for the position.
7. Data-Driven Decision Making
Online assessments provide recruiters with a wealth of data and insights that help them make better hiring decisions in the campus placement process.
By leveraging the power of data-driven decision-making, recruiters can make more informed and objective assessments of candidate performance, leading to better hiring decisions and a better hire.
Recruiters can track and analyze candidate performance metrics, such as completion times, accuracy rates, and question difficulty levels. All that data helps to identify patterns and trends to make more informed decisions about which candidates should (and shouldn’t) advance to the next step.
8. Better Candidate Selection
Online assessments allow you to assess candidates’ skills and abilities objectively and consistently without any bias creeping in.
No more relying on gut feelings or guessing games. Online assessments provide real, data-driven insights into candidates’ performance and potential. Additionally, you can customize them to measure the skills and abilities that are most important for the available role.
9. Scalability
With online assessments, you can quickly scale up your campus recruitment process to accommodate more candidates without sacrificing quality or efficiency. Think of it like having an army of robots helping you.
With online assessments, you simultaneously create, deliver, and evaluate thousands of candidates. They promise the flexibility and scalability you need to succeed in your recruitment process.
10. Minimized Administrative Burden
By using online assessments, recruiters can easily create and deliver assessments, monitor their progress, and evaluate results in real time. That frees up valuable time and resources for more strategic and value-added activities, such as engaging with candidates, refining hiring strategies, and strengthening employer branding.
11. In-Depth Insights
These reports provide recruiters with a clear and comprehensive view of candidate performance, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement with graphs and charts that are as visually appealing.
By using online assessments, recruiters can wave goodbye to the struggle of manual scoring and interpretation and enjoy the excitement of exploring data-driven insights that can help identify top talent and optimize the virtual hiring process. These in-depth reports are like treasure maps that can guide recruiters to the most qualified and talented candidates and help them to refine their recruitment strategies for even greater success in the future.
So why settle for a plain vanilla campus hiring process when you can add a pop of color and excitement with online assessments and in-depth reports?
In Conclusion
Online assessments are a powerful tool to revolutionize your campus hiring game! By embracing the virtual world of candidate assessments, you open up a whole new realm of possibilities and gain access to a diverse pool of talented individuals. Whether hiring the best candidate for a particular position or simply seeking to build a more robust and competitive workforce, online assessments are the way to go!
So why not jump on the bandwagon and take advantage of this exciting technology today? Your dream candidate could be just a click away! Right!
That’s why we introduce you to Superset, an automated recruitment platform that saves you 100% of the time spent on test assessments.
It has Inbuilt assessment integrations with the following:
- One-click assessment roll-out
- Instant results back in the platform
- Simple shortlisting
- Open APIs to integrate with other assessment vendors
You don’t have to take our word for it. Try it out yourself here.
