Hiring is on the upswing, which is great! But many of the open positions require more than just basic skills.
Jobs are becoming increasingly complex and require higher levels of education, experience and problem solving ability – qualifications that a relatively small proportion of the labor force possesses. This is why advanced skills testing can be very beneficial.
While you can (somewhat) safely assume that students who have graduated from college have basic literacy skills, it is more difficult to know if an individual has the specialized skills that are necessary for many types of jobs. For example, if a position requires knowledge of statistics or trigonometry, you will not be able to assess these competencies with a basic skills test.
Basic skills tests typically start off with very simple questions. Someone applying for a higher level position might almost take offense to the simplicity of the items or not take the test seriously. Administering an advanced skills test could help with this.
Understanding areas where a candidate might be lacking the necessary skills can be valuable not only in making hiring decisions, but can be used to determine if any additional training might be needed after hiring.
What skills are most important for your non-entry level positions? Would having an advanced skills test assessment help with your hiring decisions?