Online assessments to support recruitment

Online assessments to support recruitment

Suitability assessments, or psychological assessments, are increasingly part of companies’ recruitment processes, and are now widely carried out across a range of skill levels.

The purpose of a psychological assessment is to evaluate a candidate’s ability to succeed in a role and to provide an objective, external perspective on the recruitment process. The assessment supports the employer’s decision-making process by confirming how well the candidate meets the criteria and expectations of the role.

As the assessments are nowadays more common tool, they also bring with them new requirements. In-person assessments, which can be more resource-intensive and time-consuming than online assessments, no longer fit into the employer image or recruitment processes of all companies.

Digitalisation of aptitude assessments

The field of aptitude assessments has moved from traditional face-to-face assessments to increasingly remote online-based assessments. The flexibility and location-independence of online assessment methods increase the speed of assessment implementation.  It is also a pleasant experience for the candidate – tasks can be done when and where it suits the candidate best.

Support and guidance play an important role in completing and preparing for the tasks. The candidate will receive clear instructions on how to prepare for the assessment well in advance of the assessment, as well as the opportunity to discuss the assessment with the psychologist beforehand. It is recommended that the assessment is taken in a rested state and that the exercises are carried out in a quiet environment with good online access.

According to the Avila Candidate Feedback Survey (2022), candidates being assessed appreciate the opportunity to take the assessment at a time that suits them and in their own familiar environment. This can contribute to the success of the assessment as external stressors, such as unfamiliar surroundings, do not affect the assessment.

Flexibility, speed and location independence make the assessment experience pleasant for both the candidate and the sponsor.

The interview ensures a personalised candidate experience

The multi-format online assessments provide a comprehensive picture of the candidate’s working and interaction skills, as well as logical, analytical reasoning and problem-solving abilities. In addition, the assessment includes an interview with a psychologist. For online-based assessments, the interview plays a particularly important role in the candidate’s experience. The structured interview ensures that the assessment tasks are completed, that the candidate is heard and that the assessment experience is personalised.

The structured interview aims to cover a wide range of questions relevant to the position in question. On the basis of the interview and the assessment tasks, the psychologist prepares a summary report which gives an opinion on the candidate’s suitability for the job and the work community. The psychologist conducting the assessment structures the report with a coaching approach and aims to create a situation for the candidate which does not feel like an assessment per se – on the contrary, it allows the candidate to reflect on personal thinking, behaviour and interaction with the professional. The individual discussion, which gives the candidate concrete tips for identifying and developing their own areas of development, motivation and strengths, is part of creating a positive candidate experience.

Reliability of assessment methods

Remote assessments have been found to predict job performance at least as well as face-to-face assessments. Electronic computer-based assessment methods avoid, among other things, tester bias when assigning tasks and the potential human error that can occur in traditionally performed tasks, such as calculating scores

Online-based assessments may show less social desirability responses than on-site assessments. Social desirability refers to those situations where the candidate answers questions on the basis of what is generally desirable or acceptable, rather than necessarily stating their own position honestly

For the candidate, taking part in an assessment can be a stressful situation, but it should be taken as a positive opportunity. You cannot fail the assessment per se if you answer the questions honestly and in accordance with your own ideas. In online assessments, any dishonest behaviour can be identified during the assessment. This is helped by the multi-method nature of assessments, verification tests, questions and an interview in which the psychologist also goes through the assessment situation if necessary.

The online assessments therefore effectively support recruitment decisions and also serve as a guide for the recruiting front-line staff in mentoring and inducting the new employee. To learn more about psychological aptitude assessments and how to prepare for them, click here.

See you at the assessments!