There is no shortage of Applicant Tracking Systems and for a very good reason – they help recruiters and hiring managers manage candidate pools and eliminate paper processes. Basic Applicant Tracking Systems include an application, automated communication with candidates and managers, ability to schedule interviews, and tracking of the hiring process. Most of the time, job applications can be built to include screening or knock-out questions, which help eliminate candidates on minimum qualifications (e.g., work experience, salary requirements). This is certainly a great start and does save managers time by not having to review resumes and applications of these candidates who lack the basic qualifications. But then what? What other qualifications are hiring managers looking for? A resume, while it does provide factual data about work history and education, can really only tell you so much about a person. They may have the work experience you are looking for, but what about everything else it takes to perform successfully on the job?
You see, Applicant Tracking Systems introduce a problem (a good problem) – they make it very easy for candidates to apply and, as a result, companies get flooded with applications. Then they need a way to efficiently identify and prioritize the best candidates. Assessments do just that. They can improve the efficiency of your hiring system, improve fit, and drive performance.
Utilizing a pre-employment assessment to measure a candidate’s skills, abilities, characteristics, and aptitude, as it relates to success on the job, will help identify higher quality candidates than resumes alone. When used early in the hiring process (we recommend right after the application), an assessment can help screen out candidates who do not have the core competencies to be successful on the job. This leaves fewer, but higher quality candidates to interview.
Applicant Tracking Systems will certainly improve time-to-fill, reduce recruiting costs, and save managers time, but if you truly want to identify the best candidates in the least amount of time, adding an assessment to your process provides a bigger advantage. In addition, assessments can improve retention, individual and team performance, customer satisfaction, quality, and sales.
If you are in the market for an Applicant Tracking System, make sure to ask if assessments are offered on their platform. But keep in mind that not all assessment providers are created equal. Realizing the benefits is the first lesson, selecting the right one is the second.
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