CHIEF OF STAFF FIVE: Not too long ago, job applicants went to the hiring company’s office, underwent a battery of tests, and then had to go home and wait for the results.
While this process may still exist today, technology has made it much quicker for HR professionals to know and analyse the results almost instantly. The waiting time is also shortened at the other end, with job seekers getting a final answer to their application much faster than previously.
This Chief of Staff Five looks at five ways technology has helped to provide faster, more accurate assessment of candidates in the modern hiring environment.
IQ testing
Intelligence quotient tests aim to measure a person’s problem solving and reasoning abilities. Technology has made it easier for jobseekers to take IQ tests for companies that require a specific insight into these skills. There are online job portals that allow job applicants to take the test and provide confirmed results to employers.
Language test
In this day and age, when people communicate almost exclusively online, language skills are becoming more and more important. Language tests may include grammar, vocabulary and reading comprehension questions. Now, artificial intelligence-based technology has enabled employers to evaluate jobseekers’ ability to answer open-ended questions, with tests undertaken without any human involvement from the HR team.
Background investigations
Applicants may seem to check all the boxes in terms of professional skills and IQ, but are they really what they purport themselves to be on their résumés? Technology-based background checks can help HR professionals test the veracity of entries on applicants’ résumés. Recruiters can take a quick look at jobseekers’ online presence, especially profiles on professional networking sites, to double-check information.
Recording the interview
Once an applicant hurdles the initial screening, HR professionals can conduct the interview online and record it. Of course, the jobseeker must be informed that the interview is being recorded. The recording can then be sent to hiring managers, who may or may not do a second interview based on the first one.
