The Pros and Cons of Using Pre-Employment Assessments (2024)

• Recruitment Strategy
• • January 14

• January 14, 2022

With the number of organizations choosing to mass hire increasing rapidly, things can get overwhelming for HR teams. The average time it takes for a recruiter to screen a resume is around 6-7 seconds each. While that seems quick if thousands of resumes are coming in regularly that task can take up a lot of time. Pre-employment assessments aim to help recruiters by cutting unqualified candidates out of the running before resources have to be expended on them. However, like any other tool, these tests have their downsides. Here are some of the pros and cons of using pre-employment assessments.

Pro: Save Resources on Resume Screening

Con: Risk A Tedious Application Process

While choosing a few pre-employment assessments to test key skills can be useful, too many tests can make your application a horribly tedious process. The number of applicants who quit before completing an online assessment is estimated to be around 60%. Obviously, this could be seen as a test of will, but at a certain point the fact is simple — your application is costing you good candidates. If you do decide to include pre-employment assessments in your application process, be wary of the overall length of your app.

Pro: Increase Quality of Hire

Hiring an unsuitable or unwilling employee can be a massive loss of revenue. On average it’s estimated that a bad hire can cost an organization around $15,000. If a candidate scores poorly on a key test, it’s unlikely that they have the necessary skills to complete the listed position’s duties. They would have become a bad hire if they managed to make it through the interview. Pre-employment assessments allow you to avoid these costs more regularly and recognize bad hires before they become a problem.

Con: A Reduced Applicant Pool

When mass hiring for more basic work, pre-employment assessments might actually be a detriment to finding a candidate. When the number of resumes coming in is lower than expected, or you’re simply looking to amass a large number of them to broaden your options, you might find that pre-employment assessments aren’t right for that scenario.

Pro: Tests Are The Same For Everyone

While many people’s interview experience will differ based on who interviews them, pre-employment assessments are static and objective. This not only makes the testing of applicants fairer but allows better data to be collected afterward. The average number of correct answers, how long each test took to complete, and how many applicants completed the test can be valuable information that can help improve your recruitment plan over time.

Con: Validity Of Tests May Be Questionable

Unfortunately, pre-employment assessments aren’t perfect. Reviewing whether or not your ability tests accurately reflect the skill sets they claim to should be a semi-regular occurrence. Relevant skills change year by year, and if your questions and assessments aren’t up to date you could be losing out on top talent.

See How PandoLogic Can Make The Recruitment Process Smoother

While no recruitment tool does everything, there’s a tool to make nearly every part of hiring smoother. Pairing pre-employment assessments with AI recruitment technology allows your skills tests to shine and can prevent faulty results. Chatbots like PandoLogic’s Wade & Wendy can inform potential applicants about their position before they apply, making it less likely that they’ll take on a test unprepared. Job ad placement software can help provide a diverse pool of candidates as well while delivering top talent.

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