Why Your Company Should Consider Skills-Based Hiring Assessments

Here’s a sobering statistic: more than 78% of resumes are misleading. Nearly half (46%) of them contain lies.

Let that sink in.

Candidates lie the most when it comes to previous work experience, skills, degrees or certifications, references, and job-specific software proficiency. In the age of AI writing, references-for-hire, and fake college degrees and transcripts that can be bought online — who can you trust? And how can you confidently make the right hire the first time?

Unclench your jaw, take a deep breath, and smile, because there is an easy way to make sure you’re hiring a capable candidate. Skills-based assessments have entered the chat and are becoming more common for staffing agencies and employers to use in the recruiting process. They provide six key benefits when screening candidates, but more on that in a moment.

Resumes Might Lie, But Skills Assessments Don’t

What are skills-based assessments? They are a series of tests designed to evaluate a candidate’s skills to determine if they’re an ideal fit for a job. With assessments, employers get an unbiased measurement of the candidate’s knowledge that goes beyond their resume and interview—and a comprehensive understanding of their capabilities.

Skills assessments can be a powerful tool in your hiring toolbelt. Consider the following stats:

75% of HR professionals face difficulty in recruiting due to skills gaps in applicants
36% of hiring managers are more satisfied with their recruits after using job skill assessments
Employers who use pre-hire assessments are 24% more likely to have workers who perform above expectations

If you’re thinking: That sounds promising…but what’s the catch? We get it, you have trust issues now. You’re still reeling from the lying stat shared at the beginning of this blog. Don’t worry though — there’s really no catch. In fact, Bonney offers assessments to clients free of charge.

And if that alone isn’t enough to convince you to start making skills assessments part of your hiring process, maybe the six benefits we discuss below will.

Benefits Of Using Skills-Based Hiring Assessments To Screen Job Applicants

Traditional hiring methods can often fall short when it comes to identifying candidates who truly possess the skills and competencies necessary for their roles. Using skills-based assessments provides you with data-backed peace of mind when making hiring decisions.

Here are six ways your company can benefit from candidate skills testing.

Confirms Required Skills

Right off the bat, skill-based assessments serve as a litmus test for candidates’ abilities. This ensures that they possess the specific skills and competencies needed for the job so they can hit the ground running from day one.

Speeds Up Hiring

Time is money, and a lengthy hiring process costs your organization valuable resources. Skill assessments streamline the screening process, enabling you to quickly identify and hire top candidates. Assessments are tailored to your industry, from Accounting, Administrative, and Customer Service to Industrial, Safety, and Technical.

Equitable Hiring Practices

Unconscious biases can influence hiring decisions, leading to missed opportunities for diverse talent. Skill assessments offer an objective evaluation of candidates, reducing the impact of bias in the hiring process. With Bonney, you’ll gain access to standardized, bias-free assessment tools — so you can achieve inclusive and equitable hiring practices.

Minimizes Legal Risks

Navigating the legal complexities of hiring can be daunting. Skill assessments, when properly designed and administered, help protect your organization against legal challenges related to unfair hiring practices. Bonney has a deep understanding of compliance requirements, ensuring your assessment process abides by equal opportunity laws.

Provides Consistency in Screening Candidates

Consistency is key in identifying the right talent. Skills-based assessments test each candidate with the same questions and tasks — which is nearly impossible during personal interviews. The result? You maintain a fair and reliable screening process.

Improves New-Hire Retention Rates

Selecting candidates with the right skills not only boosts your hiring success but also improves new-hire retention rates. That’s because employees who match their job requirements are more likely to be satisfied with their roles, leading to higher productivity, longer tenures, and reduced turnover costs.

business professionals greeting new hire

Incorporate Bonney’s Free Skills Testing Into Your Hiring Process

Incorporating skills-based assessments into your company’s hiring strategy can be a game-changer and differentiator. You’ll be equipped with the tools needed to identify the best candidates quickly, fairly, and confidently — so you can make the right hire the first time.

Partnering with Bonney can help you leverage this powerful tool at no cost, providing science-backed assessments for thousands of job-specific skills, including: