Why Organizations value Online Assessments over University Degree for Evaluation

How do you think it will feel when someone will say ‘that position is not your type’? If you are thinking like me, obviously one’s reaction will be ‘who is other person to decide what’s your type and what’s not?’

You should know your own capabilities and abilities. You should be one to decide whether or not you deserve the place or not.

Organizations Preferring Digital assessments over academic credentials during hiring

In earlier times, it was stereotypical that the boss of one will be the one to decide whether or not the person deserves the promotion or not. Partiality and being bias was very common in such cases. You had to impress the senior in order to be selected for the higher post.

With the changing times, the age old rituals in work places have changed too.The methods to appoint a particular person for a specific position has flipped too.  With everything becoming digital, hiring for jobs has become virtual as well.

Online assessment is a trending thing going on all over.  Many companies prefer taking the psychometric tests which are available online these days. The aim or need behind taking these tests is to get or select the ‘right person’ for the particular job.

Numerous top companies in the world have told in a survey that they have incurred huge amount of losses due to appointment of incapable or non eligible candidates.

They say that the interns coming in take for themselves training that is worth a fortune. They eventually leave the company and hence the company suffers heavy losses.  

There are assorted reasons as to why the methods used till now to appoint new staff have caused the company losses.

  • Formatted selection,

  • College degree based selection,

  • No upgradation,

  • Procedure of selection,

  • Favourism

 

Formatted Selection

Companies, while hiring always look up to their existing employees. Meaning, while looking for qualities in new recruits, the selectors compare the candidates with their existing staff. They expect them to be like their employees.

This is where they have a drawback.If the company will choose their new manpower according to their existing one, what is the point of getting people then, right?

The need felt for new manpower is when the company needs to progress and have new ideas and recommendations. If lot with similar thought process and inclination are appointed, then how will the company progress?

College Degree based Selection

One of the most common and typical mistake the organisations make while assigning new people is that they look at the marks on their college degrees. That is really unfair.

Why unfair you ask?

A simple reason to it is: Every college  and university has different grading and ranking system. If a college from East has 40% passing and 80% distinction, then some other college from the West may have 30% passing and 70% distinction. This variability isn’t just when it comes to obtaining jobs.

College academic Degree credentials

Another reason why college degrees can be invalid is because of the practicality of them. Colleges degrees are completely on the theoretical knowledge of the pupil.

It cannot define how much the student has got to lean through his entire period of the course. One cannot tell seeing the degree, whether the person can apply the things he learnt, in reality.

The validity or authenticity of the university certificates is now at question, since they are squarely bookish. When is comes to applying it in working, or using the syllabus, one may find it unreliable.

No upgradation

This is pretty much related to Formatted Selection. The companies don’t want to have new and updated staff. they want the same old algorithms with the company functioning and staff working.

When institutions will start hiring new Talents with ew ideas and variant methodologies, then and only then will the company ameliorate.

If the same age old ways of working and operating are continued, then how will new talent flourish, and how will the new graduates get their opportunities?

Companies also want to go with the old time methods of choosing the candidates through only the PI (Personal Interview). It may so happen that the candidate may lie or try to be flattery to impress the interviewers. Because of this, the organisations may end up in appointing wrong person for the wrong position.

Procedure of Selection

The formatted or drafted format used till now to appoint new lot has definitely proved to fail. The age old system to call up a person for a PI round and then selecting him on that basis is definitely a no go anymore.

According to surveys, and studies of experts, there is a drafted format for taking the complete interview of a person to be appointed.

  • Taking the Psychometric or aptitude test,
  • Then conducting a work sample, and
  • Then inviting the person for the final PI round.

The above mentioned procedure is designed by experts . According to this, the aptitude tests given are supposed to be taken by each and every candidate that comes forward for the job position. This test calculates the inclination and preferences of the person. This helps the company to understand whether or not the person is eligible for the job mentally and ethically.

Conducting the work sample is to provide the candidate with the kind of work that is to e done by hm in case he gets the position. This gives an idea to the applicant and the faculties too whether or not the person is capable to perform the required duties and tasks.  

Finally comes the PI (personal interview) round. Knowing and understanding a person virtually and in person are two different things. With the PI round, the interviews get to understand the personality of the person physically. It is easy to define a person when met face to face.

Favourism

If you think i wanted to write Favouritism , then no, i didn’t. The term favourism would mean that the employer is doing and taking favours to special people while appointing new candidates. This keeps on going in a lot of places. Not to call it ‘BRIBE’, but the term does mean that.

Another version of this would be if the candidate who has come up for an interview, is someone the interviewer knows.

He will obviously get the favour of the job. The interviewer obviously, knowing him, will try his best to convince the related authorities to appoint the person he is familiar with.

All these favours done and given are yet another reason for the failure of the current appointment allotment. These drastically need to flip.

Psychometric Tests

Psychometric Test

Till now I must have used the word ‘psychometric tests’ quite a few times. You must be wondering what exactly is Psychometric Test?

By definition, Psychometric tests are any standardized procedure for measuring sensitivity, memory, or intelligence, or aptitude or personality, etc. of a person.

They are also referred to as PETs (Psychometric Entrance Tests). These tests are  devised as MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions), where the candidate simply has to choose the correct answer.  It is a completely ‘objective type’ pattern and has no mess of theory writing.

Psychometric Tests are nothing but aptitude tests that conducted in order to draft the mental and psychological capability of a person. This also helps to understand the thinking of a person giving the test.

Types  of Psychometric Tests

Essentially, there are major two types when it comes to Psychometric or aptitude tests:

Personality & Career Tests

 The test includes the analysis of the person’s overall thinking, approach,and methods to deal with different things.

Every person being different, he/she has his own unique ways to deal with stuff.  Every individual has varied approach towards one’s feeling, thinking, reacting in particular situations.

The way a person handles leadership, teamwork, and style is totally his own personal inculcation. The habits and manners of the way the person are his own, self-inculcated.

When it comes to stress, it is  not necessary that every person will react with panic. Nope! Many a times, people may try to deal with the stressful situation calmly.

Personality Assessment

There even might be times when one will react to the par. He might not understand what to do and what not. There are patterns of handling stress with varied people.

The quality of the work done depends on the interest the person has on the project he is working. If the person has no interest in the work he is doing, it is obvious that his indifference will hamper his performance.

How is one supposed to make progress, when there is no motivation. If the employee has proper motivation to work he will definitely put in his 100% in the job allotted to him.

One has to be self motivated in life so that he can make progress in life, and he can do his work enthusiastically.

Ethics are another aspect when it comes to personality. An individual must have work ethics when he has to work. Being professional at needed places will definitely do him good.

Being professional doesn’t necessarily mean, being all about discipline. Being professional mean, having some manners. Means talking to people you may not like politely, it means taking work serious, completing your assigned work in scheduled time and utmost accuracy, etc.

Aptitude & Skill Tests

The aptitude and skill tests are drafted to analyse the specific skillsets of an individual. By taking this test, one can also know his strengths in specific areas. This might as well be of assistance for the employer to allot job to the employee.

The types of aptitude and skill tests:

Numerical Tests

Numerical tests are basically the ones which check the candidate’s ability to deal with numbers.

It tests how efficiently  and quickly one can tackle the digits. The numerical test contains questions related to number sequence, ratio, percentage, currency conversion, etc.

Verbal Tests

Verbal tests are designed to check the candidates’ language skills. How strong hold he has on his language.

How efficiently the person can win over and convince another one just by his speech is the point of this test.

Mechanical or Abstract Reasoning

Abstract Reasoning test is to inspect the logical reasoning of the candidate. It is required to see if the person is able to able to grasp new things aptly and timely.

It comes to an aid when there are times of sudden crises. In short, it reviews the presence of  mind of the candidate.

After the completion of the test, the candidate can ask for his results too. the results can prove to be a good feedback for the applicant for the by and by.

The core elements when thinking of new hiring are:

  • Astuteness(Vision)
  • Efficacy (Validity)
  • Averment (verification)
  • Caliber (value)

Astuteness

The term means to have vision or aim while choosing a candidate. the selectors must be sure of the needs of the institution then then go ahead with the selection process accordingly.

The institutions need to be precise and set up about what exactly they are looking for. their ‘vision’ needs to be clear about the requirement of their institution.

This point is exactly where they go wrong in deciding who and what they want. This ends them up in making wrong choices.

Efficacy

This caption indicates the surety of the person: whether or not the person being appointed is reliable or not and to what extent.

The organisations stick to the typical of interviews and background & reference checks, which are not that decisive anymore.

While choosing a candidate, not only his eligibility but also his verasiousness needs to be tested. You can also say that the ‘validity’ of the candidate needs to be ensured.

Averment

The authenticity of the data given by the candidate has to be averted. That is the basic step to follow, right?

The verification of the documents and groundings of the applicant needs to be done thoroughly. This safe-sides the company at times of any issues, just in case.

Caliber

A key element to recognize in an applicant is his caliber. By definition, caliber means ‘the quality of someone’s character or the level of their ability.

The companies need to check and analyze the capability of the candidate if he can do the work allotted to him  accurately.

The culpability of the candidate to handle and deal with the work allotted to him is what needs to be scrutinized.

Conclusion

Degree, certificate and paper based selection of the candidates is over and done now.

Now is the time when the applicant will be slated according to his practicality and on the basis of his stature.  

The Online employment assessment is the key to revolutionizing the employment gimmick.

Organisations like the Google itself have switched to brain teaser questionnaires in their interviews.  This enables them to anticipate the on-the-job performance of the applicants.

Testing the practical knowledge and the actual fieldwork skills  of the aspirant will decide his eligibility of work.

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