Selection interviews, should they include an exam?
In general, it is difficult western sahara email list to establish a single criterion for deciding whether or not selection interviews should include an exam . Depending on the type of position at stake, the references the candidate may bring, or the chances that things may not go well, an exam may or may not be necessary.
It will also depend on the skills to be assessed, since there are some in which the company cannot trust what the candidate claims to know, even if they provide an official degree or certificate.
For example, a candidate's level of English must be tested to see if he or she can really speak English and function in an English-speaking environment. The same goes for any other language. The fact is that it is not enough to say that he or she has taken so many courses at the Language School or that he or she has a B2 level. The oral and/or written exam is the best test to see if he or she has reached the required level or not.
The same is true for other areas. For example, in the field of office tools , it is often difficult to determine the required level. A person can be an Excel expert and not know how to program in the macro tool in Visual Basic, and still be considered an "advanced or expert user." What is not acceptable for a position that requires spreadsheet proficiency is not knowing how to use dynamic tables or having difficulty with the most basic formulas.
To clear up any doubts, you can give candidates a test to see if they are capable of coping with a real-life situation that they will encounter in the workplace, which is ultimately what is intended.
Should a test be a definitive factor in evaluating a candidate?
Absolutely not, at least a priori. A test should be one more factor to consider and, unless the result is disastrous and the competition is key, or if the candidate is caught cheating, a candidate should not be excluded simply because of their score in a test.
A candidate may be brilliant in several aspects of the position and fail in one that is not so important and is evaluated with a test. In the selection process, different sections must be considered to measure the candidates and evaluate them as a whole. Languages, experience, knowledge, empathy, communication skills, flexibility, sales skills, not everything is assessed through a single, simple test.
Furthermore, the opposite of failing a test can happen, i.e. a candidate may get an excellent result but not be the right fit . Should we choose for our team someone who has very good knowledge of a subject but is not good at human relations in a position with a clear commercial vocation? Everything points to not.
Another possibility is that the candidate may cheat , for example, if the test is carried out in a telephone or Internet interview. If the voice is not recognised, or if the test is carried out online, there is a possibility that the person may commit fraud and obtain an anomalous result. To avoid this risk, some way of checking the results must be considered, either with another subsequent test, by checking system information (logs, etc.) or by means of cross-questions.
