End Poor Hiring Decisions with a Microsoft Excel Test
What is Usually on an Excel Test?
A Microsoft Excel test typically covers skills such as data entry, formatting cells/sheets, using formulas and functions, creating charts/graphs, working with pivot tables, using conditional formatting, performing data analysis, and demonstrating Excel best practices through practical, job-related exercises.
If you are tired of hiring applicants that end up not having the Microsoft Excel skills you envisioned, you are not alone. It’s a common problem reported by hiring managers, but there’s a solution – proving job candidates with a Microsoft Excel test.
These pre-employment tests can help you confirm those resume reported excel skills, identify the right candidate for the job and improve your hiring process. Let’s dive into how excel skills testing for employment work and why you should consider using them.
The Truth Behind Inflated Excel Resumes
Companies rely heavily on spreadsheets. From tracking inventory to visualizing sales data, Excel plays a central role in day-to-day operations. Given this, it’s no surprise that proficiency in Excel has become a basic requirement for many jobs.
However, 85% of hiring managers report catching candidates exaggerating their Excel abilities on their resumes. Once hired, these candidates end up costing their employers time and money for not only mistakes, but also additional training to bring them up to speed.
Why do so many applicants inflate their Excel skills? There are a few key reasons:
Applicants Want the Job
Applicants know Excel expertise gives them an edge, so they overstate their abilities hoping to land the job. Their plan is to learn on the fly once hired.
Self-Evaluation is Flawed
Many applicants genuinely believe they have “advanced” Excel skills. However, with no standardized benchmarks, their self-assessment is often inaccurate.
Range of Skills Varies
Even truly skilled candidates may only be advanced in some Excel features, lacking in others. Without probing for specific capabilities or reviewing work examples, resumes provide limited insights.
As more applicants exaggerate their Excel skills on resumes, it’s important to accurately test candidates to eliminate applicants who won’t be able to perform the necessary tasks for the role you are trying to fill.
Excel skill tests for employment can help you identify candidates with the right Excel skills for the job, saving time and resources in the long run.
The Costs: Time, Resources & Frustrations
Once inflated Excel resumes make it past the screening process, the costs start piling up for employers:
1. Time Spent Training
Employers invest many hours training employees up to speed in Excel. This training can span weeks and leads to major productivity lags.
2. Opportunity Costs
All that training time translates to lost productivity. Employers aren’t getting the return expected on the role.
3. Employee Frustrations
When employees lack the skills for the job, their teammates may feel overwhelmed and frustrated, which can lead to a decrease in morale and engagement.
4. Business Costs
One small mistake can lead to a big mess and cost your company thousands of dollars. When reports show incorrect information due to an Excel error, it can lead to wrong business decisions, potentially losing customers and revenue.
Clearly, inflated Excel resumes can seriously hurt productivity and performance. The key is catching these resumes earlier in the hiring process.
Microsoft Excel Test for Employment – Your Resume Lie Detector
To prevent wasted training time and costs down the line, savvy employers use Microsoft Excel tests in the hiring process. These interactive, real-world tests assess candidates against important skills needed for the job.
Instead of vague resume claims, you get objective insights into candidates’ true Excel levels. Excel skills tests offer several advantages over resumes and interviews alone:
Accurate Benchmarking
Using real-world scenarios, Excel skills tests objectively assess candidates against core competencies for the role. No more relying on subjective self-evaluations.
Reduced Training Time
By weeding out candidates who lack skills early, you cut down on training needs after hiring.
Better Long-Term Productivity
With Excel proficiencies assured from day one, employees hit the ground running. This means better long-term productivity for your company.
Enhanced Candidate Experience
When you hire based on skills, you’ll minimize the frustrations that your under-skilled employees face. This will lead to better engagement and retention of your staff.
Choosing the Right Excel Skills Test
With many Excel test providers out there, it’s essential to choose a skills-testing platform focused on quality, that also offers pre-configured and custom Excel skills tests developed based on Excel best practices.
Key features include:
- Interactive format based on real Excel tasks
- Detailed insights into areas of strength vs development
- Customizable for different job needs
By integrating Excel skills testing early in your hiring process, you can save significant time and cost savings in the long term. Why gamble on inflated Excel resume claims when you can objectively confirm skills from the start?
Try a free sample test today!