Testing MS Office skills in Job Applicants

Especially in competitive markets, it is critical to ensure than any new hires can quickly contribute to growth. Having to train new hires on basic computer skills such as using Microsoft Office or Excel can quickly cut into the productivity of not only the new hire, but also of existing employees that have to take time our of their day to provide continual training.

Today, employers require employees to accomplish many of their normal, daily duties by way of computers. These tasks can include communicating by email, entering database information, creating presentations, composing documents and planning projects. Having to train every new hire on all these tasks is an incredible waste of resources, especially when there is a surplus of applicants that hold the required skills.

While many applicant’s may list the necessary skills on their resume, managers and hiring directors can be making a risky investment if the candidate has embellished their qualifications in any way, which it turns out is increasingly likely as competition for positions heats up.

According to StatisticBrain.com, an astounding 78 percent of resumes are considered misleading, and over half of resumes, 53 percent, contain falsifications. With the accuracy of an applicant’s supplied information having become so dubious, managers need to explore new strategies to ensure that they are onboarding a new employee that will contribute to organization growth.

Utilizing a skills test for employment, such as Microsoft Excel assessments or a Microsoft Word test, can help protect organizations from wasting resources on a hire that does not add value. Adding these assessments to your set hiring process can help to avoid expensive employee turnover, and cut down on productivity lost through interviewing unqualified candidates.