The internet and the growth of online recruitment have brought the biggest changes to the psychometric testing industry in 20 years. And huge opportunities for clued-up recruiters.

There are now 29 million people online and the rapid increase in internet use has seen online assessment expand to encompass all industry sectors and jobs roles, at every level. For many organisations around the world, online assessment is now the standard way of delivering an objective recruitment and selection process. For 21st century jobseekers, the internet is the principal source of information, thanks to the flexibility and choice it gives them over when and where they apply for jobs and take their tests.

Millions upon millions of assessments are now delivered online and the number of online administrations has overtaken traditional pencil-and-paper tests. They combine the benefits of traditional psychometric assessment with the speed and efficiency of the internet. They add objectivity by giving recruiters a valuable insight into candidates’ abilities and personality, and help screen out poor applicants or those without the required skill sets.

Candidates receive a secure link and invitation to complete assessments, which can be done from their own PC, reducing time and costs for recruiting organisations. This also makes it possible for companies to source recruits from a global talent pool, benefiting from geography and diversity in the process.

Unsurprisingly, many of the most successful companies and attractive employer brands now use online assessment to shorten the hiring process and cut costs. In the US, according to a recent survey by SHL, around 30 per cent of companies employ online testing as part of the recruitment process. For the UK, the equivalent figure rises to more than 40 per cent.

A barrier to even greater take-up has been candidate honesty. Up to 95 per cent of UK HR directors suspect that jobseekers exaggerate their education or skills during the interview and assessment process. In response, test providers have put strictures in place to verify the information submitted by candidates. Concerns over security breaks in an unsupervised testing environment are being overcome, with the benefits of online testing now available without compromising on rigour, precision and reliability.

Best of all, the return on investment from introducing online assessment has been proven at all job levels, both in recruitment process efficiencies and in increased productivity once the successful candidate takes up the role. The bottom lines speak for themselves!


About the author
Kevin Baughan is marketing director at SHL (www.shlgroup.com), a global provider of psychometric assessment and development solutions.