What is technical skill assessment?

Technical skills assessment tests are used by companies to understand the technical skills and abilities of a candidate before hiring, or of an employee before giving a promotion. The questions asked in the test are only related to job skills so that companies can identify if the candidate or employee can successfully perform the tasks. These tests are conducted by asking candidates to fill up a technical skill assessment questionnaire. The decisions are taken based on the test scores. Our customizable technical skill assessment template consists of the right questions to ask your candidate.

Why is the technical skill assessment test better than other assessment methods?

Every step in the hiring process is actually a skill assessment. Right from screening the resume, to getting to know about the candidate from references, background checks, and face-to-face interviews. But, what makes skill assessment different is its credibility of it. Once the candidate or employee gives the test you have the scores. This tangible measure makes it crystal clear if you should go ahead. In other assessments, say interviews, there are chances that the candidate may lie about their skills. This is the reason why companies are using skill assessment surveys nowadays.

Why conduct technical skills performance reviews in your organization?

Before every appraisal, a manager or team lead evaluates every team member’s performance. Since appraisals happen once in a year or six months, it’s practically unrealistic to measure employee performance on the basis of one or two face-to-face meetings. So things can go unnoticed, and there can be serious miscommunication and misunderstanding between an employee and manager. In such cases having a tangible measure certainly helps.

A simple technical skill assessment test can be conducted for employees by asking skill survey questions. If an employee qualifies for the test, he can be considered for promotion.

You can use this template by customizing it into an employee skill assessment questionnaire.

Is a skill assessment test the only tool to measure employee performance?

No. Skill survey questionnaires measure only one aspect of employees’ performance. They consider an employee useless if they don’t qualify for the test. However, that is not the case. An employee may have some unique ability. To discover it, a number of face-to-face meetings need to be conducted. Also, when the number of candidates is high, administering every test result can reduce the speed of hiring. So, to what extent a skill assessment questionnaire is to be used and how much weightage must be given to the scores totally depends on the organization.

Use Cases of Technical Skills Assessment Questionnaire Template

Recruitment Process

This template could serve as an integral part of a company’s recruitment process. Once implemented, it would enable hiring managers to gauge the technical competencies of job applicants before the interview process. By utilizing the questionnaire, recruiters can ensure that candidates possess the necessary skills required for a specific role, thereby restructuring the selection process and identifying the most suitable candidates. The best part is that it can be filled out online through the company’s website or offline by scanning a QR code.

Project Allocation and Team Formation

The questionnaire can be used to create well-balanced and efficient teams for specific projects. By assessing the technical skills of employeesas through rating scale questions, matrix type questions, or sliders, project managers can gauge their proficiency levels and allocate tasks to team members according to their strengths, ensuring that each team has the required expertise for successful project execution. This will help in enhancing collaboration, improving project performance, and achieving better results.

Promotion Evaluation or Performance Appraisals

Within an organization, the template can be used for evaluating the technical proficiency of existing employees who are being considered for a promotion. By assessing their current skill sets, managers can make informed decisions about whether an employee is ready to take on more responsibility and challenges within the company. Employers can also use the template to conduct periodic performance appraisals. By evaluating the skills of employees against predefined benchmarks, managers can provide constructive feedback and decide on appraisals.

Skill Gap Identification and Training Needs Analysis

The questionnaire would aid in identifying any skill gaps within the organization. It will enable managers to understand which technical skills are lacking among the current workforce, thereby facilitating the implementation of strategies like training programs or skill development programs to bridge these gaps. It would allow HR and managers to design targeted training programs and workshops tailored to the needs of the workforce, thus enhancing overall productivity and efficiency. This process would ensure that the organization remains competitive by continually updating the skill sets of its employees to meet the demands of the evolving industry landscape.