Popular assessment types and their usefulness for specific job roles or industries, stressing the importance of choosing the right tools for informed hiring decisions that result in high-performing teams and lower turnover rates.

Assessments are a critical part of the hiring process, offering insights into a candidate's skills, personality, and work style. With various types of assessments available, it can be challenging to choose the right one for a particular job role or industry. Here's a breakdown of some popular assessment types and their usefulness for specific job roles or industries:

Psychometric assessments are evaluations that assess a candidate's personality traits, values, and motivations. These assessments are helpful in predicting job performance, assessing leadership strengths and weaknesses, identifying personality preferences, and measuring behavioral styles and communication preferences. Popular tools used by hiring managers in this category include Hogan Assessment, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), DiSC, Caliper Profile, and StrengthsFinder. Psychometric assessments are especially useful for roles that require strong communication and leadership skills, such as management and sales positions.

• Hogan Assessment: https://www.hoganassessments.com/
• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): https://www.mbtionline.com/
• DiSC: https://www.everythingdisc.com/
• Caliper Profile: https://www.calipercorp.com/
• StrengthsFinder: https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252137/home.aspx

Behavioral assessments are evaluations that assess how individuals interact with others and what motivates them. They help identify candidates who have the right behavioral traits and potential for success in the job role. Popular tools used by hiring managers in this category include The Predictive Index, Saville Assessment, HighMatch, and behavioral interview questions. Behavioral assessments are particularly useful for roles that require strong interpersonal skills, such as customer service and human resources positions.

• The Predictive Index: https://www.predictiveindex.com/
• Saville Assessment: https://www.savilleassessment.com/
• HighMatch: https://www.highmatch.com/
• Behavioral interview questions: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/behavioral-interview-questions-2059620

Cognitive ability tests are evaluations that assess critical thinking, problem-solving, and logical reasoning skills. They are commonly used to assess a candidate's potential for success in the job role and their ability to learn and adapt. Popular tests in this category include the Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test, Pearson Assessments, Graduate Record Examination (GRE), and TalentSmart. Cognitive ability tests are useful for roles that require strong analytical skills, such as data analysis and finance positions.

• Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test: https://www.wonderlic.com/
• Pearson Assessments: https://www.pearsonassessments.com/
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE): https://www.ets.org/gre/
• TalentSmart: https://www.talentsmart.com/

Situational judgment tests are evaluations that assess a candidate's ability to make decisions in specific situations. They can help identify candidates who have the right problem-solving and decision-making skills for the job role. Popular tools used by hiring managers in this category include the Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory (HBRI), Sigma Assessments, Criteria, and Aon Assessments. Situational judgment tests are useful for roles that require strong decision-making skills, such as management and executive positions.

• Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory (HBRI): https://www.hoganassessments.com/
• Sigma Assessments: https://www.sigmaassessmentsystems.com/
• Criteria: https://www.criteriacorp.com/assessments
• Aon Assessments: https://assessment.aon.com/en-us/all-assessment-solutions

Skills tests are evaluations that assess a candidate's technical skills and abilities. They help identify candidates who possess the right technical skills and knowledge for the job role. Popular tools used by hiring managers in this category include, Brainbench, eSkill, HackerRank, and Codility. Skills tests are useful for roles that require specific technical skills, such as software development and engineering positions.

• eSkill: https://www.eskill.com/
• HackerRank: https://www.hackerrank.com/
• Codility: https://www.codility.com/

Personality assessments are evaluations that assess a candidate's personality traits and values. They help identify candidates who have the right personality traits and values for the job role. Popular tools used by hiring managers in this category include the Hogan Assessment, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), DiSC, and Big Five Personality Traits. Personality assessments are useful for roles that require a specific personality type, such as sales and customer service positions.

• Hogan Assessment: https://www.hoganassessments.com/
• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): https://www.mbtionline.com/
• DiSC: https://www.everythingdisc.com/
• Big Five Personality Traits: https://www.123test.com/big-five-personality-theory/

Work sample tests are evaluations that assess a candidate's skills and abilities by testing them on real-world tasks. They help identify candidates who have the right skills and abilities for the job role. Popular tools used by hiring managers in this category include Criteria Corp, TestGenius, eSkill, and Wonderlic. Work sample tests are useful for roles that require specific job-related skills, such as writing and editing positions.

• Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/
• TestGenius: https://testgenius.com/
• eSkill: https://www.eskill.com/
• Wonderlic: https://www.wonderlic.com/

Assessment centers are evaluations that assess a candidate's abilities and skills through a series of tasks and activities. They help identify candidates who have the right skills and abilities for the job role. Popular tools used by hiring managers in this category include SHL Assessment Centers, Saville Assessment Centers, Korn Ferry Assessment Centers, Talogy, and DDI Assessment Centers. Assessment centers are useful for roles that require strong communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills, such as executive and management positions.

• SHL Assessment Centers: https://www.shl.com/
• Saville Assessment Centers: https://www.savilleassessment.com/
• Korn Ferry Assessment Centers: https://www.kornferry.com/
• Talogy: https://www.talogy.com/en/talent-management-solutions/assessments/
• DDI Assessment Centers: https://ddiworld.com/

Reference checks and background checks are an essential part of the hiring process, ensuring that candidates have the necessary qualifications and experience for the role and verifying their employment history, education, and criminal background.

In industries that require high levels of security clearance or work with vulnerable populations, such as healthcare or finance, background checks are especially important. These checks can help identify any discrepancies in a candidate's resume and ensure that they are a good fit for the company. Popular background check tools include Sterling Background Checks, HireRight, IntelliCorp, InfoMart, First Advantage, and Accurate Background.

• Sterling Background Checks: https://www.sterlingcheck.com/
• HireRight: https://www.hireright.com/
• IntelliCorp: https://www.intellicorp.net/
• InfoMart: https://www.infomart-usa.com/
• First Advantage: https://www.fadv.com/
• Accurate Background: https://www.accurate.com/

Reference checks, on the other hand, are used to verify a candidate's employment history and assess their suitability for the role. Tools such as Checkster, SkillSurvey, HireRight, and Sterling Reference Checks are commonly used by hiring managers to verify a candidate's experience and qualifications.

• Checkster: https://checkster.com/
• SkillSurvey: https://www.skillsurvey.com/
• HireRight: https://www.hireright.com/
• Sterling Reference Checks: https://www.sterlingcheck.com/

Choosing the right assessment tools is crucial for making informed hiring decisions that lead to high-performing teams and reduced turnover rates. Talentsum can help companies find the best assessment tools for their unique needs. They have the expertise in talent management and knowledge of assessment tools to help organizations optimize their recruitment process.

Take your talent acquisition and recruitment efforts from routine to remarkable with TalentSum 360. For more information on how TalentSum 360 can unlock the full potential of your talent function, get in touch with our team today.