Communication
Communication skills are important to assess during the pre-employment stages of hiring. Use this test to assess a candidate's communication abilities.
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What is a communication test?
A communication test is used as a pre-employment assessment tool to evaluate the communication skills of candidates as part of the recruitment process.
This type of test assesses candidates on their soft skills, those that are difficult to gauge with more traditional methods.
In the communication test, the candidate is presented with a series of questions based on work-related scenarios, that they must answer by choosing the most and least appropriate course of action from a number of options.
Candidates will be assessed based on their ability to communicate effectively and recognise other people's points of view. The results of the assessment provide the recruitment team with quantifiable data that can be used to choose the best candidates to take further into the recruitment process.
Why is a communication test so important when hiring?
Effective communication is a soft skill that is needed in pretty much every role across every industry. Communication skills include being able to talk to people from different backgrounds, as well as speaking, writing, and listening effectively to understand.
Assessing a candidate for the right level of communication skills that are needed for the role that you are recruiting for can be complicated using 'traditional' methods. A resume might mention great communication skills, but these are subjective - how can you be sure that they have the right level of ability for the role you are recruiting for?
Communication skills can be assessed in an interview, by asking candidates to discuss difficult situations and listen to how they go about that. However, this is a time-consuming and expensive way to get through a large number of applicants and is not always a reliable way to get the right results.
The communication test is a simple-to-use assessment that can be delivered to a large number of candidates at the same time. By asking the same questions of every candidate, the results provide quantifiable data that can be used to choose the best-performing applicants to take further into the recruitment process.
The communication soft skill test can be used to help make recruiting easier for a number of roles across several industries, including:
- Sales assistants
- Customer service representatives
- Team leaders
- Call centre operators
For recruiters, the communication test makes it easier to choose the right candidates who have what it takes to be successful in the future. The test is designed to reduce the time and costs in recruitment, while also mitigating the risk of a bad hire.
Inside the test
Sample Communication question
You have been asked to lead a complex project. At the first meeting, you can see that it is going to be hard work. There are people from different departments, many of whom actively dislike one another. When you return to your desk, your manager asks what your thoughts are about the project and your team. What would you do?
Show the answer
The correct answer is Say it will be an interesting challenge to figure out the best ways to get people from different departments to collaborate effectively..
How to assess communication skills using our test
Our communication skills test asks a variety of questions that vary in difficulty level. Candidates who demonstrate strong communication skills should be able to answer most of the questions correctly.
The communication skills test provides valuable insight into the strengths and weaknesses of a candidate's communication abilities. The test is structured using multiple-choice questions: a familiar format for most test-takers, that allows for instant and objective scoring.
As well as the correct answer, there are typically 2–3 distractors, representing common misconceptions and mistakes. This helps make the test more challenging, so a candidate's ability can be measured more accurately.
Test scores are provided to the user and can be compared to other test-takers in your talent pool, to see how they perform relative to each other.
Each test has been thoroughly reviewed to ensure accuracy and validity in line with industry standards. It has been written, examined and edited by I/O psychologists and psychometric professionals. It has also been reviewed by a diverse sample of job seekers to check for any issues including sensitivity, face validity, fairness and accessibility.
This test is continually monitored so our team can optimize performance and regularly assess fairness issues.
Communication FAQs
How do you measure communication?
Communication skills can be measured simply by using a communication skills test, with questions that are work-related scenarios with multiple-choice options. Candidates will be then asked to choose the right course of action to take.
Who should be assessed for communication skills?
Applicants for roles where communication is needed for success should be screened on their communication skills. This is especially useful for roles where communication with customers, suppliers, or other staff members is needed.
Are communication skill tests difficult?
Communication skill tests can be difficult because they are unfamiliar and performed under exam conditions. The actual content of the assessment is not challenging for most people, especially those who have the right skills and abilities.
When should you use a communication test?
A communication test can be used at any stage in the recruitment process, but it is mostly used in the earliest stages, just after the initial paper sift of resumes and application forms because it is simple to administer to a large number of applicants at the same time, effectively narrowing a large candidate pool.
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