job candidate assessment tests go virtual

7/28/2019 Job Candidate Assessment Tests Go Virtual

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Job Candidate Assessment Tests Go

Virtual

A Midwest banking firm is part of a growing number of companies that rely on a new

wave of virtual simulation tools for more than candidate assessment purposes.

By Gina Ruiz

Multi-state banking firm National City Corp. had its work cut out if it was going to growits retail banking division.

The Cleveland-based bank in early January eliminated 900 jobs as it closed its

troubled wholesale mortgage division. The bank cut 3,400 jobs during the past yearprimarily in the mortgage divisionyet still planned to expand its 1,400 retail branches

across the East and Midwest.

One element in the search for everything from branch managers to tellers hinged onthe banks ability to stand out in a cutthroat hiring environment where demand for

qualified talent often outstrips the supply.

"We were looking for ways to differentiate ourselves among our competitors," says

Cheryl Goodman, National Citys assessment consultant vice president.It was among the reasons National City adopted Shaker Consulting Groups Virtual

Job Tryout in early 2007. The system does what its name suggestsallows companies to

audition candidates by measuring how they react to computerized simulations of specificjob-related tasks.

Beyond assessment, Goodman is counting on it to give National City a leg up on

competitors by creating a distinctive recruiting experience.

"This isnt your run-of-the-mill paper-and-pencil assessment test," she explains. "Wethink it creates a unique impression that lets us stand out among our peers in the

industry."

National City, which employs 32,000 people, is part of a growing number ofcompanies that rely on a new wave of virtual simulation tools for more than assessment

purposes. They also leverage these platforms to put forth other strategic recruiting

practices.Besides differentiation, Goodman says Virtual Job Tryout is also a good way to

fortify the National City employer brand. The system works as an educational tool for

candidates to learn what its like to be an employee at the company."It gives us a way to share our story and what were all about," she notes.

The better acquainted that companies get with virtual tryout tools, the more

applications theyll discover for them, says Nov Omana, managing principal ofconsultancy Collective HR Solutions. He says more employers are realizing the

secondary benefits such cutting-edge assessment systems can bring to their recruiting

process. Omana anticipates the trend will widen.

"Whether it is in the area of Second Life or social networking or virtual tryouts, Ithink well see employers getting more creative in the years to come," he notes.


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Creating a unique experience

"The days of handing a clipboard and pen to candidates are long over," says Brian

Stern of Cleveland-based Shaker Consulting. "Innovative companies are now looking forways to create positive recruiting experiences to successfully vie for talent."

The level of interactivity that todays virtual tryout tools deliver is unprecedented,

he notes. Employers are able to customize simulations to specific job roles within acompany; candidates can get a feel for the job.

In National Citys case, Goodman set up individual simulation experiences for call

center applicants and potential branch managers.Call center candidates were given scenarios to solve customer service problems,

while branch manager applicants had to demonstrate their ability to foster relationships

with clients and make quick personnel decisions.

The experiences are interactivewith both video and audio, Stern notes."Companies are creating a dynamic testing environment that engages the candidates," he

says.

Delivering this type of innovative recruiting experience is particularly critical when

it comes to Gen Y talent, Stern says."This is a group of individuals that is not going to respond well to the old-school way

of recruiting," he notes.

The Gen Y factor

Recruiting Gen Yers is an ongoing challenge for employers. "They are of a different

breed than what recruiters are used to," says Knowledge Infusion CEO Jason Averbook.

"You would be surprised at the number of companies that simply dont know how tocommunicate effectively with them." Averbook says one way of attaining the attention

of this segment of the workforce is adopting tools that are interactive in nature, as they

stand a better chance of resonating with this audience. "Simulation tools are a good way

of letting Gen Yers know that a company has kept up with the times," he notes.Averbook warns that creating a cutting-edge recruiting experience without having a

workplace environment matching that image could be counterproductive. "If you have a

fancy assessment tool that impresses the socks off an applicant at the recruiting stage butthen hand them a paper and pencil to do their job once you have thrown them over the

hiring wall, youre going to be in trouble," he notes. Averbook says employees

inevitably will become disappointed and could leave if their initial expectations arentmet. He recommends companies put standards in place, not just during the recruiting

phase but throughout an employees tenure.

"This is a group of smart people," he notes. "Theyll be able to see through the smoke andmirrors pretty quickly."

Important considerations

While job simulation tools can be instrumental in creating a hallmark recruiting

experience, there are certain questions employers should consider before investing in asystem, says Shally Steckerl, founder of JobMachine, a recruiting consultancy based in

Norcross, Georgia.


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"These are great tools to have," he notes. "But they are more beneficial for certain

types of employers."

It could backfire for companies targeting high-end white-collar workers. "An MBA isnot going to want to take this type of test," Steckerl says. "That candidate is expecting to

be wined and dined."

He recommends companies take a hard look at the sort of worker being recruited and

whether such an assessment would be appropriate in that context. Steckerl also says jobsimulation may be more of a hindrance at companies handling a large volume of

candidates. "The process gets to be too time-consuming when we are talking about

thousands of applicants," he notes. Further, he says such technologies are better suited totest soft skills. Its an important feature, as intangibles are characteristics that are

normally difficult to gauge, Steckerl explains. However, when it comes to measuring

hard skills, such as engineering or program writing, a company may be better off usingconventional aptitude exams. Before buying such a system, employers should assess

virtual job tryout vendors because all are different.

"There are several vendors out there, each with its own strength," Steckerl says."Companies need to do their homework to select the tool that is most compatible with the

recruiting experience that they want to create."

In the case of National City, the company already had an established relationship with

Shaker Consulting and was familiar with the products features. "We were secure in thechoices we were making," Goodman notes. The company is still tallying its numbers, but

Goodman says she is content with its recruiting performance in 2007.

Goodman says the assessment tool enabled National City to hire workers that came

from sectors outside banking, so long as they had transferable skills. Whats more, she

believes retention rates will improve because it provides a way to make hiring decisionsthat are more educated and scientific. She also sees an added bonus for using the virtual

job tryout. "As far as I know, none of our local competitors offers this level ofassessment," she says. "I think it gives us an advantage."

job candidate assessment tests go virtual

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