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Asking the Right Assessment Questions

Don’t have time to review every application and resume that come across your desk? With filtering tools like assessment questions, you don’t have to.

If you’re looking to hire a cashier in a clothing store, you don’t need to know if applicants are able to operate a forklift.  Or maybe you do, but that’s quite a unique clothing store. Customizing assessment questions to each job posting allows you to find the right-fit candidates to fill your open positions quickly and easily. Below are some tips on how to write effective assessment questions that will ultimately lead you to the applicants you’ve been searching for.

Start generally. You should address minimum specifications in your questions, and some questions can apply to many different fields and positions. General questions can include:

• Are you willing to submit to a background and/or drug test?
• Are you available to work nights and weekends?
• Do you have strong communication skills?
• Do you have a high school diploma/college degree?
• Do you speak fluent English?
• Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, please explain.

Don’t forget the specifics. Once you’ve tackled the broader questions, start thinking of more specific requirements tailored exclusively to the job in question. These questions may include:

• Do you have customer service experience?
• Are you certified in CPR and First Aid?
• Are you proficient using a computer?
• Are you bilingual? If so, what other languages do you speak?
• Do you have at least X number of years of experience in X industry?
• Do you have strong organizational skills?
• Are you able to stand for long periods of time?
• Are you able to bend, kneel and lift at least 25 pounds worth of equipment?

Don’t go overboard. While it’s important to be specific with your questions in order to find candidates that are well-qualified, you don’t want to narrow down the field so much so that you don’t leave any skills to be learned on-the-job. For example, it might not be wise to ask, “Are you CPR certified, have at least one year of sales experience, proficient in Microsoft Office applications, good with children, and able to work weekends and holidays?”

While you may not find candidates who possess all of the qualities you’re looking for, remember that a job seeker’s willingness to learn new skills can be just as important as already having them.

By establishing both general and specific requirements, and tailoring questions to fit your needs, you’ll save tons of time that would have been spent reviewing applications that don’t fit the bill. Now you can spend time on something really productive, like organizing the next company air hockey tournament or ordering that new fax machine with a built-in cappuccino maker. The possibilities are endless.

To add assessment questions to your job postings, please contact us.