Recruitment agencies are prolifically engaged in MS Office skills testing during the hiring process. It is a must for employee skills testing software systems to carry out this assessment. It is because the Microsoft Office suite is one of the most used software programmes used in offices across various industries.
Before presenting the best candidates to employers, recruiters must have evidence that the applicants can do the job well. As a result, there are examinations such as literacy skills tests, numeracy skills tests, psychometric skills tests to evaluate the skills of the job applicant.
The ability to work with the Microsoft Office package is an essential talent for office professionals, especially those in administrative roles. This need runs from junior staff to the most senior executives. So, it is common for employers and recruiters to evaluate potential hires using MS Office programme knowledge questions as part of their skills evaluation process. To understand any skills gaps in their applicants, recruiters and recruiting organisations use candidate skills testing software to get the most objective look at their talent.
MS Office as business productivity tools
- Word
- Excel
- PowerPoint
- Outlook
Every professional is familiar with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. While the candidate proficiency level might differ, it is undoubtedly one of the most essential skills required of employees. These tools are necessary to make presentations, manage communications, and input data into tables and charts for reports. The purpose of the MS Office skills test is to determine whether the individual has the necessary skill level to operate the tools as needed for the position.
It is part of the recruiter’s responsibility to evaluate the applicant’s MS Office proficiency and having a skills assessment software is valuable.
Difficulty levels in MS Office skills test
Microsoft Office competency assessments typically include three levels: Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced.
An applicant for entry-level employment does not necessarily need to possess advanced MS Office skills. However, employers will anticipate that they are proficient in the fundamental skills related to the position, including the formulae and functions, and formatting methods.
It is expected that mid-level managers will bring advanced-level talents to the new role that are equal to their experience. Employers will want more from candidates than just quick typing, the ability to edit worksheets, and the capacity to turn them into presentations or charts. These candidates should be adept at managing data files and other sophisticated mail functions in Outlook, as well as projecting data and sharing workbooks in Excel, document referencing and working together on papers in Word.
Easy to use online skills testing software
A simple technique to confirm a candidate’s competence is to administer a skills test. Before choosing a supplier, it’s crucial to look for key elements in the many vendors supplying skills tests.
Check that the vendor supports all the different Office versions because different companies use different MS Office packages. Staffing agencies must be able to evaluate candidates in all of them including the Microsoft Office 2010 and 2013 or 2016 package right through to MS Office 2019 and MS Office 2021.
Recruiters must be able to test online from skills testing software vendors selling these skills assessments. In light of the current situation, online skills assessments are incredibly convenient. Candidates can take the test from any location in the world as a result. If they have access to the internet or a broadband connection, they can take the test.
A link to the selected test might be sent by recruiters to the shortlisted candidates. A series of 25 to 40 questions in a variety of formats, including Drag and Drop, Video, and Multiple Choice, are included in the examinations, which run about 20 minutes.
Candidates can practise with practice questions before starting the actual test. It will assist them in comprehending the format of the exam as well as what to anticipate.
Instantaneous results for online MS Office competency assessments make it easier to make rational decisions. When hiring managers are vetting candidates or choosing the best one for the job, data offers stronger support.
Finally, staffing agencies must also check whether the skills assessment software they want can operate well with their agency’s recruitment CRM system. The best recruitment software platform is a core recruiting tool, and it is critical to have other software systems integrate well with it if the goal is to increase efficiency.
