Pros and Cons of Testing Mid-Level IT Consultant Candidates

Pros and Cons of Testing Mid-Level IT Consultant Candidates

The recruitment process is time consuming and can be costly, which is why it is so important to make the right decision when hiring a new employee. Tests are not always common practice in every organisation, although due to the importance of practical knowledge in the IT sector, they can form part of the hiring process. These usually come in the form of aptitude tests, which are sometimes used in conjunction with an interview. Aptitude tests provide candidates with a series of questions and the answers will be used to determine how candidates deal with different scenarios. The answers are then compared to decide who is the most suitable.

There is a lot of discussion around these kinds of tests and whether or not they should be used, particularly if they are the only means of deciding on whether or not a candidate is suitable for the role. What if a candidate manages to pass the test with no problem, but it turns out that they are not right for the job? On the other hand, they may fail the test but be more than capable of doing the job. These are some of the pros and cons of testing mid-level IT consultants.

Testing to Achieve Results

While interviews can often be subjective and based on the opinions of individuals, tests can help to standardise the recruitment process and ensure the outcome is fair. This can reduce the likelihood of candidates claiming to be unfairly treated during the process or having grounds to complain. There is also an argument that testing candidates can help ensure the right decision is made, as an interview is often not much to go on. In the case of bulk recruitment, it makes sense to incorporate a testing process as this can help recruiters to shortlist more quickly. IT consultants need to be highly proficient in what they do and in particular, their ability to solve problems. This is a quality which can often only be determined through testing candidates.

Unnecessary Pressure

Quite simply, some people aren’t good at tests and can panic under the pressure. Does this really mean they should be discredited or that they won’t be capable of doing the job? Test environments can be overwhelming and most people feel the pressure of them. It is, therefore, difficult to know whether these are really enough to go on. It could be the case that a candidate isn’t hired based on the results of a test, but they would actually be an asset to the company. In addition, it may not be a fair process for those candidates with English as there second language. They may find it difficult to answer the questions in the test, but could be more than capable of doing the job.

It is really down the business and whether they deem this to be an essential part of the selection process. In the IT industry in particular, it can be difficult to determine suitability through the interview alone.