Pre-employment Testing for Manufacturing Companies
What is the Pre-employment Test?
Pre-employment testing for manufacturing companies evaluates candidates’ skills, abilities, traits, and job qualifications before hiring. Common assessments include attention to detail, adaptability, digital literacy, leadership and management skills, and communications skills.
The manufacturing industry is going through a major transformation. With automation and digital technologies helping to reduce overhead on the factory floor, manufacturing companies face an urgent challenge – bridging the widening skills gap.
A Deloitte study warns that the skills gap in manufacturing may leave 2.1 million jobs unfilled by 2030. Plus, a big chunk of the workforce is nearing retirement age. For HR managers in manufacturing, hiring qualified candidates for traditional roles is getting harder.
However, this challenge also presents an opportunity to reevaluate your company’s hiring practices. By focusing on adaptable employees with the right combination of technical skills and knowledge, you can build a workforce that is prepared for future changes.
Top 5 Traits Needed for Manufacturing Jobs
Recruiting manufacturing professionals can be tough. Fortunately, there are a few key traits that you can keep in mind to help you find the perfect candidate.
Attention to Detail
On manufacturing floors, staying alert to problems while keeping product quality high makes all the difference. Workers who spot errors and risks and then act quickly, keep output on track.
According to Thomas International, attention to detail is also essential for optimizing production processes, reducing downtime, and boosting productivity.
Hiring individuals who lack attention to detail can lead to noncompliance, quality issues, and accidents, which can be costly. Attention-to-detail tests are an employer’s best tool to evaluate job applicants.
These tests accurately measure a candidate’s ability to pay attention to the smallest details – a critical skill required in any manufacturing job.
Adaptability
Technology is changing the manufacturing industry. Having a workforce that can embrace and adapt to these changes is vital. Look for candidates open to learning new systems, cross-training, and adjusting to shifting roles.
One popular method for assessing adaptability is behavioral assessments, which give insights into a candidate’s personality and behavioral tendencies, including their adaptability skills.
Digital Literacy
In the age of Industry 4.0, automation is rapidly transforming the manufacturing industry. Manufacturers must have a workforce with the right digital skills to stay competitive in this new era. Hiring tech-savvy employees can significantly boost the company’s efficiency, productivity, and innovation.
However, there’s a big challenge that many manufacturers face: According to the National Skills Coalition, one in six manufacturing workers lacks even basic digital literacy skills. This means that they struggle to use computer software like spreadsheets and word processors for tasks such as tracking inventory, scheduling, creating reports, and making presentations.
If your employees lack basic digital literacy, it can slow your tech integration plans. You’ll rely more on manual processes instead of leveraging data-driven productivity gains.
One effective way to address this challenge is to use pre-employment tests to assess candidates’ basic computer skills and digital literacy. By using pre-employment tests, employers can ensure that their organization has the talent it needs to succeed in the digital age.
Leadership and Management Skills
To ensure productivity in increasingly automated systems, you need managers with strong leadership skills to oversee data flows, supply chains, and customer interactions. Without leadership at the floor or mid-level, senior management will be burdened with details, hindering productivity.
When you assess candidates, look for evidence that they can lead teams, supervise production workflows, and manage projects. To measure their strategic thinking, give them hypothetical situations and ask for solutions.
You can also use assessment tests, like manager aptitude tests, to measure abilities in crucial areas such as problem-solving, strategic planning, and team development.
Communication Skills
Effective communication is the backbone of manufacturing companies. It greases the wheels of productivity, promotes collaboration, and drives overall success. Even minor misunderstandings can lead to costly mistakes, production delays, and safety hazards.
When team members can communicate effectively, they can quickly identify and address issues, collaborate on solutions, and make informed decisions based on real-time information.
HR managers can gain valuable insights into a candidate’s communication skills by conducting pre-employment written tests. These assessments measure grammar, spelling, and writing proficiency, as well as the candidate’s ability to organize thoughts and ideas coherently.
Why Use Pre-employment Testing for Manufacturing Companies
If you aim to hire the right people for your manufacturing company, pre-employment testing is critical. It provides the tools to make informed hiring decisions, ensuring you recruit the best candidates for the job.
Identifying Top Candidates
Pre-employment tests can help you identify top performers by evaluating their skills, behaviors, and traits that are important for the job. You can compare candidates against proven performance profiles and make better hiring decisions.
Better-Informed Hiring Decisions
Workplace skills-based tests provide quantitative data and insights. This helps eliminate unconscious biases and guides you toward selecting the most suitable candidate. The result? Fairer and more accurate candidate choices.
Higher Productivity
By hiring candidates who align with your company’s needs, you can cut down on new hires’ training time. They’ll be productive from day one.
Lower Turnover
Employees who excel in their roles blend well with the company culture, leading to longer job tenure. Pre-employment testing helps you find these employees and lower turnover rates.
To succeed in the manufacturing industry, you must keep up with changing consumer needs. Pre-employment tests can help you find candidates with the right traits and skills for sustained growth.
Investing in pre-employment testing can help your manufacturing company thrive by ensuring that you hire the most skilled people for the job. With the right team in place, you can position your company for success both now and in the future.
Try a free sample test today!