Four Skills Test Providers Compared
Pre-hire skills tests help you cut down the time-to-hire and the cost by screening candidates for job skills and job fit. The provider you choose to help you with skills testing as part of your hiring process is crucial. Not all skills tests are created equal. You need to find the right provider for your business.
Evaluating Pre-Hire Skills Testing Providers
When you are evaluating pre-hire skills test providers, here are four specific areas you need to explore:
- Ease of use
When you are trying to improve your hiring process, you want to get up and running as quickly as possible. You also want to be able to integrate pre-hire skills tests scoring into your existing Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to save time. - Return on investment (ROI)
You also want to achieve an ROI on your investment as soon as possible. - Customization
When evaluating specific skills, you want the ability to customize skills tests to make sure you can tailor your assessments for specific jobs, industries, and companies. You need to be able to test different levels of competency and add or customize questions to assess job fit. - Quality of service / Support
The quality of the assessments is paramount to ensure you are getting proven and vetted skill testing questions that tell you what you need to know. You also need strong customer service and support to help guide you through the process.
You will also want to evaluate the size of a skills testing provider’s library. A large library of pre-built skills tests can help you get started faster. Another important capability is simulations. Creating simulations allows you to assess how job candidates will perform in real-life scenarios that they would face on the job.
With today’s remote and distributed workforce, the ability to conduct on-demand and asynchronous video interviews are also important. These allow you to see and assess a candidate’s verbal communication skills and get a glimpse of their personality.
You will also prefer to try it before you buy it, so a skills testing provider that offers a free trial offer can give the assurance you are making a smart investment.
Evaluating Pre-Hire Skills Testing Providers
Independent reviewers analyzed four major skill-testing providers, including eSkill, HireSelect by Criteria Corp, Modern Hire, and HireVue. In each case, eSkill was rated as the top performer in nearly every category surveyed. Here is how eSkill compares against its competitors:
eSkill vs. HireSelect by Criteria Corp
Reviewers gave the edge to eSkill in quality of service, customization, and ease of implementation when compared to HireSelect by Criteria Corp.
Quality of Service Ratings
- eSkill: 94%
- HireSelect: 86%
Customization Ratings
- eSkill: 86%
- HireSelect: 71%
Average Go-Live Time: < One Day
- eSkill: 51%
- HireSelect: 22%
Average ROI: Six Months or Less
- eSkill: 42%
- HireSelect: 60%
Here is how these skills testing companies compared on some of the key features requested by HR teams and hiring managers.
| Features | HireSelect | eSkill |
| Test Library | Yes | Yes |
| Video Interviews | Yes (New) | Yes (Established) |
| Customize Assessments | Screening questions only | Yes |
| Simulations | No | Yes |
| Add Your Own Questions | No | Yes |
| ATS Integration | Yes | Yes |
| Free Trial Offer | Yes | Yes |
eSkill vs. Modern Hire
Reviewers noted that eSkill users get a 74% ROI on their investment in the first year compared to 33% of Modern Hire users. More than half of eSkill users are up and running within the first day, while the average HireVue user takes one to three months to implement.
Quality of Service Ratings
- eSkill: 94%
- Modern Hire: 88%
Customization Ratings
- eSkill: 86%
- Modern Hire: 76%
Average Go-Live Time: < One Day
- eSkill: 51%
- Modern Hire: 7%
Average ROI: Six Months or Less
- eSkill: 42%
- Modern Hire: 22%
Here is a quick look at key features requested from skills testing vendors.
| Features | Modern Hire | eSkill |
| Test Library | Limited | Yes (Infinite) |
| Video Interviews | Yes | Yes |
| Customize Assessments | No | Yes |
| Simulations | Coding only | Yes |
| Add Your Own Questions | Yes, with help | Yes |
| ATS Integration | Yes | Yes |
| Free Trial Offer | No | Yes |
eSkill vs. HireVue
Comparing eSkill to HireVue, reviewers also highlighted eSkill’s customer support, customization, and significantly higher one-year ROI score.
Quality of Service Ratings
- eSkill: 94%
- HireVue: 88%
Customization Ratings
- eSkill: 86%
- HireVue: 78%
Average Go-Live Time: < One Day
- eSkill: 51%
- HireVue: 7%
Average ROI: Six Months or Less
- eSkill: 42%
- HireVue: 22%
Here is how eSkill and HireVue matched up on feature sets.
| Features | HireVue | eSkill |
| Test Library | Limited | Infinite |
| Video Interviews | Yes | Yes |
| Customize Assessments | No | Yes |
| Simulations | Coding only | Yes |
| Add Your Own Questions | Yes, with help | Yes |
| ATS Integration | Yes | Yes |
| Free Trial Offer | No | Yes |
Choosing the Right Skills Tests Provider
Skill testing can help you reduce the time-to-hire and the cost of hiring by making sure candidates have the skills they need before you bring them on board. Testing can also help you assess job fit to make sure a candidate will fit in with your company culture.
The right pre-skills testing provider can make a significant difference in your organization’s hiring process. Contact eSkill to request a demo.