Human Resources Test

A Human Resources (HR) test empowers recruiters and hiring managers to assess the key competencies required for excellent HR personnel. If you are considering hiring an HR specialist, try using Picked’s test to ensure they have the right skills to thrive in the role.

  • What is a Human Resources test?

    HR is an essential part of any business; it is primarily responsible for managing the employee lifecycle, which includes recruiting, hiring, onboarding and training.

    A Human Resources test assesses a range of skills that would be expected of someone working in HR. This might include excellent communication, administrative expertise, general HR knowledge, recruitment and coaching skills and problem-solving.

    The test itself is a series of multiple-choice questions. There is also the additional challenge of each question being timed, to simulate working under pressure.

    Skill tests are becoming more commonly used during the pre-screening stages of the recruitment processes for a wide range of roles. More often than not, resumes tend to be weighted around experience and not skills, which is why an HR test can be so essential.

About the Human Resources Test

Human Resources allows businesses to build effective and talented teams, as well as helping manage conflict and employee-related issues. Hiring good HR personnel is often crucial to business success, and so you might want to consider a Human Resources skills test to measure a candidate's competencies and assess how suitable they are for the role.

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  • Why should you use a human resources test for recruiting?

    It can be difficult to evaluate HR skills just from a resume, application or interview. These typically tend to be more weighted towards experience than skills and abilities. They also are open to unconscious bias, which is why using a skill test can be so useful.

    The skills assessed by the HR test include problem-solving skills, communication, general HR knowledge, cultural fit, situational judgement, verbal/non-verbal skills and technical competencies.

    The Human Resources test would be suitable for a range of job roles within a human resources department including:

    • HR Manager
    • HR Assistant
    • Talent Manager
    • HR Director
    • HR Specialist
    • Chief Diversity Officer
    • Head of HR
    • Recruiter

    Sending each applicant a Human Resources test allows you to compare test scores with other candidates, helping you automatically rank top performers and making the shortlisting process fairer and less prone to bias.

Picked Sample Report

View a sample report

Results for the Human Resources Test along with other assessments the candidate takes will be compiled to produce a candidate report. The report is automatically generated and available both online and as a downloadable pdf so they can be shared with other team members and employees alike.

How our test assesses Human Resources skills

Candidates will need to answer a range of questions that measure industry-specific technical skills where applicable (e.g. Microsoft Excel), soft skills (e.g. interpersonal skills), aptitude (e.g. numerical reasoning) and relevant personality dimensions (e.g. organisation). The results present a holistic view of how well suited each candidate is for the job at hand, using a data-driven approach.

The format varies by type of question, including multiple-choice for aptitude and technical skills, situational judgement for soft skills and agreement on a Likert scale for the personality dimensions. This approach ensures candidates are being assessed in an accurate and fair manner, and that results reflect the true underlying qualities of each candidate.

The characteristics, abilities and knowledge necessary to work in human resources were identified using the US Department of Labor's comprehensive O*NET database. O*NET is the leading source of occupational information that is constantly updated by collecting data from employees in specific job roles.

During the development process, test questions were rigorously analysed to maximise reliability and validity in line with industry best practices. They were created by our team of I/O psychologists and psychometricians – who collaborated with subject-matter-experts – and field-tested with a representative sample of job applicants who have varying experience, just like you might find in a talent pool.

Each test is reviewed by a panel of individuals representing diverse backgrounds to check for any sensitivity, fairness, face validity and accessibility issues. This ensures each candidate has a fair chance of demonstrating their true level of expertise.

Our human resources test is monitored to ensure it is up-to-date and optimised for performance.

Validated

Predictor of job success

Picked provides evidence-based recommendations for tests to use for over 750 jobs. Our recommendation engine leverages data from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA).

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    Fully accredited

    All our Human Resources tests are written by accredited psychologists and fully validated.

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    For all levels

    We offer Human Resources tests for all levels so you can assess all roles within your organisation.

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    Smart automations

    Automated actions such as alerts and reminders ensure a smooth candidate experience.

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    Instant results

    Receive candidate results in real-time so you can make decisions in hours, not days.

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Make better hires

Improve hiring with bias-free, data-driven decisions.

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    Analytics dashboard

    Our full array of candidate performance metrics will provide actionable data on each of your candidates.

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    Candidate comparison

    Simple, easy-to-use candidate comparison reports mean you don’t need to be a psychologist to interpret them.

“We used Picked as part of our Finance Graduate Scheme recruitment and it was just what we needed – really simple to send candidates the link to complete and clear to see how they all compared. And great value for money!”
Christina, HR Director, Cancer Research, UK
Christina, HR Director, Cancer Research, UK
Human Resources Test expert

Written by a Human Resources Test expert

Our team of assessment experts is made up of I/O psychologists and psychometricians who are dedicated to making all of our tests as reliable, valid and fair as possible. They strictly adhere to best practices in the industry and stay on top of the latest innovations to ensure job candidates’ unique profiles of characteristics, abilities and knowledge are being measured accurately while minimising bias. They leverage decades of research and advanced predictive analytics to build assessments that link to outcomes that matter, such as job performance, turnover, engagement, culture fit and more.

“Personality profiling allowed us to perform lookalike modelling of our most successful employees and use this as a blueprint for new hires.”
Nick, HR Operations, Airbus, Spain
Nick, HR Operations, Airbus, Spain

Human Resources Test FAQs

Is the HR skills test difficult?

The test is designed to measure intermediate levels of HR skills across a range of areas. There is also an element of time pressure, simulating what it might be like in a realistic work environment.

When in the application process is it best to use a Human Resources test?

The HR test is best used during the early stages of hiring, such as the application process or early pre-screening stages, to allow for more efficient sifting of candidates.

What is the cost for Picked's Human Resources test?

Picked operates on a monthly or annual subscription basis. We have several plans to suit your hiring needs, which you can check out here. Alternatively, you can get in touch with us to discuss a custom plan.

Can I get a free trial?

Yes, simply sign up (no credit card is required) and we'll give you unlimited access for seven days. Create as many jobs and test as many candidates as you want; you won't be charged a penny.

“Focusing on data reduced the subjective decision making from our hiring process and allowed us to reduce bias and make better hiring decisions.”
Izzie, Head of HR, iZettle, Sweden
Izzie, Head of HR, iZettle, Sweden

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