Although skills testing is widely recognised as an effective hiring strategy, many Australian recruiters still aren’t getting the full benefit. It’s common for teams to adopt skills-based methods but apply them incorrectly, leading to inconsistent results or even the wrong hire. The truth is, most organisations think they’re running true skills assessments, but common mistakes in the setup and execution often hold the whole process back.
Fortunately, this comprehensive guide will point out 7 of the most common hiring mistakes Aussie TA leaders are making when skills testing and how you can avoid them. But before we get into the technicalities, let’s go over the role of skills testing in recruitment.
The role of skills testing in talent acquisition and recruitment
Skills testing plays a crucial role in hiring because it tells the recruiter who can actually do the job before they make any decisions.
Unlike traditional candidate evaluation techniques like resume screening, unstructured interviews, or background checks, skill tests directly place the candidate in scenarios where they’d need to tackle issues particular to the open role. Based on their performance, the candidates get graded, and you get adequate data to hire right.
While there are various types of skills tests, including online skills tests, behavioral assessments, situation-based tests, role-specific technical tests, and realistic job previews, the goal is always the same. Each of these tests fundamentally assesses how well the candidates can do the job and provides skill assessment data for making objective hiring decisions.
In the end, companies can:
- Reduce bias in recruitment
- Save time during the evaluation process
- Scale their candidate evaluation
- Boost fairness in the hiring process
However, despite how beneficial it is, 86% of hiring managers still note candidate skill assessment as the biggest challenge as they adopt skill-based hiring. This indicates that while companies are making the shift to skills-based hiring, many of them aren’t implementing skill-based hiring techniques like skills testing properly, and as such, they aren’t accessing all its benefits.
The 7 mistakes you could be making when skills testing
Skills testing is undoubtedly one of the most reliable strategies for measuring how well candidates can excel at an open role. But, if it’s not implemented properly, you risk hiring errors which could lead to skills mismatches.
The good news is that if you catch on to these mistakes in execution fast enough, you can fix them. To help you identify these errors, we’ll be spotlighting seven common skills testing mistakes Australian recruiters make:
1. Relying on generic tests instead of role-specific ones
The whole point of skills testing is to identify candidates who have the skills required for a position. While generic hiring tests do measure skill, they don’t always focus on those necessary for the open role. For example, using a basic web development assessment test to evaluate candidates going for a front-end developer role won’t be as effective as applying a front-end developer skills assessment.
Role-specific skill assessments are tailored to measure the skills required for a job on a deeper level. Typically, they use situation-based questions similar to scenarios the candidate will experience in the role, as well as behavioral questions to measure job fit. This makes them more effective and reliable for skills testing.
2. Not aligning tests with job descriptions
Job descriptions are the first interaction a candidate has with your company. As such, the skills, qualifications, and responsibilities you list in your job description go a long way in determining what the candidate would expect from the role and the assessment process.
If you don’t align skill tests with your job descriptions, it could confuse your candidates, leading to higher candidate turnover. This means that you could lose top talent and end up hiring unfit candidates for the role.
Additionally, if your tests don’t align with the requirements in your job descriptions, it means they would be assessing for skills that aren’t pertinent to the role. This, in turn, could result in a skills mismatch.
3. Making assessments too long or overly complex
A 2022 study by Robert Half showed that around 57% of candidates in Australia would lose interest in a position if the employer takes too long after evaluation to reach out to them. This shows that with the increasing demand for top talent across industries, candidates won’t wait around during a long evaluation process.
While comprehensive candidate evaluation is important, it’s also vital to assess them within the shortest possible time. The goal is to thoroughly measure candidate job fit without wasting yours or the candidate’s time. This means that adopting a multi-step evaluation process with several online skill assessments and interview stages might be doing more harm than good, so it’s best to keep things simple.
4. Failing to give clear instructions and feedback
To a large extent, candidates during evaluation rely on the recruiter for information about the process, including details like the nature of the assessment, duration, and frequency. If this information isn’t readily accessible, chances are, the candidate will feel ghosted and, as such, lose interest in the job.
At the end of the evaluation process, candidates also expect feedback on their performance. Based on research, around 43% of candidates didn’t hear back from their employers after the evaluation process. Of this number, 66.6% (that is, two-thirds of these candidates) say that the lack of feedback negatively impacts their view of the company.
This shows that, beyond increased candidate turnover rates, a lack of feedback or clear instructions gives your business a negative reputation among other potential candidates. This could impact the success of future hiring processes and prevent top talent from even applying in the first place.
5. Ignoring candidate experience
While the goal of recruitment is to find the right candidate for a role, it’s important to consider how the candidates feel in the process. Candidate experience plays a crucial role in determining their perception of your company, which, in turn, could define whether or not they accept your offers.
During skills testing, it’s very easy for recruiters, especially Australian recruiters, to ignore the candidate’s experience and instead focus solely on how comprehensive the assessment should be. As a result, you’d notice poor communication, lengthy application forms, and little to no feedback.
This makes the candidates feel undervalued in your recruitment process. It can also leave candidates under the impression that your company doesn’t put any intention behind its skill assessment process.
6. Treating skills tests like exams
Although these assessments aim to measure skill, they don’t exactly work like typical examinations. The latter focuses on grading how correctly a candidate can answer the questions, while true skill assessments measure how well they can apply knowledge to complete a task.
Treating skill tests like exams means prioritizing scores over performance context or using generic questions that test knowledge alone and not the ability to apply knowledge. This can make the testing process feel rigid or even lead to hiring someone who has an understanding of the role but lacks the skills to actually excel in it.
7. Not making assessments mobile-friendly or accessible
With over 5 billion people owning smartphones today, more than half of the world’s population actually relies on their mobile phones for information. In fact, in 2021 alone, around 67% of job applications were made from a mobile phone. This simply shows that candidates appreciate being able to access job applications and even tests on the go from their phones.
Making skills tests go beyond just making them available on mobile devices—you must ensure they load properly, have an attractive interface, and are hosted on platforms that won’t crash when all your candidates are taking the test.
How to avoid skills testing mistakes in your recruitment
Creating a fair and efficient skills assessment process isn’t just about testing candidates. It’s about designing an experience that mirrors the real job, respects their time, and reflects your company’s culture. When assessments are relevant, structured, and inclusive, they help you identify top talent and strengthen your employer brand. Here’s how to avoid common mistakes that lead to high candidate drop-off and poor hiring outcomes:
1. Use role-specific, practical tests that mirror real job tasks
Generic tests don’t give you an accurate picture of a candidate’s true ability. By tailoring assessments to the actual role, you can evaluate how well someone will perform in real-world scenarios.
For example, you could ask a marketing candidate to draft a short campaign plan for launching a new service. Or, you could ask a software engineer to debug a code snippet. This practical approach keeps candidates engaged and helps you focus on skills that matter. It also signals to candidates that your process is thoughtful and relevant, increasing their trust in your organisation and improving their overall experience.
2. Ensure alignment with job descriptions
When assessments don’t match the job description, which most candidates see first, it’s easy for them to feel confused or misled. This mismatch can cause high drop-off rates and a poor impression of your company.
A clear, aligned assessment ensures candidates know exactly what’s expected and can showcase the right skills. For instance, if the job description emphasises an ability to use a particular software, the test should focus on that software, not unrelated technical skills.
This not only builds transparency but also helps hiring teams evaluate candidates more accurately and fairly. Ultimately, it shortens the hiring process and improves overall candidate satisfaction.
3. Keep tests short, engaging, and mobile-friendly
To keep candidates engaged throughout the assessment process, break your skill tests into smaller, focused sections that can be completed in 20–30 minutes or less. For these tests, you must use task-based questions that reflect real job scenarios rather than long theoretical exercises.
You can also provide progress indicators so candidates know how far they’ve come and what’s left. The goal is to create a smooth, purposeful experience that keeps candidates engaged from start to finish.
To take your assessment another step further, choose testing platforms that automatically adjust layouts for smaller mobile screens and allow for easy scrolling, tapping, and typing. This helps to reduce technical friction and ensure a fairer evaluation, as every candidate can participate comfortably, regardless of the device they use.
4. Provide clear instructions and constructive feedback
Even the best assessment can frustrate candidates if instructions are vague or feedback is missing. Clear guidance ensures candidates know what’s expected of them, which reduces stress and confusion on their end.
As such, once candidates complete the test, it’s important to share constructive feedback, no matter how brief. It shows that you value their effort and see them as more than just another applicant. This kind of transparency can build stronger candidate relationships and make them more likely to reapply or recommend your company to others.
5. Prioritise candidate experience to build an employer brand
When candidates feel respected, informed, and valued during the hiring process, they’re more likely to speak positively about your company, whether or not they get the job.
A well-designed assessment process shows that you’re organised, fair, and committed to hiring the right people. This attracts stronger talent, lowers dropout rates, and builds a positive reputation in the market.
For example, by giving each applicant a clear, personalised overview of their assessment journey — such as through summary-style candidate cards with AI-generated strengths, improvement areas and follow-up interview prompts — you turn a often-impersonal process into one where candidates feel seen and supported. The result? Stronger brand perception and a smoother path from application to hire.
6. Incorporate inclusive and accessible testing methods
For your assessment process to be truly inclusive by design, you need to remove unnecessary barriers that might exclude talented people from participating fully. To do this:
- Use tools that support accessibility features, like text-to-speech.
- Avoid biased language in tasks, such as language that suggests age or gender bias.
- Offer alternative formats, including text, audio, and video, where necessary.
This approach widens your talent pool and makes candidates feel respected. In Australia, where diversity and inclusion are becoming key hiring priorities, accessible testing can give your organisation a competitive edge and signal to candidates that you value fairness and opportunity for all.
Use the Vervoe advantage to avoid errors in skills testing
One of the simplest ways to avoid errors in your skills assessments is to host them on a reliable, purpose-built platform. The right solution should scale effortlessly, offer role-specific assessments and provide an intuitive experience for candidates from start to finish. Luckily, Vervoe ticks all of these boxes, with added features to make your assessment process seamless.
With Vervoe, you get a full suite of customizable, job-specific tests suited for any role. Our scoring system is also AI-powered, allowing for faster candidate grading and ranking. This way, you get a detailed report on each candidate’s performance so you can make informed decisions. Essentially, you get error-free assessment in half the time and with more efficiency. Still wondering how it works? Get a demo to find out more!
