Why testing candidate’s data entry and typing skills are important
By: Pramila Rai
Tags: Data Entry Skills, Recruitment, Typing Skills, Skills Testing Software, Candidate Skills Testing

Administrative job roles require employees to be adept at data entry and typing. This requirement is due to the need to minimise data entry and typing errors that can negatively impact the business. Skills testing all the applicants helps recruiters select the best candidates. Recruitment agencies utilise skills testing software to examine their candidates before placing them to avoid making bad hiring decisions.

Purpose of data entry and typing skills tests in recruitment

Candidate skills assessment is mandatory for those vying for admin roles as it helps recruiters be aware of their proficiency in data entry and typing as well in literacy and numeracy skills. Entering data and typing are daily activities for an admin role. A single mistake can be costly. Therefore, superior typing and data entry skills help differentiate a candidate from their peers during the recruitment process.

Applicants must be accurate and as quick as possible. Both speed and accuracy are equally important because if a candidate keeps great speed while typing but their work has many errors then that work is futile. It has the same result if they type everything correctly but take a long time to achieve this.

•Data entry skills test

Data entry skills tests judge an individual’s ability to process information precisely and quickly. Skills testing software can test candidates on industry-specific tests — legal, financial, retail, and medical. These also measure their knowledge of the particular industry which is a vital part of the job. Candidates’ skills are examined through copy typing, audio typing, and data entry.

For copy typing tests, candidates will be tested on their ability to produce the test content as accurately as possible. Audio typing tests evaluate a candidate’s ability to listen, concentrate, and recapture data. Candidates will need to be alert and process the audio information quickly and type in the relevant pieces of data. This test can have the audio at differing audio speeds so concentration and ability to process information quickly is essential. Data entry tests are designed to measure an individual’s speed and accuracy when recording data.

•Typing skills test

Similar to data entry assessments, typing skills tests also cover different industries. Candidates are evaluated on their ability to cover industry-specific languages while keying in data. Individuals need to be aware that while the rate at which they type is important, their capacity to absorb and summarise information accurately is correspondingly relevant. Missing out on important data simply to prove their speed will take off points.

The convenience of online skills testing

Similar to other skills tests, data entry skills tests are also available to take online. Recruiters can send the online skills tests to one, 20, or even 200 candidates just as easily. This is particularly helpful when recruiters are mass hiring and need to test hundreds of candidates quickly. Recruiters can send one simple email with the test link to as many candidates as they like.

Applicants can take these online data entry and typing skills tests from anywhere. This immediately removes the time and energy that would normally be spent on confirming the date, time, and venue for the test. Results are available as soon as a candidate completes the test. This is very convenient as it helps recruiters make informed and objective decisions on time.