How to use skill assessments to maintain employee retention

“I quit” can be a hard blow for any company. 

Weeks of recruiting, interviewing, and hiring….just to watch those hours of hard work walk out the door. We saw this scenario play out in full force over the last few years, with a record-topping 47 million US workers voluntarily leaving their jobs in 2021 alone.

And when you factor in costs to replace employees ranging from 50%-200% their salary, the numbers are sobering.

So how can you keep your employment door from non-stop revolving? 

Don’t recruit to hire. Recruit to retain. It’s not just about getting new employees in the door. What matters more is getting them to stay.

The rules of recruiting have shifted

In the past, quitting a job without another one lined up was unthinkable. But after years of feeling disconnected, unappreciated, and burned out, people are leaving jobs they don’t love — yes, even if it means they have no job.

Times have changed. Work has changed. And there are millions of ambitious, capable candidates who need jobs…but aren’t interested in companies who are unwilling to evolve and adapt to this new era of work.

And it’s not just the office culture that needs a major facelift. Reflective change should happen far before employees even start their jobs.

Recruiters, retention begins with you. To gain a dramatic edge in recruiting and retain top talent, it’s time to retire company expectations that no longer serve the future of work. 

Here’s how.

Value candidates’ time

People are the lifeblood of every business. 

So shouldn’t employee job satisfaction be imperative? It may seem like common sense, but this hasn’t always been the case.

In recent years, many companies have started to shift to a much more human approach. This style of leadership prioritizes a healthy culture, understanding that employees are the ones that drive business forward.

Josh Bersin, HR industry analyst, says there are three parts to human-centered leadership: empathy, vulnerability, and humility. Listen to your people, create a safe environment, and always be willing to learn. This will foster happy employees, who, according to one study, are 20% more productive.

So, how do you show candidates that they matter, even before they accept a job?

• Quickly guide a high volume of candidates to job fit with chat-based job matching tools
• Let candidates complete assessments and on-demand interviews on their own time
• Give them the flexibility to schedule interview times that work best for them
• Always keep them in the loop with automated reminders and ongoing updates
• Create an inclusive interview environment where they feel comfortable
• Explain your commitment to employee well-being by giving concrete examples

Prioritize DEI&B

The business case for diversity and inclusion goes far beyond moral reasons. No doubt, accepting everyone, from all walks of life, is the right thing to do. But it’s also the smart thing to do.

Not only do diverse work teams make better decisions 87% of the time, companies also see 22% lower employee turnover rates. Clearly, diversity is an easy competitive advantage for business.

Today, people want to see a commitment to equity, inclusion, and belonging drilled into every part of the company. And this starts in the hiring process — one that doesn’t rely on natural human bias and inconsistency, but instead uses tools and practices to minimize bias and evaluate everyone the same way.

How to do this?

For starters, don’t limit who you attract in job descriptions. Encourage a diverse range of candidates by using language that focuses on skills rather than bounded requirements.

Then, rely on science-backed hiring tools to make decisions. Not resumes and assumptions.

Tech like HireVue uses AI-powered assessments and structured interviews so all candidates are asked the same questions, play the same games, and are given the same time to complete the process. People are not evaluated based on where they live or how they dress — they are chosen on their ability to perform the job well.

Assess potential, not the past

Traditionally, pedigrees like advanced education, past work experience, and personal referrals have determined for many whether they would land a job. Not anymore. 

More and more companies are realizing that old standards were just bad for business, and are now shifting to a skills-first approach — one that values future potential over background.

And as technology swiftly reinvents how we work, there’s no better time to focus on skills. Especially since there’s been a 25% change in skills within the same role since 2015. A number that is estimated to double by 2027.

How does this look? It’s about finding the right skills that will progress the job forward — like interpersonal and teamwork skills — rather than focusing on the typical career path. It’s about assessing potential, not alma mater.

Hiring tools, like skills-based assessments, do exactly this. They assess candidates with game-based, interview-based, or coding assessments. Not only does it help recruiters make better decisions, but it gives candidates the opportunity to demonstrate their most sought-after skills.

Be transparent

Honest, forthright communication always wins. In hiring, this is especially true. 

Unfortunately, 72% of people say they have been given a false impression of the job, and culture, they interviewed for.

We’ve seen the situation play out time and time again. Candidates are painted a picture of a job opportunity, just to accept and discover that the opposite is true. Rightfully so, they quit, costing the company as much as $240,000 just to find themselves starting over again.

Employees are tired of finding a much different company than what they were led to believe — an experience some are calling shift shock. Now, they’re coming to interviews armed with questions to notoriously mysterious topics, like compensation or workplace policies.

Yes, they’re interviewing you just as much as you’re interviewing them. So show candidates the real you so they can determine if they’re a good fit, before it’s too late.

Beyond telling candidates what you offer, show them. Give them a look into your work policies, practices, and culture with realistic job previews. These on-demand videos provide a window into job requirements, growth opportunities, diversity, employee well-being and so much more.

Modernize your recruitment and retention strategies

A great recruiting strategy will hire employees who stay. But it requires intentional changes that align with the new direction of work.

HireVue’s end-to-end talent experience platform improves how you engage, screen, and hire talent — creating an experience you and your candidates need. To see HireVue in action, request a demo today.