Choosing the Right Assessment for Early Careers Hiring

Hiring for early careers—whether it be graduates, apprentices, or interns—requires a distinct approach to assessment. Unlike experienced professionals, early-career candidates often lack the hard technical skills or extensive experience needed to hit the ground running.

Instead, the focus shifts towards potential: identifying individuals who can learn, adapt, and thrive through training and development.

In this guide, we will discuss the key considerations when choosing tests for early-career hiring, ensuring you select assessments that are effective, scalable, and candidate-friendly.

• 1. Focus on Potential, Not Current Skills: Early-career candidates are rarely expected to possess extensive technical expertise. The emphasis should instead be on their ability to learn, grow, and excel in a structured training environment. Cognitive ability tests are particularly valuable in this context, as they measure the capacity for problem-solving, learning, and decision-making—attributes that underpin long-term success in any role. While specific skills assessments might play a role in niche scenarios, the primary goal should always be to evaluate the candidate’s potential, not their current proficiency.
  For example, a graduate who scores highly on a cognitive ability test is more likely to excel in training and adapt to new challenges than someone with limited, narrowly focused technical skills. This is especially important in roles where qualifications and skills will be developed through structured support and mentorship.
• 2. Ease of Interpretation and Scalability: Early careers recruitment often involves high volumes of applicants. Graduate schemes and internships can attract hundreds or even thousands of candidates. To manage this volume efficiently, it is crucial to use assessments that provide clear, rankable scores. Tests that require detailed, qualitative interpretation may be useful for more senior roles, but they are impractical for high-volume recruitment. Instead, opt for assessments that allow you to easily compare candidates at scale, creating shortlists based on clear, objective data. Scalable assessments save significant time and administrative effort, enabling recruiters to focus their attention on the most promising candidates. For instance, a numerical scoring system or percentile ranking can help quickly identify the top-performing applicants, ensuring a smooth and efficient screening process.
• 3. Convenience and Candidate Experience: Candidates applying for early-career roles are often juggling multiple applications, interviews, and assessments. An overly complex or time-consuming selection process can deter top talent, especially if competitors are offering more streamlined experiences. It is therefore essential to prioritise candidate convenience when choosing assessments.
  Assessments should be quick to complete, typically taking no more than 30 minutes, and should avoid requiring specialised tools or environments. Tests that can be completed online, on any device, are ideal. By reducing friction and ensuring accessibility, you can maintain candidate engagement and attract a wider pool of high-quality applicants. A positive candidate experience also enhances your employer brand, which is particularly important when targeting early-career professionals who may prioritise organisations with modern and considerate hiring practices.

Using the right tests for early-career hiring delivers significant benefits for both employers and candidates. For employers, these assessments enable objective, data-driven decisions that minimise bias and enhance the quality of hire. They also streamline the recruitment process, saving time and resources by quickly identifying the best candidates.

By focusing on innate abilities and learning potential, these tests level the playing field, allowing individuals from diverse educational and socio-economic backgrounds to compete on equal terms.

Find out how our assessment platform is perfect for your early careers hiring.

When choosing assessments for early-career hiring, prioritise tools that focus on potential, offer ease of interpretation, and deliver a positive candidate experience.

For more guidance on selecting the right assessments, feel free to reach out to us for tailored advice.