Turning in a résumé and cover letter and crossing your fingers used to be the standard job-search playbook. But that old-school approach may soon vanish.
By the time Gen Alpha enters the workforce, they might never endure the slog of listing every past duty on a résumé. Already, about 76% of employers incorporate some form of skills testing into their hiring process, according to a recent TestGorilla report.
From Hogan Assessments to the Myers-Briggs inventory, hiring managers are relying on quizzes to gain an edge in the fierce talent war—and they’re pleased with the results. Roughly 84% of employers report satisfaction with hires made via skills tests, compared to 80% overall.
In fact, many bosses now say these assessments eclipse traditional screening: 71% agree that testing beats résumés in predicting on-the-job success, and 65% believe candidates who pass skills tests stick around longer than those who don’t.
Pre-employment testing is already trending at major firms like Olive Garden and FedEx.
The Perks of Skills Tests
- Speed and accuracy: Three in five employers say tests have slashed their time-to-hire.
- Better hiring decisions: Two-thirds report fewer mis-hires after adding skills assessments.
- Objective scoring: Businesses can verify cognitive ability and technical know-how, then rank applicants by score.
A Mixed Reception
Job-seekers often find these quizzes odd—some recall answering questions like whether they’d ever grab pizza before colleagues, leaving them to wonder if the test truly gauges workplace fit. But personality and skills tests aren’t a passing fad; companies have relied on them for decades in pursuit of a competitive hiring advantage.
“Personality tests are pretty common in hiring,” says Ryne Sherman, Chief Science Officer at Hogan Assessments. “Any extra insight I can gain—applied across my workforce—can dramatically boost overall productivity.”
Soft Skills in the Spotlight
As AI automates routine tasks, employers are increasingly focused on human traits. This year, 69% of companies are using soft-skills assessments, up from 50% using cognitive tests and 35% administering self-report questionnaires.
With skills testing rapidly infiltrating recruiting, the résumé-and-letter duo may soon be relics of a bygone era.