Remote Assessment Tools

Balance between flexibility and efficiency

In a world in which new developments follow each other in quick succession, employees and candidates expect a certain degree of flexibility and faster response times. The remote assessments offered by Hudson meet both these expectations. Your candidates no longer have to travel, as assessment centres can now be fully or partially completed from home. This type of assessment also allows assessment centres to be organised more flexibly and efficiently, which means that a larger number of potential candidates can participate.

No compromise on quality

Our R&D department is renowned throughout Europe and beyond for continuously developing new and innovative assessment tools with very high levels of validity. These state-of-the-art and evidence-based tools are developed according to our clients’ input and requirements and built on scientific principles and methods. Furthermore, our certified assessors follow a strict methodology when conducting assessments.

But are the results equally reliable when our tests are taken remotely? While the test supervisor is of course no longer physically present and all interactions take place online via a computer screen rather than face-to-face, the numerous scientific studies that have been conducted on this are unanimously positive: a remote assessment delivers the same level of quality as a face‑to‑face assessment. The scores that candidates obtain during remote assessments appear to be very similar to those obtained during face-to-face assessments. Even in terms of the predictive validity of the tests, very little difference has been observed.

Cheating is losing

Our remote tests may well be reliable, but what about the participants? Some companies are dismissive of remote assessments because they fear that candidates will cheat. But their concerns are unfounded. Not only is the number of cheats usually extremely low, there is also no guarantee that cheating will actually improve someone’s score. Many questions involve complex reasoning, so even consultation between different candidates does not lead to significantly higher scores.

Naturally, it helps to use questions for which participants cannot just google the solution with a click of a mouse. Our remote tools are therefore not typical knowledge tests. The tests do not have only one correct answer but instead are designed to measure the skills, competencies, motivational drives or preferred behaviours of a participant. Hudson has developed a very extensive library of questions and exercises. By alternating these sufficiently and adapting them regularly, we ensure that participants cannot know the questions in advance.

Another factor which disadvantages cheats is time pressure. When scoring each test, the speed at which the test is completed is also taken into account. Candidates must therefore choose between wrongfully searching for answers or concentrating on their test. It is evident from research that the vast majority choose the latter.

Remote with video

There are also several interesting new opportunities for remote assessments. Interviews and role-plays can now be conducted via video conferencing. This new technology now allows you, as a (potential) employer, to monitor the assessment live. Although less research has been conducted in this area, the consensus is that assessments in which video technology is used are just as effective and high quality as traditional assessments.

Candidate experience is key

While Hudson is researching remote options enthusiastically, we are certainly not blind to the disadvantages that they may entail. Participants sometimes feel uncertain about video interviews, fearing that some non-verbal forms of communication may be lost or that technical faults may interrupt the flow of the discussion.

For this reason, the consultants who conduct a remote assessment always pay sufficient attention to the participants and take care to ensure that they feel comfortable with remote testing at all times. They reassure them that any potential technical faults will have no influence on their results and maintain friendly and informal contact with participants throughout the tests. Sufficient time is also scheduled between the tests and interactions, so that participants can be put at ease. Furthermore, Hudson is strongly committed to the ongoing improvement of our remote solutions in order to further optimise the candidate experience for participants.

Remote tools are here to stay

Our remote assessment options therefore form an excellent way to increase the flexibility of an assessment process. Furthermore, it creates the possibility for more candidates to participate; for example, people who live abroad who, due to circumstances, cannot easily travel or free up the time. Moreover, remote tools meet several important needs in society: they deliver time-savings and are a very ecological alternative to traditional assessments.