The following report was conducted as a special project in making an open argument and determination which pre-employment assessment software is more ideal for employers to use when screening qualified job applicants for potential employment. While some companies use pre-employment software to filter out the best job candidates, the downside is that good people sometimes get unintentionally filtered out by no good employers because they don’t fit into the corporate culture and shamelessly claim religion before their employer after being asked why they can’t work on Sunday.

Berke Assessment – Berke is in the business of helping employers hire quality talent through accurate pre employment testing software. According to the “About” page of Berke, “co-founders Kelly Land and Martin Freedland set out to create an assessment that would accurately predict job performance.”(Berke) They specialize in not just pre-employment testing of qualified job candidates, but the beauty of this program is helping employers solves problems through singling out personality traits.

Something about Berke’s software is having a curtailed report immediately available for employers that helps them in ‘drop of the dime” hiring decision process. A majority of employers today go with the “gut feeling,” meaning that based off of the interview and what a job candidate says, is taken for what is said on the spot, instead of testing the candidate on a computer or submitting writing samples to measure the potential employees’ ability to deliver on their word. Berke’s software eliminates doubt and delivers results employers are looking for that stand on concrete.

How it is best used – Berke pre-employment testing solutions covers aptitude tests, personality tests, skills tests, biographical data, physical ability test, and work samples. (Berke/about). These various tests allow employers to get to know job candidates in terms of thinking on different levels and achieve direct objectives such as learning thinking patterns, screen candidates faster, immediately acknowledge red flags in a candidate, reduce employee turnover, and avoid costly mistakes.  

Feelings on pre-employment software by Burke – This software helps employers reduce costs of hiring certain people for the job because the answers they seek are in the results of pre employment testing. It allows employers to dig deep in a person’s mind and assist in better hiring judgments. In turn, it reduces employee turnover, increases ROI for the company, and puts qualified candidates in the right positions as long-term employees seeking growth with the employer.

Pros:

• Allows employers to hire with confidence
• Blog (s) discussing benefits of external and internal hiring
• Custom hiring profiles “Create tailored hiring profiles that define the behavioral traits and problem solving abilities required by top performing employees at your organization.” (Burke.com/features).
• Guide base and support
• No setup fees

Cons:

• Doesn’t publicly advertise rates for subscription plans (employers need to fill out online e-form to have a Berke assessment sales representative contact them for pricing).
• No mention of flat fee pricing for use of all tests vs. Criteria pre-employment testing corporation
• No test driving of the software before purchasing subscription to compare how compatible software is with interviewing and testing job candidates

Companies that use Berke employment software – Netflix, Harley Davidson, Shell, Allstate, Comcast, McDonald’s, Johnson & Johnson.

Criteria pre-employment testing corporation – Founded in 2006 out of Los Angeles, California, respectively growing their business domestically and globally. The cover 50 states in the US and 18 countries. This software company is a winner because they allow potential customers to test drive the software before purchasing.

In comparison with Berke assessment services, one thing noticed about the Criteria pre-employment testing company is bright minds come together as a team of leading experts and leading psychologists from corners of the United States to evaluate and enhance the software for total user satisfaction. In other words, Criteria doesn’t create software just to sell subscriptions without consistent evaluation of how the software will impact employers using it in pre-employment interviews, and bright minds coming together in brainstorming what potential additions to add to the software. Criteria mentions the following on their company page “Criteria is a leading provider of web-based pre-employment testing services. Our mission is to make high-quality pre-employment testing solutions accessible to companies of all sizes. Our testing system, HireSelect, is an SaaS (software as a service) solution that enables organizations to better manage their most important asset — their human capital — by providing state-of-the-art assessment tools to increase the effectiveness of the employee selection and retention process. HireSelect features aptitude, personality, and skills tests.”(Criteria Corp). Criteria Corporation is a leader today by staying one step ahead of pre-employment testing competitors stays relevant in the business world, through encouraging employees to give back and get involved in their local community through charitable giving “something that’s not mentioned on the Berke assessment website.”

How it is best used – In comparison to Berke who only offers pre-employment testing, aptitude and personality testing, Criteria offers battery testing for over 1100 positions. In addition, Criteria also covers on-site or remotely. Remote testing is good when you don’t want to meet candidates face-to-face and you’re working for or an owner of a large temporary employment agency. Remote testing is good because in my personal opinion, temporary agency staffers can conduct “mass testing,” reducing time of testing candidates face-to-face while others wait and sit in the temporary employment agency lobby to be tested. Remote testing is also good because if a potential job candidate fails the exam, you don’t have to face that person and tell them they failed.

They also have score reports, analytical tools, and the ability for employees to create and deliver their own tests. Lastly, employers can also streamline their hiring process; not available with the Berke assessment.

Pros:

• Allows employers to administered and customized tests on their terms.
• Doesn’t charge any per-test fees
• Free trial
• ROI calculator
• Webinars to help employers better understand how to use Criteria employment software

Cons:

• “The annual subscription fee for HireSelect is tiered based on the size of your organization — our customers range from 3-person medical offices to Fortune 500 companies with more than 10,000 employees.” (Criteria – https://www.criteriacorp.com/solution/pricing.php). Pricing is possibly “tricky,” but might be worth every penny after subscribing using this service. Criteria is not for low-budget employers or temporary employment agencies.

Companies that use Criteria employment testing software: Restaurant.com, Scandia – Nautical seafoods, First Bankers trust company, SRA Associates, Benjamin W. Wong CFP and Associates, International Cruise and Excursions, Gifttree.com, eSquared Communication Consulting, Chicago Sun-Times, Quicken loans, University of North Florida, Wendy’s fast food, Ocean Spray, Washington State Employees Credit Union (WSECU).

Works Cited

Assessment features that help you hire great people. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.berkeassessment.com/features

Company. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.criteriacorp.com/company/index.php

Meet Berke. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.berkeassessment.com/about

Pricing. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.criteriacorp.com/solution/pricing.php