Assessment Auto Proctoring: Benefits for Recruiters
What is Automatic Proctoring?
Pre employment tests are a valuable way to gauge the skills of candidates before getting to the hiring stage. Before the advent of remote testing, these tests were administered under a live proctor, or under the “honor system”. Today, however, automatic proctoring has advanced the hiring game. Many hiring managers opt for software that allows them to remotely test candidates in a secure environment, without having to set aside time to administer the test under observation. Automatic proctoring softwares monitor the candidate during the test, removing the need for the hiring team to be present. Remote testing can be administered via an external software, such as Ducknowl, or another testing software. Most of these softwares can integrate with your ATS, keeping the system streamlined.
Automatic proctoring alerts recruiters to possible cheating activity during the online test process. The software may highlight attempts to leave the browser, record the candidate’s screen and/or webcam, or use AI to detect suspicious activity. Importantly, the software does all this without the need for human monitoring, allowing tests to be administered any time.
Benefits of Automatic Proctoring
Simply the existence of automatic proctoring in a testing environment deters cheating. In a study by Online Learning, researchers found that 70% of online test takers made cheating attempts during unproctored tests. However, only 15% attempted to cheat during proctored tests (Pleasants et al., 2022). Proctored testing environments discourage cheating before they even begin monitoring, keeping candidates honest. By encouraging honest test taking behavior, automatic proctoring can give recruiters and hiring managers better peace of mind about their candidate pool. Automatic proctoring can help in more accurately reflecting the true skillsets of candidates- scores of tests administered with automatic proctoring tend to be 10-20 points lower than those with no proctoring (Alessio et al., 2017). Beyond encouraging positive behavior, automatic proctoring also highlights dishonest behavior when it does happen, giving recruiters the most information possible to make their decision.
Automatic proctoring also provides better accessibility for both employers and candidates. 78% of test takers believe online tests are similar to real environments, giving them a good simulation of real world situations (Ásrún Matthíasdóttir & Hallgrímur Arnalds, 2016). In addition, automatic proctoring removes the need for scheduling. Candidates can take the test at any time, anywhere, providing not only flexibility, but better accessibility for disabled candidates as well. The ability to administer more tests to more candidates and review when needed allows recruiters to bring better diversity and better candidates to the hiring table. 59% of companies using automated proctoring found that it helped them to achieve more fair and unbiased hiring.
For candidates, automated proctoring can improve not only their chances of being hired, but also the hiring experience itself. In a 2024 survey, candidates were 47% more likely to say that assessments were better than resumes for standing out from the crowd in the hiring process (Lighthouse Research & Advisory, 2024). In addition, candidates reported that they would prefer to take a test, rather than simply submit a resume, believing that taking the test itself might give them more insight into the role, and well as what it might take to be successful in the role (Lighthouse Research & Advisory, 2024). Proctored assessments allow candidates to better engage with the role they are seeking.
Recruiters found benefits to their own process in addition to benefits for candidates. Due to the inherent time-saving aspect of not needing to proctor tests, and the ability to cut down on pre-employment calls in lieu of automated tests, recruiters report saving time. In fact, 59% of companies found that skill assessments were extremely valuable in saving time and automating critical tasks (Lighthouse Research & Advisory, 2024). 54% of companies reported that due to using skill assessments, recruiters were able to focus their time on key candidates, spending less time on busy work (Lighthouse Research & Advisory, 2024).
Perhaps most importantly for companies, the use of automatic proctoring improves the quality of their hires. 23% of HR professionals report that the diversity of their hires has improved due to using automated skill assessments (SHRM , 2022). 78% Of HR professionals say that the quality of the hires themselves have also improved due to the use of assessments (SHRM , 2022).
Ultimately, automatic proctoring aids recruiters in their hiring process, from providing more honest test results, to gleaning better information about candidates. By allowing candidates to put their best foot forward in a controlled environment where recruiters can be confident they’re getting a real look at their candidate’s skills, automated proctoring is streamlining and injecting integrity into the hiring process.
Sources:
Alessio, H. M., Malay, N. J., Maurer, K., Bailer, A. J., & Rubin, B. (2017). Examining the Effect of Proctoring on Online Test Scores. Online Learning, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v21i1.885
Ásrún Matthíasdóttir, & Hallgrímur Arnalds. (2016). E-Assessment: Students’ Point of View. CompSysTech’16, 369–374. https://doi.org/10.1145/2983468.2983497
Lighthouse Research & Advisory. (2024). 2024 Talent Acquistion Trends: Automation, Data, Relationships, and Transparency.
Pleasants, J., Pleasants, J. M., & Pleasants, B. (2022). Cheating on Unproctored Online Exams: Prevalence, Mitigation Measures, and Effects on Exam Performance. Online Learning, 26(1). https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v26i1.2620
SHRM . (2022, August 15). New SHRM Research Makes the Case for Skills-Based Hiring. Www.shrm.org. https://www.shrm.org/about/press-room/new-shrm-research-makes-case-skills-based-hiring
