From what is stated to what is demonstrated.
Knowing a tool or procedure can mean different things. It is necessary to specify what needs to be known and how to verify it.
HARD SKILLS
Assess the knowledge
each role requires.
Assess the technical knowledge and skills
that matter for decisions and learning.
We assess technical skills
against the actual demands of the job.
Demonstrated knowledge
Job reference
Learning needs
THE CHALLENGE
Experience gives you a starting point.
Evidence shows what someone can do.
A resume, an interview, or prior experience provides valuable information. Verifying specific knowledge allows for adding a reference that aligns with the requirements of the position.
Hard skills help to understand the starting point and determine which skills are worth updating or strengthening.
Changing requirements.
New tasks, tools, and procedures may require knowledge that should be reviewed.
Training with a clear objective.
Identifying specific needs helps in selecting relevant content and practical exercises related to the job.
WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO VERIFY.
Knowledge and how it’s applied.
Understand what each result tells you.
The proposal aims to demonstrate the ability to understand and solve a specific content or task. The type of assessment is selected based on the objective and the skills you want to evaluate.
KNOWLEDGE-BASED QUESTIONS
Understand the fundamentals.
Explore the concepts, rules, and criteria that the person needs to know in order to perform their work. Answering this question allows you to see what they know about the content that has been evaluated.
What knowledge do they need to demonstrate for this task?
PRACTICAL EXERCISES – ACCORDING TO THE TEST
Apply them to a specific task.
When the assessment includes a practical activity, observe how it is solved and what result is achieved. The scope will depend on the exercise and the agreed-upon criteria.
What can be demonstrated when performing a specific activity?
The conditions give meaning to the results.
The content, time, language, available resources, and adaptations are all part of the assessment. They need to be understood in order to interpret the evidence and determine whether a comparison is appropriate.
What we will confirm before proposing an evaluation
The test
- Content and purpose
- Purpose and justification
- Knowledge or execution
- Interpretation criteria
The application
- People and positions
- Language and duration
- Resources and adaptations
- Information for participants
Delivery
- Results and explanation
- Target audience and access
- Learning needs
- Timeline and investment
The proposal specifically outlines the tests, application conditions, and deliverables.
A QUESTION TO CLARIFY THE APPROACH
A specific task.
A clear assessment criterion.
A question can demonstrate how knowledge is applied to a situation. The value lies in knowing what to ask and what allows you to observe the answer.
This example focuses on understanding an order table before calculating. It demonstrates the approach, without scoring or evaluating your level.
The answer does not imply that the person knows how to perform the calculation using a tool. That would require a practical activity and specific criteria.
WHAT THE DELIVERY ENTAILS
Results you can understand.
Learning you can plan.
The delivery relates the results by competency or area to their evaluation criteria and provides an explanation of the conclusions. These examples illustrate the interpretation; the proposed format and scope are concrete.
ESFERICALHARD SKILLS
FICTIONAL CASE · ORDER DATA REVIEW
What allows you to observe the response
ILLUSTRATED CONTENT
Differentiate an order from its product lines.
OBSERVING AN EXAMPLE
Identify that the structure needs to be checked before adding or deleting rows.
PENDING VERIFICATION
How to perform the calculation and review the result in the working tool.
Scope of the readingA single answer does not establish a level of proficiency.
Knowing what has been demonstrated.
The deliverable relates the results to the skills or areas assessed. The assessment distinguishes verified content from what the test does not allow to conclude.
- Results related to the assessed content.
- Differentiating between knowledge and execution, when appropriate.
- Explanation of what was observed and its limitations.
A specific reference for discussing capabilities.
Tell us what you need to evaluateFictional examples, without results from real people. They illustrate an interpretation of the result; they are not a test or a benchmark.
HOW THE PROCESS IS PRESENTED.
From a job requirement
to useful evidence.
Assess with a purpose.
Interpret the results in context.
The evaluation makes sense when what is being checked is related to the work, and the conclusions respect the scope of the test.
Define what you need to check.
Start from the position, tasks, and decision you want to guide. Specify the relevant knowledge and skills.
Select an appropriate test.
Confirm that a valid and available test exists for that objective. Agree on the content, format, and scope of the assessment.
Agree on the conditions of application.
Define participation, language, time, resources, and adaptations. Explain what will be evaluated and how the information will be handled.
Interpret the results.
Relate the evidence to the test criteria and its conditions. Distinguish between what has been demonstrated, any doubts, and the limitations of the interpretation.
Identify learning needs.
Determine what should be reinforced and how it relates to the work. Training and its follow-up will be agreed upon separately.
HOW CAN IT HELP YOU?
Understand people’s skills.
Choose where to focus.
When preparing for an onboarding
When the role requires specific knowledge and you need a reference to complement the stated experience.
Adding relevant evidence to the selection conversation.
When updating skills.
When tasks, tools, or procedures change and you want to identify which knowledge is worth reviewing.
Linking the update to the current job requirements.
Before deciding on training.
When you need to specify which content and practice can meet the identified needs.
Prioritise learning with a clear purpose.
CONNECTING THE EVALUATION WITH THE WORK.
A starting point.
A next step that matters.
A technical assessment is most valuable when it is linked to the specific requirements of the role and the individual's learning opportunities.
Other assessments, training, and mentoring have their own scope. They will be combined when the need warrants it and agreed upon in the proposal.
The role as a reference point
Job analysis helps to define tasks, responsibilities, and necessary skills to determine what should be assessed.
Understand Job AnalysisPreparation for working with AI
AI Readiness has its own approach to knowledge, skills, and context to guide preparation.
Understand AI ReadinessLearning with a purpose
Training offers programmes, courses, and pathways to address the identified needs.
Explore TrainingBEFORE WE BEGIN
Questions
you may have.
Conditions and scope of an evaluation tailored to specific job requirements.
What tests are available?
We select the tests based on the knowledge and skills you need to assess. The proposal details the instruments, the content being evaluated, and their application conditions. This allows you to understand what the assessment includes before hiring it.
Does it assess knowledge or also the execution of a task?
The proposal distinguishes between the two. Knowledge-based questions explore content and criteria; task-based exercises allow you to observe how an activity is solved when that modality is included. Not all tests include both parts. It will be specified what each one evaluates and what conclusions it allows.
Are the tests suitable for any position?
The selection should be based on the requirements of the position and the purpose of the assessment. It is not assumed that there is a suitable test for any need, nor that creating a custom test is included. If there is a specific need, its scope and feasibility must be evaluated.
What languages, duration, and adaptations are considered?
They will depend on each test and must be confirmed before application. The language, time, permitted resources, and necessary adaptations will be agreed upon. Additionally, the potential impact of these conditions on the interpretation and comparison of results will be reviewed.
What will the organisation receive, and who will be able to view the results?
A reading will be conducted by a qualified individual or within a specific area, accompanied by the conditions of application and an explanation of the scope of the conclusions. The final format, recipients, access, and the information received by each participant will be agreed upon in the proposal. It is not assumed that the results will be automatically delivered to all individuals or responsible parties.
Does a score allow for deciding who to hire or promote?
An assessment provides information within its scope. Decisions require professional judgement and other relevant evidence for the role. A knowledge test alone does not demonstrate daily performance, and a specific exercise does not represent everything a person can do. The decision ultimately rests with the responsible individuals.
Can people be compared or can improvement be measured after training?
To compare, it is necessary to confirm that the content, criteria, and conditions allow for it. A subsequent evaluation should also consider prior experience and familiarity with the test. The use of benchmarks, classifications, or measures of improvement will require a valid basis for that purpose.
Does it include training or certification?
The assessment can help identify learning needs. Training, practical application, and monitoring will have their own scope. No professional certification or accreditation is offered simply for taking a test; any formal recognition would require specific conditions that are not part of this proposal.
How can we design an assessment?
Tell us what skills you need to verify, for what roles, and for what purpose. We will prepare a proposal with tests, participants, deliverables, a schedule, and investment. We will agree on the conditions of application and the next steps with you.
LET'S TALK ABOUT HARD SKILLS.
Which skills
do you need to assess?
Tell us which roles you’re looking at and why.
We’ll agree the approach and next steps with you.
Relevant skillsAttendees and participantsScope and timeline
Review the Hard Skills proposalThe proposal outlines the tests, application conditions, deliverables, schedule, and investment.