Organizations use assessments to help them with a number of human resource management functions including the following:
- Selection – identifying and hiring the best people for the job and the organization in a fair and efficient manner.
- Placement – assigning people to the appropriate job type and level.
- Training & Development – identifying those applicants or employees who might benefit from particular training programs and coaching individuals to success in a particular job.
- Promotion – identifying employees who possess the potential for higher level activities and responsibilities.
- Career Exploration – helping people to make career decisions within an organization, particularly for larger companies who have a wide range of jobs
Assessments are generally used in the hiring process to gather information on a job applicant’s knowledge (particularly where a special level of knowledge is required), skills (where particular skills are required), abilities (measuring underlying abilities such as aptitude for verbal or numerical problem solving), and experience.