Use a competency test?
Visualise your employee's growth potential
What is a competency?
A competency is the ability to combine knowledge, attributes, and skills to achieve a certain end result. These are your strengths that set you apart and enable you to perform your work properly. Employers also attach great importance to competencies, as they indicate to what extent a candidate is suitable and competent for the position they have applied for.
With a competency test, you get a clear and transparent overview of the qualities and competencies of applicants. Want to conduct a competency test? Then you are at the right place with MEPD. A competency test is often part of an assessment.
What is a competency test?
The competency test is a test comprising a number of statements. These statements incorporate different competencies. By scoring each statement positively or negatively, you indicate to what extent the statement applies to you. Many statements may seem similar, as a competency test is not about just one thing, but a combination of circumstances. There is no right or wrong in a competency test. It should provide a recognisable result, namely who you are. Therefore, it is important that a competency test is always completed honestly. There’s no need to present yourself better than you are. After all, competencies can always be further developed throughout your career.
Preparing for a competency test
You might think that preparing for a competency test isn’t necessary. The questions are about you as a person and the skills you possess. However, it’s actually very useful to prepare thoroughly. It’s important to know which competencies are expected of you before you respond to a vacancy; they are often listed in the job description. A position as a manager, for example, obviously requires leadership and coaching skills, but your communication skills should also be strong. What do you need to get the job? Also, consider which competencies you already possess and to what extent you have developed them.
It’s also wise to first take a few practice tests, so you know what kind of questions to expect. The statements may be worded differently in the final assessment, but they amount to the same thing. When doing practice tests, also look at yourself critically: do you recognise the statements and the related competencies, and have you answered everything honestly? Are you unsure about some questions? Review them to see why you are unsure. Is it because you’re uncertain how far you’ve developed the competency? Or is it because you haven’t mastered the competency at all yet?
After the assessment
When you have completed the assessment, you will receive a report with the results of the test. The report is usually straightforward, making it easy to quickly identify your strengths and weaknesses. Various charts are shown, and an explanation of the results achieved is included. This way, you see at a glance which competencies you could work on to achieve more success in the future, and which competencies you already possess sufficiently.
Would you like to have a competency test done as an employer? Then you’re in the right place with MEPD. A competency test provides insights into the strengths of your employee, which can help prevent a potential mismatch. Still unsure? Then you can also have an application assessment performed for a better picture of a candidate. Discuss the options with one of our advisors.
Yes, in advance we jointly determine which three or four competencies are most important. These competencies are then specifically explained in our report.
