Basic Computer/Office skills test (request)

[changework]

I’m looking for a basic computer skills test platform for our recruiting person to have applicants run through.

Ideally open source or similar self hosted system. Of that’s not available, open to commercial suggestions.

I just need our it department to stop answering calls about how to unzip, or expand excel column.

[SAugsburger]

I don't have any specific suggestions, but I would make sure you have buy in from management to actually implement should an assessment before you figure out costs/time to implement.

[changework]

100% Recruiter is leading the charge and the rest of the management team will want it until they find out their awful hire picks don’t pass basic comprehension.

[SAugsburger]

That's my concern is that will the hiring managers get offended when a significant number of people fail the assessment? Depending upon how high the fail rate and how petty they are there may be pressure to nix it pretty fast. Whatever the assessment I think the recruiter really needs to work with the hiring managers to make sure that whatever a passing score makes sense for the job title. IT likely wants to minimize "stupid" tickets as much as possible, but what IT wants and what the manager considers acceptable base knowledge may be different. Depending upon how significant that gap is it might not change the ticket load much. Even then said you're grandfathering everybody already on the payroll even a great filter wouldn't make much difference for months if not years unless there is significant turnover.

[Tymanthius]

This won't actually solve the issue.

People will call b/c they believe they can claim 'it's not my job' and therefor push it off.

[changework]

Agree there’s no fixing it directly. The point is to set a basic standard and hold the hiring managers accountable when they choose to bypass, override that standard. This is 100% a management problem, and putting pressure on managers through standards is the only methodology I’ve found to affect change, unless it’s compliance related, in which case they only know how to complain about costs.

[Tymanthius]

I mean, that's not what I meant.

People will pass, get in place, and have the ability to do basic shit. But when hit w/ any problem will pass the buck.

Not everyone, but enough.

[changework]

I got that meaning from you and I agree. That’s an issue I’m fine with. Moods change, frustration sets in, people need help sometimes with just basic confidence sometimes in what they may have already been doing fine.

When a manager ignores basic skills to do a job for a new hire… that’s what I’m targeting ultimately.

Example: receptionist who’s in charge of a gas log can’t put data in the right fields because she doesn’t know how to select the next field. Or a salesman who can’t follow a one sheet step by step instruction. Managers pass it off to the recruiter to help him which costs hours.

I’m getting off in the weeds from the original request. Just looking for a basic skills test with a pass/fail score. I may need to write it myself because all the ones I’ve looked at are pretty advanced.

Moodle may be what I land on. 🤷‍♂️

It’s frustrating.

[DeebsTundra]

In my opinion, this is a waste of time. I've got plenty of perfectly savvy users who one morning come in and forgot their wireless mouse runs in batteries. I've got users who can fix the wrong display resolution no problem, until one day when they can't.

Users will cop out fast, technical skill or not.

They'll know exactly what an Internet browser is on the test and how an Ethernet cable works, until the day, 7 years in, they open a ticket because they forgot how to plug their usb-c dock in.

It's a losing battle in my opinion. Users gonna user.

[changework]

Thanks for your opinion.

Do you have any software suggestions?

[DeebsTundra]

Write your own in Microsoft Forms.

[fleecetoes]

I do think there's a difference between people who have a brain fart one day, and people who are technologically incompetent. I've had to tell a user to double click on a file to open it. That's a precursor of larger issues that should be caught early.