Skills assessment is increasingly popular as companies strive to ensure their employees have all the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in their roles, in a world where information is constantly evolving and changing. But for those companies that succeed, not only can metrics be a valuable tool in helping them understand the strengths and weaknesses of their employees, but they can also help guide training and development programs. 

However, despite a growing presence in the workplace, there are still many myths and misconceptions surrounding skills assessment—misconceptions that can lead to confusion and misunderstanding. Here, we will explore the realities of assessments and the myths that detract companies from realizing their full potential.

Myth #1: Skills assessment can be costly

There is a common misconception that skills assessment is an expensive process and that by implementing programs and processes that can help assess skills across the workplace, companies may find themselves out of pocket for some big dollars. 

The Reality: 

With the help of modern technology, companies can easily scale their training and assessment programs without breaking the bank. And because so many areas can utilize assessment—from onboarding to sales training, and learning and development—the initial investment will no doubt pay off in the long run by having an effective way to assess and track employee progress across the company, in multiple departments.

By investing in the right tools (and their employees!), companies can ensure they are optimizing their talent and reaching the desired performance goals—which has been proven time and time to have one of the largest impacts on growing the bottom line. In that vein, investing in skills assessments should not be seen as a costly endeavor—in fact, the lack of it may lead to a much higher cost when it comes to wasted talent and unrealized potential.

Myth #2: The goal is to find the right fit

Many believe that the goal of skills assessment is to find the candidates with the “right fit” or the “right answer” for a certain job. But while it is important to assess a candidate’s skills to ensure they have the necessary knowledge and abilities for the job, this should not be the only focus of skills assessment.

The Reality: 

The ultimate goal of assessing the skills and understanding of your employees should be to identify knowledge gaps—areas where employees need further training and development. In short, skills assessments can be used to measure an employee’s current abilities, but they should also be used as part of a larger plan to help the employee develop their skills over time. 

Myth #3: Traditional methods are obsolete

It’s easy to believe that traditional methods of training, learning and development, and assessment are no longer relevant or effective. After all, technology has advanced significantly in recent years, providing many new and innovative options for organizations to use, right? 

The Reality:

Though technology has opened up many new opportunities for training, traditional methods can often still provide many useful approaches to training and assessment. For example, role-playing exercises, interviews, and evaluations of past performance can offer valuable insight into a team member’s strengths and weaknesses. 

The ideal situation is where technology can be used to supplement traditional assessment methods. For example, online surveys or quizzes can be used to gauge how well employees have absorbed the material from training courses, and tech platforms like Bongo—which offers video-based assessment tools that allow for role playing, pitch practice or even simple Q&A—can build automation and efficiency into the tried-and-true training methods that have existed for decades. 

So no, traditional methods of sales training and assessment should not be dismissed as obsolete. While technology has certainly changed the way we approach learning and development, there are still many benefits to relying on tried-and-true methods, and combining those traditional methods with modern tech can offer organizations a comprehensive approach to skills assessment with resource-saving tools.

Myth #4: Trainers need to be constantly involved

Many people think that trainers need to be constantly involved in the assessment of their employees’ skills, particularly when it comes to sales training and other forms of learning and development. That, of course, means a lot of time and energy is being spent by trainers and managers—simply executing assessments continually. Fortunately, while it is true that trainers have a critical role to play in ensuring their team is developing the right skills and competencies, they don’t need to be involved in every step of the process. 

The Reality: 

This is the area in which technology really changes the game. Assessment and learning tools such as Bongo, for example, are designed to help trainers quickly see how their employees are performing in different areas in real-time, without having to stay hands-on with each employee. Not only does this allow them to spend more time focusing on knowledge gaps or areas where their employees could use extra support, but this streamlined approach makes it possible for trainers to efficiently assess their team’s progress without needing to constantly meet and assess skills through one-on-one conversations. Even more, because these platforms allow trainers a big-picture view of employee progress, the possibility to scale training efforts across the company grows. 

So yes, trainers do need to be involved in the process, but not all the time. With the right tools and resources, they can quickly assess the development of their team and focus on areas of improvement.

Myth #5: The score is what matters

Many people assume that the goal of skills assessment is to achieve a perfect score, but this is not the case in the learning and development world. Scores are great for monitoring baselines or for quick glances at progress or understanding, but they by no means tell the whole story. 

The Reality: 

Just like finding the right “fit” with an assessment, the focus should not be on achieving a perfect score, either. After all, the purpose of skills assessment is not to give a false sense of confidence that one has all the knowledge necessary for a task or job, but rather to pinpoint any areas in which further education and learning are necessary. This means looking at the “score” in reverse—focusing on what one does not know and identifying where further study is required. That way, businesses can ensure that their employees are prepared with the right skills and knowledge to effectively perform the tasks they are assigned. 

Building a functional and effective assessment program that helps you move your employees to another level doesn’t have to be complex; Bongo provides an ideal tool for companies who want to grow and scale, while keeping a low per-user cost that allows everyone to participate. 

To check out Bongo’s video-based assessment and training platform in action, schedule a demo.