Advice to recruitment agency - candidates coming from recruiting agency are unable to clear the test

We are a corporate company, and before we hire a candidate, they have to clear some tests. Unfortunately, the candidates coming from the recruiting agency are unable to clear the test. The agency is seeking advice from me. Please help me draft an email to the recruitment agency. Just to inform you, the test is the only way we can hire a candidate. I look forward to your prompt response.

Dear member,

Conducting recruitment tests related to the job is a good hiring practice. Nevertheless, if the candidates get filtered out in the recruitment tests, then it shows that the candidates were not worthy. Your concern is that administering the recruitment tests is a time-consuming activity. If the candidate fails, then it wastes your, as well as the recruitment agency's, time.

Against this backdrop, the following questions arise: what kind of tests are these? Are these aptitude tests or tests related to the work? If the latter, then nothing is wrong if the candidates are filtered out. It is a common practice in each industry.

While academic scores may not show the candidate's real talent, can the recruitment tests be related to any academic subject? If yes, then you may set a minimum mark scored in that subject. It could be ≥ 65% or even more.

If the candidates are failing in aptitude tests, then fix the minimum academic score for graduation at ≥ 65%.

I have seen in the recruitment of IT companies, engineering candidates failing in the aptitude tests. But then it is common. Out of 10, barely one candidate reaches the level. Possibly, with this method, the recruitment may become costly, but the cost of a wrong hire is far greater than the cost of the recruitment.

Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar

Dear Anon,

Since you are recruiting from outside agencies, can it be assumed that they are empanelled with your company? If so, it would be prudent to inform them of the type of tests you subject the candidates to so that the recruiting agency can itself brief the candidates while shortlisting. Your mail to them should contain a brief about the tests and also a proper brief about the designation for which the candidate is being considered.

Hope this helps.

Regards, R H Kavarana HR Manager

Dear Anon,

As has been rightly pointed out, your post indicates that there is a recruitment firm retained by your organization. If this is the case, I suggest that your email should provide the recruiting firm with an idea of the job description (JD) of the prospective employees, including the set of competencies, skills, and educational credentials required with prospective candidates as dictated by the JD. This would enable the recruitment agency to filter a panel of closely fitting candidates who are quite likely to pass your test. As a last resort, you may share the pattern of your test, perhaps an older version, with the recruitment firm.