Companies want highly-qualified applicants and job seekers want opportunities to stand out from the competition. Should LinkedIn Skill Assessments be the only data point when companies make a hiring decision? No, of course not. But there’s no harm in having it be one data point among many. As we often say around the office: “Trust, but verify.”

The other day I was intrigued by an article citing the CEO of a company that provides coding assessments. The CEO warned against LinkedIn’s relatively new Skill Assessments, saying the multiple-choice tests are flawed and don’t provide an accurate picture of someone’s skills. Perhaps, but does that make the whole thing a bad idea?

Currently, LinkedIn Skill Assessments are offered for free with the stated aim of allowing LinkedIn users to demonstrate their proficiency of specific tech and software skills like JavaScript, GIT, MongoDB, Revit, MS Excel and QuickBooks. Each test is timed, uses adaptive testing and consists of 15 to 20 multiple-choice questions. Successful test takers have the option to display the corresponding badge on their LinkedIn profile.

Here at Responsive Translation we are constantly recruiting, evaluating and testing linguists before bringing them on board. While linguists are not computer programmers, I think our experience is relevant to the discussion of “LinkedIn Skill Assessments, thumbs up or thumbs down?” that I’ve seen in some forums.

For us to get the right people with the right skills, we always need to look at the whole picture. That picture typically begins with an evaluation of the linguist’s language pairs, skills, education, professional experience, references and yes, any relevant skills assessments and certifications. Depending on the client and project, we may need client input too.

In practice, we find that great linguists don’t all necessarily have certifications under their belt. However, when we see a linguist who has achieved a rigorous certification, we find there is a greater chance that they have honed their skills and mastered their craft. But still we feel the need to test them ourselves and see if they’re a good fit for our company and our clients.

Would a LinkedIn Skill Assessment badge (if one did exist for linguists) give us the same degree of confidence as, say, a linguist’s ATA Certification or our own testing? That would be very unlikely as things stand now. Yet, there’s no harm in LinkedIn users taking tests and earning badges. It’s a quick and dirty, though imperfect, way to try to validate some of their skills. But all things being equal, it could tip the scales for someone.

After all, talent assessments in any form are just one tool for companies to find the right talent with the skills they need and another opportunity for job seekers to stand out as dedicated professionals in their field.

Foreign-Language Expertise

Certified for ISO 9001, Responsive Translation is a leading provider of translation, adaptation, validation and review for assessments and surveys, including talent assessments for pre-employment testing. To learn more about our services, please get in touch at 646-847-3309 or [email protected].

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