Faster Hiring
EmployTest Introduces Quick Candidate Assessment to Boost Hiring Speed for SMBs
Key Points
Ken Crowell, CEO of EmployTest, emphasizes that the push for this quick assessment is to provide objective hiring signals earlier in the process and not to replace interviews, aiming to make interviews more productive.
The release has been picked up by a broad set of regional outlets, signaling wide distribution: The Evening Leader (ABNewsWire), USShareMarkets, Wyoming News Headlines, Richmond News Now, and Salt Lake City Headlines.
Several outlets highlight that the Quick Candidate Assessment takes 'less than 13 minutes to complete,' underscoring its speed relative to traditional hiring steps.
The coverage reinforces EmployTest's positioning as a provider of pre-employment testing software aimed at small and medium-sized businesses, aligned with the broader push to identify qualified applicants before scheduling interviews.
EmployTest has launched the Quick Candidate Assessment, a 13-minute screening tool designed to help small and mid-sized businesses spot strong job candidates before interviews begin, according to ABNewswire. The test measures three traits tied to job performance: work ethic, logical reasoning, and achievement drive, and delivers instant results.
CEO Ken Crowell said the goal is not to cut out interviews. "The goal isn't to replace interviews," Crowell said. "It's to make them more productive by helping hiring managers focus on candidates who have already demonstrated important workplace attributes," ABNewswire reported.
A 13-Minute Test Built to Stop Bad Hires
The Quick Candidate Assessment takes under 13 minutes to complete. That time limit is deliberate. Research cited by EmployTest shows that candidates often quit assessments longer than 15 to 20 minutes, according to markets.financialcontent.com. A shorter test means fewer drop-offs and more data for hiring managers.
Once a candidate finishes, the report appears instantly. It shows a percentile score from 1 to 99 and uses color-coded signals — red, yellow, or green — so managers can compare candidates at a glance. EmployTest says the tool costs roughly $40 per applicant, compared to the $4,100-plus average cost of a bad hire.
Why Unstructured Interviews Are Losing Ground
Traditional job interviews are increasingly seen as weak predictors of success. Hiring experts say they often measure how well a person presents themselves, not how well they will actually perform. That gap has pushed more employers to move assessments earlier in the hiring process, before any face-to-face meeting takes place, according to article.wn.com.
AI-generated resumes have made the problem worse. Candidates now routinely use AI tools to tailor applications with optimized keywords, making it harder to screen based on resumes alone. EmployTest has been building toward this launch since January 2026, when it released a hiring guide for law firms battling resume inflation, according to ABNewswire.
EmployTest Targets Small Businesses Left Behind by Enterprise Tools
EmployTest is focused on companies with fewer than 1,000 employees — businesses that often lack the budget for large enterprise HR software. The Atlanta-based company says it has served more than 13,000 businesses and holds a 4.7 out of 5 rating on Capterra based on over 137 reviews, according to lifestyle.kbew98country.com.
The Quick Candidate Assessment is the company's latest move in a busy 2026. In May, EmployTest launched a Warehouse Skills Test to address the 30 to 36 percent annual turnover rate in logistics. In June, the company publicly pushed businesses to abandon paper-based tests in favor of cloud tools, according to lifestyle.myeaglecountry.com.
Critics Warn Pre-Interview Tests Can Backfire
Not everyone sees pre-interview assessments as a win. Some candidates object to taking tests before speaking with a human, viewing it as a sign of a rigid workplace culture. Forbes contributor Liz Ryan has argued that employers haven't "earned the right" to a candidate's time before an interview takes place.
Legal risk is also a concern. The Society for Human Resource Management warns that off-the-shelf tests may carry liability if not properly validated for a specific job role. Tests that unintentionally screen out candidates with disabilities or from diverse backgrounds could expose employers to discrimination claims — a risk EmployTest does not directly address in its launch materials.
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