Indeed rolls out platform to remove bias from hiring
The jobs website Indeed.com is rolling out a new platform, called Indeed Assessments, that gives employers a more automated, objective way of evaluating job candidates.
The platform leverages technology from the startup Interviewed, which Indeed acquired in 2017. Assessments provides short tests and professional simulations to evaluate how a candidate measures up when it comes to specific skills. The platform includes more than 50 pre-built test modules under the categories of cognitive (such as attention to detail and critical thinking), language, computer skills, and job skills (everything from classroom management to mechanical skills). Employers can also build their own custom modules.
Once an employer chooses which assessments to use, they can be added to an Indeed job posting. Alternatively, they can be sent directly to candidates via integrations with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) such as Workable or Taleo. Indeed says the tests were designed by "experts" and provide data-driven evaluations with the help of machine learning.
The tests should help remove bias and create more consistent applicant evaluation processes, according to Indeed.
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Indeed Assessments comes as Indeed faces increasingly stiff competition from tech giants providing their own recruiting tools. For instance, Google last year launched Hire, a recruiting app designed for small and medium-sized businesses that use G Suite. Google also rolled out Google for Jobs, an initiative that leverages industry partnerships and machine learning to bring job seekers and employers together via Google Search. Microsoft, meanwhile, is finding new ways to leverage data from LinkedIn.
Meanwhile, Indeed's Japanese parent company, Recruit Holding, recently acquired job review site Glassdoor for $1.2 billion.