Core Competency Testing
Your employment ad says “Skilled machinist wanted”. You get
dozens, possibly hundreds of responses. You weed through the resumes
and pick those to interview. How in the world do you select the one
person who can join your team and be productive in your
manufacturing environment?
Not to say that anyone would exaggerate
their experiences, but getting a true understanding of someone’s
skill level is a challenge. We’ve found that the only way to truly
gauge knowledge and skills is to test them.
A core competency test can be very helpful
to machine shop management. It is a great way to evaluate skill
levels.
What is a core competency test? This is a
written and demonstration test designed to objectively evaluate
skill levels in many manufacturing areas.
Every person applying for employment has a
unique set of skills. A core competency test can highlight these
skills.
Now, we know people do not like taking
test. Fear not – this type of test should not be a pass / fail
test. This should be a written test covering a wide range of
manufacturing topics.
The first part of the test must be a
self-evaluation. The applicant must tell you what machine tools they
have set-up, operated and programmed. From this listing you have a
good idea what to expect.
A core competency test should cover many
manufacturing areas: shop math (including Pythagorean Theorem and
trigonometry), knowledge of different tooling, reading blueprints,
geometric tolerancing, turning and milling issues, programming
codes, using offsets, and measuring parts.
Multiple choice questions turn into
multiple guess, the test questions should force the applicant to
express their knowledge and ideas. The applicant must perform the
necessary calculations and convey their knowledge in writing.
Often there may be many ways to correctly answer a question. No one
is expected to know all of the answers. A core competency test
should accurately gauge the applicant’s skill level so you can
understand the tasks they can best perform. |
Let’s say candidate A completes the self-evaluation portion and
says he can set-up and operate any type of mill, but has no
experience in programming. We would expect the test to reflect this
knowledge.
Candidate A should have a good
understanding of workholding and tooling issues. Do the results of
the core competency test show this?
If a candidate says he can program any
machine, but struggles with shop math or program codes, there may be
a problem.
In addition to a written test, you may want
to conduct a “hands-on” test. Arrange a situation on a machine
and ask the candidate to perform a series of set-up or operation
skills.
Would you hand over your car keys to a
16-year old without a test? Why should you entrust your machine tool
($$$) to just anyone with a fancy resume?
Applicants should not fear these tests.
This is a great opportunity to show potential employers you have the
necessary skills and confidence to be a productive member of the
staff.
In addition to evaluating new hires, how
about testing existing staff? Most machine shops have a wide range
of employees -- from God’s-gift-to-machining to
wet-behind-the-ears. Some people act like they have all the answers,
but how would they perform on a skills test?
Using a core competency test to re-evaluate
the machining staff may give you a fresh perspective.
Core competency testing can provide a
benchmark, helping both employees and employers to gauge potential
and then to set realistic expectations.
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Core
Competency Test
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Name
___________________________________ |
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What
types of machines can you operate? |
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List
all types _____________________________ |
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_________________________________________ |
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What types of
machines can you set up? |
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List all types
_____________________________ |
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_________________________________________ |
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What types of
machines can you program? |
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List all types _____________________________ |
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_________________________________________ |
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If you
would like to purchase a core competency test, send us an e-mail. |
