When possible, I apply for roles directly on companies' websites. I'm running into a situations on Indeed when after applying, I receive a marketing or social media test Indeed's email states is required by the company.

5 Comments

1. AnonymousAugust 7,2024 at 10:18PM UTC

   I had to do those too. They're bs and a waste of time. A resume should be enough.

2. AnonymousAugust 8,2024 at 6:11PM UTC

   I agree and hate taking the tests just to submit an application. Do you know if you're ruled out as a candidate if you don't comply? Will indeed still send your resume?

3. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistAugust 8,2024 at 3:24AM UTC

   Can you please clarify something - if you're applying directly on companies' websites, how/why are you receiving marketing or social media tests from Indeed?

   That makes no sense to me. I would think if you're applying on the company website, I would think any communications would be coming from their system, not Indeed.

   Are you sure these are not some kind of scam?

   I do know that Indeed has some sort of skills test that you can take - which, btw, you should never take. But those are not tied to any company.

4. AnonymousAugust 8,2024 at 6:10PM UTC

   To clarify, some jobs are only listed on Indeed. After finding roles on LinkedIn or Indeed, I try to apply on the company's website. I find that the roles are often redirected to LinkedIn, Indeed or not listed on the organization's site.

   After applying, I receive a follow-up email from Indeed stating the company required applicants to take a Marketing, Social etc test. It states required and when I ignore, I don't hear back. I wanted to find out if others are bothering to take these tests and are you automatically removed as a candidate if you don't comply?

   I've taken the tests in the past (only last 6 months) and either did well or dismal due to the type of questions. The questions are tailored more towards junior associates that are handling day-to-day social rather than directing strategy. in addition, my companies use HubSpot, Vista etc to schedule social across platforms so the questions don't relate.

5. AnonymousAugust 8,2024 at 6:12PM UTC

   It isn't just Indeed. I've also taken assessments with companies directly as well. After applying you get an invitation to take an assessment to be considered for the role.

   There are two schools of thought on the assessments. 1. Shows you're seriously interested in the role. 2. Actually assessing your skill set and standardizing how they evaluate candidates.

   My husband is in recruitment and he says since it's part of his company's hiring process, it's simply a hurdle. He reflected however that sometimes when the candidate pool is large, the assessments matter because he can see who took the time to actually do it or breezed through it just to get it out of the way.

   If you feel they have nothing to do with the role, it may just be that they're looking for cultural fit and/or behavior. The assessment that's done at my husband's workplace is a behavioral one (ex. I like to share ideas, with a scale of most likely and least likely). The same questions are often expressed differently (I thrive in an environment that values creativity) and its basis is to find consistency within your answers.

   Most applications can be auto-filled within a few minutes. To me, it makes little difference if I know beforehand or not, since during the process I can choose to abandon what I've already filled out or go through with the assessment.

   But I'm there with you. Strategy is a key part of the role in my industry. Your process on strategy, cultural fit and personality can't be truly measured through an online assessment, so it's worrisome to me that I'm being qualified by a machine. However with the combination of a competitive job market and the prevalence of AI, it's come to this and I don't think it's going to go away if the data paints an intelligible picture of the right candidate.