Having to manually grade scores of test papers can be a mind-numbingly tedious experience.  Thankfully, online assessments have gotten rid of this major hassle. Now you can save loads of time that you can invest in other activities aimed at furthering your objectives. But automated grading isn’t the only handy functionality online assessments bring to...

As an instructional designer, I’ve been challenged many times on how to create certification programs that don’t just exist, but actually matter.  The market is crowded with credentials, yet most fail to move the needle because they don’t solve a real problem for learners or employers. They look official, but they don’t influence hiring decisions...

Resumes tell you where someone worked. Interviews tell you how well they rehearsed. Neither tells you how they think when the answer isn’t obvious, and no one’s watching. I started using a cognitive test online after realizing my shortlisting process was essentially a confidence contest. The most articulate candidate kept winning. The best thinker kept...

I’ve watched a hiring manager eliminate a finalist because her MBTI type “didn’t match the team.” I’ve sat with a coachee who paid $200 for a report that told him he’s a “Creative Thinker who thrives in collaboration.” He already knew that. What he needed was a decision. That’s the gap most career evaluation tools...

With a seismic shift in how we work, businesses worldwide have to confront a growing new problem — skills gaps. This breeds the need for skills gap analysis. Have you heard of the recent case where Boeing suffered significant financial losses due to production delays and quality issues with its new 787 Dreamliner aircraft?  And...

I’ve seen teams spend heavily on training, then point to completion rates as proof that it worked. If nothing changes on the floor, in the inbox, or on the scoreboard, that spend is just noise. That’s why I treat employee training assessment as a business discipline, not a formality. Done right, it helps you find...

When we hear “informal,” we often think of something simple, relaxed, and friendly. This idea also applies to informal assessments in education and training. Informal assessments are like casual observations. They can be incredibly valuable for understanding how students or employees are learning.  They are quick, give immediate feedback, need minimal planning, and help you...

Online assessments are revolutionizing learning by making it more measurable and actionable.  They can play a significant role in learning paths. How? You can add online tests or assessments at the end of each chapter to track learner progress and make them mandatory for learners to pass each test to unlock the next chapters. By...

85% of customers report being dissatisfied with their sales call experiences, according to Salesforce.  This shocking statistic underlines the need to create better sales teams and processes by hiring salespeople and managers and delivering top-quality sales training.  This blog post discusses a central piece of the puzzle for every sales hiring or training process –...

Bad leaders can be a business’s worst nightmare! From a lack of appreciation to workplace toxicity, poor leadership provides plenty of fuel for employee turnover. To avoid such consequences, you need to take special care when choosing people for key leadership roles. This means ensuring your hiring, training, and succession planning processes are flawless and...