LinkedIn is introducing skill assessments which allow users to demonstrate their expertise and add a “verified skill” badge to their profile.
New research from LinkedIn shows that 76% of professionals wish that employers were able to verify their skills.
In response to that feedback, LinkedIn is providing a way for professionals to validate their skills to employers, which can help them stand out amongst other candidates.
LinkedIn users who successfully complete an assessment will earn a badge that’s displayed on their profile in LinkedIn Recruiter and LinkedIn Jobs. This will allow hirers to quickly identify qualified candidates.
Once an assessment has been passed, LinkedIn will also send relevant job recommendations to qualified users as soon as they’re posted.
In an announcement, the company says completing skill assessments can improve one’s chances of getting hired:
“When skills are validated you can showcase your proficiency and become more discoverable to opportunities — early results show candidates who complete LinkedIn Skill Assessments are significantly more likely (~30%) to get hired.”
In constructing these skill assessments, LinkedIn went through a “rigorous” content creation and review process, which involved the assistance of the LinkedIn Learning industry and subject matter experts.
How to Take a Skill Assessment
LinkedIn users can begin taking skill assessments by navigating to their own profile and scrolling down to the skills section.
From there, select any of the available skill assessments as demonstrated in the example below:
Results of skill assessments are kept private. Those who pass in the 70th percentile or above will be given the option to add a “verified skill” badge to their profile.
If you don’t pass, then no one ever has to know. You can study up and aim for a better score next time.
Regardless of the outcome, LinkedIn will provide an overview of how you did and unlock relevant learning materials for free (for a limited time). This will help ensure you’re adequately prepared for the assessment on the second run through.
What Types of Skill Assessments Are Available?
LinkedIn will be rolling out various types of skill assessments over the coming weeks.
The selection will focus on “in-demand” assessments ranging from coding languages, to design software, to everyday business tools.
LinedIn will continue to expand its selection of skill assessments over time.
