I believe the most effective AP skills tests recreate real-world scenarios, like having candidates spot errors in invoice batches or demonstrate their knowledge of payment terms. After implementing these practical assessments, we've seen a dramatic drop in our new hire training time and fewer mistakes during the critical first months on the job.
I recently started using an AP skills test that checks for both technical knowledge and attention to detail, like spotting errors in payment terms and calculating early payment discounts. Being able to watch candidates work through real-world scenarios in our ERP system has helped us avoid costly mistakes and find people who can hit the ground running.
At my company, we learned the hard way that theoretical knowledge doesn't always translate to practical AP skills - we now use a combination of system-based tests and accuracy drills that simulate our actual work environment. Our AP skills assessment includes timed exercises for processing multiple invoices, managing vendor inquiries, and working with our ERP system, which has helped us identify candidates who can maintain our standard of 99.9% accuracy.
I recently discovered that resumes can't really show how well someone handles the daily AP grind - like catching duplicate invoices or managing vendor relationships. When we added a skills test that included practical tasks like three-way matching and using our ERP system, we caught several candidates who looked great on paper but struggled with basic AP workflows.
I started using TestGorilla's AP assessment after a few bad hires who looked great on paper but made costly errors in our ERP system. What's worked best for us is having candidates complete practical exercises with real-world scenarios like catching duplicate invoices and resolving payment discrepancies - it gives us confidence they can handle our daily AP workflow beyond just knowing the terminology.
We focus specifically on spotting errors with our Accounts Payable testing. We'll even take the time to review the basic concepts up front, but then we let them at actual financial documents (with some information redacted) to look for mistakes. This is the most important thing Accounts Payable does for any business: makes sure the right people get paid the amount they're due.
Testing Accounts Payable skills using resumes and interviews is of crucial importance as resumes can only state an applicant has the skills but a skills test can prove it with an accuracy that is measurable and thereby mitigate the chance of a poor hire that lacks the practical skills to be effective at the job. This is a direct contradiction to the assumption that a candidate whose resume has the same job title, which he/she is applying to attains the same automatically. An Accounts Payable job is not an academic job but a practical job based on precision and efficiency. A candidate may mention that he or she has the experience in three way invoice matching in his resume but it is only through skills test that one will be able to determine whether he or she can do the same within a reasonable amount of time and whether he or she has the capacity to do so. We have heard of cases where a candidate with a good resume did not pass a simple skills test which consisted of 10 mock invoices where the candidate made mistakes in 40 percent of the invoices. This is a strong indication that there exists a big gap between the level of experience which they claim and the level of ability which they possess. The implications of a poor recruitment to this position are potentially disastrous to the bottom line of an organization, as a poor hire may result in late payment fines that can cost a company hundreds of dollars a month, or even lost relationships with vendors. It is also capable of causing a ripple effect of inefficiency as other team members have to take additional time to recheck the errors that have been made. A practical skills assessment is an objective and clear measure of a candidates skills and will allow the hiring manager to have the assurance that a new employee would be able to work efficiently with little training. Such active screening process prevents an expensive recruitment error.