Skip to content
SkillsValidator
Get started

Skills validation for hiring

Pre-employment testing AI can't fake

Build a skills validation for any role in minutes. Candidates do real work, then explain it, and you get evidence for every skill.

Validation style

No card required. Your candidates' data stays yours.

Skills to validate up to 5, suggested from the role

Pick a role, adjust the suggested skills, and try one free validation build with a sample candidate. No account needed.

Your skills validation

See how a sample candidate's work maps to the rubric for your role.

  1. Reading the role
  2. Building the rubric
  3. Writing work-sample tasks
  4. Adding explain-back follow-ups
  5. Scoring a sample candidate
  6. Your report is ready

You've used today's demo. It includes one validation build with a sample candidate per day. Try again tomorrow, or create your account to validate real candidates on a paid plan.

See pricing

Skills validation report

Sample candidate

Role:
Senior customer support specialist
Seniority:
Senior
Customer issue resolution

Customer issue resolution

4 of 5
Strong

Checks billing records and gives an actionable next step.

Written communication

4 of 5
Strong

Acknowledges the concern and separates facts from uncertainty.

Prioritization

3 of 5
Verify

Identifies the urgent issue but leaves competing work unexplained.

Escalation judgment

3 of 5
Verify

Names a billing escalation without defining its handoff conditions.

Documentation

2 of 5
Verify

Records the issue but omits a complete internal handoff note.

Customer issue resolution

Score: 4 of 5 Recommendation band: Strong

Task

A customer sees two payment entries after renewing a subscription and asks for an immediate refund. The billing record shows one settled charge and one pending authorization. Write a customer reply and an internal note. Explain what you can confirm, what you need to verify, and how you handle a second settled charge.

Candidate answer

"I understand why this looks like a duplicate charge. I checked the invoice and payment history. The first entry is settled; the second is a pending authorization. I can't confirm a duplicate payment from these records, so I won't promise a refund before checking. If both entries settle, reply here and I will escalate the duplicate payment for review."
"Internal note: Customer reports duplicate renewal payment. Invoice shows one settled charge and one pending authorization. Asked customer to reply if both settle."

Evidence

"I checked the invoice and payment history" supports the record-checking rubric line. "I won't promise a refund before checking" shows restraint when the evidence is incomplete. The internal note does not assign a follow-up owner or checkpoint, so the final rubric line earns no point.

Rubric

Acknowledges the customer's concern without blaming them

Available points 1

Awarded points 1

"I understand why this looks like a duplicate charge."

Separates a pending authorization from a settled charge

Available points 1

Awarded points 1

"The first entry is settled; the second is a pending authorization."

Checks the billing record before promising a remedy

Available points 1

Awarded points 1

"I checked the invoice and payment history."

Gives a specific next action without guaranteeing a bank outcome

Available points 1

Awarded points 1

"If both entries settle, reply here and I will escalate the duplicate payment for review."

Assigns ownership and a follow-up checkpoint across teams

Available points 1

Awarded points 0

The reply does not say who checks the payment status next or when.

Explain-back questions

  • Why did you separate the two payment entries in your reply? Candidate answer summary: A pending authorization does not establish a second settled charge, so refund eligibility needs confirmation.
  • What changes if both entries settle? Candidate answer summary: Confirm the duplicate in payment history, attach the invoice evidence, and escalate for a refund review without promising approval.
  • Who owns the next check if the customer does not reply? Candidate answer summary: The candidate recognizes the missing ownership step and proposes a named internal owner and a recorded follow-up checkpoint. This clarifies the gap but does not replace the missing submission evidence.

Integrity signals

Paste events

A passage enters the response in one paste.

Flag for review. Ask where the passage came from and compare it with the explanation.

Typing rhythm

The response includes revisions to the explanation of the pending authorization.

Read alongside the submission. Typing patterns alone do not establish authorship.

Time on task

No time-on-task anomaly is flagged for this response.

Consider task context alongside the other evidence.

Similarity to known AI output

Phrasing overlaps with generic billing advice.

Flag for review. Check whether the candidate explains the billing distinction in their own terms.

A reviewer evaluates every flag in context. A paste event or similarity signal never automatically rejects a candidate. Recommendation bands describe demonstrated skills, not a hiring verdict.

A skills validation report shows what a candidate demonstrates, where the evidence comes from, and what needs a closer look.

  • Evidence for every skill, with a score and a rubric you can inspect.
  • Polished AI answers don't pass on their own. Candidates explain their work and answer follow-up questions.
  • One report the hiring manager trusts, with the submission, reasoning, and unresolved questions together.

See how skills validation connects each task to a reviewable result.

Work samples that mirror the job

A pre-employment assessment uses a realistic deliverable, such as a customer reply, spreadsheet analysis, or campaign brief. It shows how someone handles the work your role requires, with pre employment assessment evidence tied to the skills and seniority you select.

Scenario decisions that test judgment

A pre hire assessment asks candidates to choose an action when priorities compete, explain the tradeoffs, and defend their reasoning as the situation changes. Your team uses pre hire assessment evidence to tell sound judgment from a polished response.

Code tasks with the reasoning behind them

A coding assessment checks how candidates write or repair code, explain design choices, and answer questions about their implementation. Engineering managers get coding assessment evidence that connects the submitted solution to the reasoning needed to maintain it on the job.

Explain-back follow-ups on the candidate's own work

Skills validation continues after submission with questions about the candidate's own choices, assumptions, and alternatives. A persuasive answer needs a defensible explanation, and your team reviews skills validation evidence that shows whether the candidate understands the work they submitted.

Integrity signals with a person reviewing every flag

Skills verification combines paste events, typing rhythm, time-on-task anomalies, and similarity to known AI output with human review of every flag. Reviewers get skills verification context for a focused follow-up. Each hiring decision stays with the people responsible for it.

Employee skills checks beyond hiring

An employee skills assessment uses role-specific tasks and explain-back questions to document current strengths and development needs. Managers use employee skills assessment evidence when discussing training, a change in responsibilities, or readiness for a different seniority level.

Skills validation in three steps, from role to evidence

Skills validation starts with the job you need done and ends with evidence your hiring team can discuss. The builder generates a rubric per skill and 3 to 6 tasks in minutes. Candidates complete the work and explain their choices before your team reviews the report.

  1. I

    Describe the role. Enter its title, choose the skills and seniority, and select Work sample, Scenario decisions, or Code task. Review the tasks and rubric before sending candidate links or invites.

  2. II

    Ask candidates to do the work and explain it. Follow-up questions refer to their own submission, including the assumptions, decisions, and alternatives behind their answer.

  3. III

    Read the evidence and decide. Review scores, quoted evidence, rubric lines, and recommendation bands. Compare candidates side by side for the same role and give every integrity flag a human review.

Explore the skills assessment software features that support your team's review.

Skills based hiring for every role your team fills

Skills based hiring gives recruiters and hiring managers a shared view of demonstrated ability. Use a hiring assessment test for business roles and a technical assessment platform for engineering. Agencies use candidate validation for recruiting agencies to send clients evidence with each submitted candidate.

Build a skills based hiring process around the work, with one tool for technical and non-technical roles.

Try the demo

Pre-employment testing that makes the business case clear

Pre-employment testing gives your team evidence before it commits to an offer. Industry estimates commonly put the cost of a bad hire at a sizeable share of the role's annual salary. Measure the value in avoided hiring mistakes, interviewer time, and a consistent record of each evaluation.

  • Consider the cost beyond recruiting. A hire who cannot do the work also creates onboarding effort, delayed delivery, and additional work for colleagues.

  • Reserve interviewer hours for candidates who demonstrate the skills. Use the work and explain-back evidence to focus interviews on unresolved questions instead of repeating basic screening.

  • Document a consistent process. Evaluate candidates for the same role against a shared rubric, record evidence, and review flags with context. Employers remain responsible for hiring decisions and reviewing local requirements.

Enterprise controls for your team's requirements

  • SSO and roles to manage team access on higher plans.
  • An audit log to support review of account activity on higher plans.
  • DPA, SLA 99.9 percent, and yearly invoicing on Enterprise.

Review our skills verification practices before choosing the controls your organization needs.

Pre-employment testing software plans that match your hiring volume

Pre-employment testing software is a subscription paid by the hiring company. Choose a plan by active roles, candidate volume, and team access. Candidates never pay. The free demo includes one validation build with a sample candidate and sits outside the paid plans. See full pricing for the complete comparison.

Save 50 percent

Starter

For SMB HR generalists

49 USD per month billed yearly

99 USD per month billed monthly

Billed yearly at 588 USD per year

Starter gives an SMB HR generalist pre-employment testing software for focused hiring needs. Build role-specific validations, review explain-back answers, and share evidence with a hiring manager as a report PDF or link.

  • 3 active roles.
  • 50 candidates validated per month.
  • 1 seat.
  • Explain-back follow-ups and basic integrity signals.
  • Report PDF and share links.
  • ATS export CSV.
  • Email support.
Best for talent teams

Growth

For talent teams and agencies

124 USD per month billed yearly

249 USD per month billed monthly

Billed yearly at 1 488 USD per year

Growth gives talent teams and recruiting agencies pre-employment testing software for hiring across several roles with shared access. Review full integrity signals, send branded reports, and export candidate results through CSV or webhook. Team roles organize access, and priority email support keeps questions moving.

  • 15 active roles.
  • 300 candidates validated per month.
  • 5 seats.
  • Explain-back follow-ups and full integrity signals.
  • Branded report PDF and share links.
  • CSV plus webhook export.
  • Roles.
  • Priority email support.

Scale

For mid-market and engineering organizations

299 USD per month billed yearly

599 USD per month billed monthly

Billed yearly at 3 588 USD per year

Scale gives mid-market and engineering organizations pre-employment testing software with unlimited active roles and a review queue for integrity signals. Search opt-in Verified Skills profiles in the Talent Pool, connect through API or webhook, and manage team access with SSO, roles, and an audit log.

  • Unlimited active roles.
  • 1 500 candidates validated per month.
  • 20 seats.
  • Explain-back follow-ups and full integrity signals plus review queue.
  • Branded reports and share links.
  • API plus webhook export.
  • Talent Pool search.
  • SSO (SAML), roles, and audit log.
  • Priority email support and onboarding guide.

Enterprise

For enterprise hiring teams and staffing groups

749 USD per month billed yearly

1 499 USD per month billed monthly

Billed yearly at 8 988 USD per year

Enterprise gives larger hiring organizations pre-employment testing software with 5 000 candidates validated per month, unlimited seats, and controls for organizational requirements. Choose monthly or yearly billing and create your account through self-serve signup. Send questions about integrations, security review, or account requirements to [email protected].

  • Unlimited roles, 5 000 candidates per month, and unlimited seats.
  • Explain-back follow-ups and full integrity signals plus custom rules.
  • White-label reports and custom integrations.
  • Talent Pool search.
  • SSO, SCIM, audit log, and data residency.
  • Named contact by email.
  • SLA 99.9 percent, DPA, and security review pack.

Compare pre employment testing software plans and billing options.

FAQ

[email protected]

Does this work for non-technical roles?

Yes. Pre-employment testing covers technical and non-technical work in the same tool. A support candidate resolves a billing issue, an account executive handles an objection, and a bookkeeper reconciles entries. Role-specific tasks and explain-back questions show how the candidate applies the skills your team needs.

How do you detect AI-written answers?

Skills verification uses paste events, typing rhythm, time-on-task anomalies, and similarity to known AI output as signals for human review. Explain-back questions probe the candidate's own submission. No signal proves misconduct by itself, and a flag never automatically rejects someone. Review the evidence and explanation together.

Is it fair to candidates and legal for hiring in the US?

Pre-employment testing is designed to support job-related, consistent, documented evaluation and human review of every flag. It does not guarantee legal compliance or certify a hiring decision. Employers remain responsible for their decisions and should review applicable local requirements, accessibility needs, and accommodations before using an assessment.

What do candidates see?

A hiring assessment test gives candidates a link to role-specific tasks and follow-up questions about their submission. They complete the work and explain their choices. Candidates never pay. Those who pass can opt into a free, portable Verified Skills profile that records the skills they demonstrate.

Can I use my own questions?

Yes. Skills validation lets you review and adapt tasks and questions for your role before inviting candidates. Keep each question connected to a required skill and its rubric. Explain-back follow-ups then refer to the submitted work, helping reviewers examine reasoning rather than reward a rehearsed answer.

Does it connect to my ATS?

Yes. Skills assessment software exports results for your ATS through the connection included in your plan. Starter includes CSV. Growth adds webhook export. Scale includes API plus webhook, and Enterprise supports custom integrations. Report PDFs and share links also let hiring managers inspect the evidence directly.

What happens to candidate data?

Candidate data forms the basis of your skills validation report, including submitted work, explanations, scores, and review signals. Your candidates' data stays yours. A portable Verified Skills profile is optional for candidates who pass. Review our Privacy policy and skills verification information before inviting candidates.

Can I cancel anytime?

Yes. Your pre-employment testing software subscription renews until you cancel. You can cancel anytime, and access continues through the end of the paid period. Choose monthly or yearly billing when you subscribe. Yearly subscriptions are billed for the year, rather than charged in monthly installments.

Validate your next hire's skills

Start pre-employment testing with the role you need to fill. Build a validation in minutes and inspect a sample candidate's evidence. See how explain-back questions connect the work to the person. Try the demo without a card, then subscribe for real candidates.

Validate skills