Nissan has once again chosen to use SHL psychometric assessments to help in its drive to recruit 800 new staff at its Sunderland plant. The Japanese car maker recently announced that it is looking to add a third shift to the plant in order to keep up with growing sales of the Qashqai, its crossover sports utility vehicle.
By using a combination of SHL assessments, Nissan will be able to objectively screen out around 50% of applicants before inviting suitable candidates in for more detailed skills tests. This will enable the company to save time and money usually spent scanning CVs and conducting interviews, whilst also ensuring that the process isn’t discriminatory.
“We have been using SHL tools for over 20 years and have been impressed by the company’s ability to accurately identify candidates who are suitable for operation and assembly roles,” explains David Reay, Senior Controller for Personnel at Nissan. “Now we are expanding the workforce considerably, we feel this is again the right choice to make so that we can find and recruit new staff quickly and efficiently.”
The company is planning to use four SHL assessments in the recruitment process. Two of these are from SHL’s technical battery: Mechanical Comprehension, which measures the understanding of basic mechanical principles and Numerical Computation, which measures basic numeracy. One is from SHL’s Applied Technology range, Following Instructions, which measures the ability to follow written instructions.
The final choice is Dependability, which identifies those who will have good attendance, will be effective and positive, and who can be relied on to produce quality work. Dependability also highlights those who are likely to be less accident prone in safety critical environments – an important factor for Nissan.
David Valentine SHL, commented: “Nissan is embarking on a very large recruitment project and therefore needs tools that help it to do this as effectively as possible. SHL’s psychometric assessments will enable the company to screen applicants for the skills and attributes required so that only suitable candidates are invited in for further tests and interviews.”