LinkedIn skill assessments are a relatively new feature on the platform that allow users to showcase their abilities in various professional domains. When you complete a skill assessment, you have the option to display your results on your LinkedIn profile. However, many users wonder whether doing so is worthwhile and if recruiters or hiring managers really pay attention to LinkedIn skill scores.
What are LinkedIn skill assessments?
LinkedIn skill assessments are short multiple-choice tests that users can take to demonstrate their proficiency in over 120 skills across various categories like software development, design, marketing, sales, and more. The assessments are powered by standardized questions and machine learning algorithms to evaluate your capabilities objectively.
Once you complete an assessment, you receive a score ranging from “Beginner” to “Expert” that you can showcase on your profile. You also get a detailed breakdown comparing your performance to other test-takers in your network and globally.
Do skill assessment results appear on your LinkedIn profile?
Yes, you have the option to display your LinkedIn skill assessment results on your profile once you complete them. Your scores will appear in a distinct “Skills” section where you can showcase your expertise.
To add skill assessment results to your profile:
- Take a LinkedIn skill assessment and receive your results
- Go to your profile and click “Add profile section”
- Select the “Skills” section and click “Add”
- Under “Skills”, click “Add new skill”
- Search for the skill assessment you completed and click on it
- Select the appropriate proficiency level you attained
- Click “Add” to add this skill and your assessment score to your profile
Once added, your connections and other LinkedIn members who view your profile will be able to see your skill assessment scores. You can remove them at any time.
Should you display LinkedIn skill assessment scores?
Here are some pros and cons to consider when deciding whether to showcase LinkedIn skill assessment results on your profile:
Pros
- Objectively demonstrates skills: Rather than making subjective claims about your skills, the standardized assessments offer data-driven proof of your abilities.
- Stands out to recruiters: Skill scores can help you stand out from other applicants and showcase skills that resumes may not cover.
- Signals commitment to skills development: Completing assessments shows you’re willing to put in effort to have your skills measured objectively.
- Allows skills benchmarking: The detailed assessment breakdowns let you gauge where your skills rank compared to peers.
- Easy to display: Adding skill scores to your profile only takes a few clicks once you’ve completed the assessments.
Cons
- Scores may seem low: If you’re new to a skill, your initial scores may appear underwhelming until you improve over time.
- Assessments may not fully reflect abilities: The short format assessments may not capture all your capabilities in a given skill.
- Too many scores could overwhelm: Showcasing assessment results for too many skills can clutter your profile.
- Significance not yet clear: It’s still uncertain how much weight recruiters give LinkedIn skill assessment scores.
- Cheating risks: Some may exploit weaknesses in the assessments to achieve inflated scores and rank.
Do recruiters look at LinkedIn skill assessments?
Currently, many recruiters are still unaware of LinkedIn skill assessments since they are a relatively new offering. However, initial surveys and feedback from recruiters indicate that skill assessment results are increasingly gaining attention:
- According to a 2021 survey by Talent.com, 73% of talent acquisition leaders said skills assessments help them make better hires.
- A LinkedIn survey found that 66% of talent professionals say skills assessments give them greater confidence about candidate skills.
- Another LinkedIn survey indicated that hard skills rated 4.2 out of 5 in terms of importance to recruiters assessing candidate fit.
- 91% of talent professionals said they are more likely to contact candidates who display key tech skills on LinkedIn.
While skill assessment scores have not become a deal breaker or requirement yet, they do appear to be offering value in candidate evaluation and screening by providing standardized insight into proficiencies.
How recruiters use LinkedIn skill scores
Based on initial feedback, many recruiters are using LinkedIn skill assessments in the following ways when viewing candidate profiles:
- Gauge depth of skills: Scores help assess if a candidate has beginner-level familiarity or expert-level mastery of a skill.
- Verify skills listed: The scores substantiate skills listed in the Skills section of a profile.
- Screen technical abilities: For technical roles, programming or software scores provide data on tech skills.
- Assess commitment: Completing assessments signifies a candidate’s commitment to skills development.
- Inform interviews: Recruiters may test on skills further during interviews based on assessment performance.
Tips for showcasing LinkedIn skill scores
Here are some recommended best practices for displaying LinkedIn skill assessments on your profile:
Select relevant skills to showcase
Do not clutter your profile with too many skill assessment scores. Select the most relevant skills for the positions you are targeting.
Display scores for your strongest skills
Highlight skills where your scores and rankings indicate advanced or expert-level mastery to make the most positive impression.
Retake assessments to improve
You can retake assessments to boost scores. Improving over time can signal your commitment to upskilling.
Supplement with other achievements
Include projects, accomplishments, certifications, and work samples that also validate the top skills you display.
Discuss skills further in interviews
Be ready to showcase these skills more fully in the interview process beyond the initial assessments.
Conclusion
LinkedIn skill assessments offer an exciting new way to add data-backed proof of skills to your professional brand and profile. Although still an emerging offering, initial signs indicate recruiters are starting to pay greater attention to skill scores when evaluating candidates.
Displaying relevant skill assessment results can potentially give you a competitive edge and objective way to stand out from other applicants. However, be selective in which skills you showcase and use the scores to reinforce – not replace – the other achievements already demonstrating your qualifications.