How to Assess Negotiation Skills of Candidates in Recruitment?

Negotiation is a workplace skill, but assessing this ability helps in recruitment. May it be salaries, conflicts, or closing deals, a good negotiation technique is vital for success. This article will discuss how one can assess a candidate’s negotiation skills, which job positions will require this trait, and how tools like OnlineExamMaker can help in organizing assessments and employee training.

Table of Contents

What Are Negotiation Skills for Workplace?

Negotiation skills involve the art of discussing and making an agreement that benefits everyone concerned, maintaining a good relationship thereafter. They are important in dispute resolution, expectation management, and bargaining for favorable outcomes on a diverse range of circumstances at work. Negotiation skills mainly include effective communication, active listening, emotional intelligence, problem-solving, and empathy. It is not really about closing the deal but coming to understand others’ ideas and finding out something amiable for everyone concerned in a negotiation.

Which Job Roles Require A Negotiation Skills Assessment?

Though not all jobs require high negotiation skills, some of them completely depend on negotiation. These include the following.

Sales Representatives
The sales professionals negotiate the price, terms, and deal with the customer or client. Their convincing role and art of closing the deals directly influence the success of the company.

Human Resource Professionals
Negotiations concerning salaries, benefits, and employee conflicts make negotiation an integral part of a human resource professional’s job.

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Procurement Managers
These professionals negotiate with vendors and suppliers to obtain favorable pricing and terms that have a direct impact on the company’s bottom line.

Project Managers
Deadlines, resources, and client expectations need to be managed through effective negotiation so that project execution can be well executed.

Lawyers as Legal Advisors
The lawyers often settle cases of negotiation, contract, and other legal matters through the use of this proficiency in handling difficult discussions.

Customer Service
Managers often have to handle complaints and disputes by negotiating issues to reach a mutually beneficial resolution that aims for customer satisfaction while protecting the interests of the company.

How To Make An Online Negotiation Skills Assessment in OnlineExamMaker?

Assessment of negotiation skills at the time of recruitment can be facilitated and simplified using online platforms such as OnlineExamMaker.

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Here is how you can create a comprehensive online assessment.

Step 1: Create an account

It is very important to create an account on OnlineExamMaker to be able to use the full functionality of creation, customization of assessment, and assessment management. OnlineExamMaker allows secure storage, tracking of candidate performance, and insightful reporting to make the recruitment process smooth.

Step 2: Create a new assessment

After logging in, go to the dashboard and click “Create New Exam.” You’ll then enter the title, description, and duration of the exam. By setting the exam title, description, and duration, you ensure that the assessment is tailored to effectively evaluate key negotiation skills, such as communication and problem-solving while providing candidates with clear expectations on what they will be tested on.

Step 3: Design the questions

Compose situational or behavioral questions that are as close to actual negotiation scenarios as possible. Examples: “How do you handle it when the client asks for a discount?”, or “How would you negotiate with the client an extension on a deadline when the client is unhappy?”

Step 4: Set exam parameters

In this step, you can set quiz time, registration form, pre-assign grades or scores for correct answers while adding the questions.

Step 5: Distribute the assessment

Once the assessment is published, share the test link with candidates via email or job portals. You can also send invitations directly through OnlineExamMaker to streamline the process. Candidates will be able to access the assessment, complete it, and submit their answers for evaluation.

How to Conduct A Negotiation Skills Training Program Online?

Setting up an online training program is a great way to improve negotiation skills within your team.

Here’s how you can do it:

Identify Learning Goals
Clearly define your objectives of either mastering the fundamentals of negotiation skills or refining more advanced strategies.

Choose an Online Platform
Assign and design learning modules through OnlineExamMaker, embedding interactive quizzes, case studies, and role-playing to help participants practice.

Create Engaging Content
Webinars on the most important tips of negotiation tactics that teach communication strategies on how to answer objections and disputes.

Role-Playing Exercises
Incorporate mock negotiations so that the participants themselves get to feel it. These exercises help them apply what they have learned in practical scenarios.

Provide Feedback
At the end of every session, provide constructive feedback to participants. Use assessments to see progress and areas that should be improved upon.

Assessment and improvement in negotiation skills are very important in every organization that changes its policies for effective communication and conflict resolution. You can use platforms such as OnlineExamMaker to make the assessment process smooth and prepare effective training programs that would help your team master these vital skills. By investing in these tools, you will contribute not only to improving the performance of individuals but also to the overall success and growth of your organization.

Author: Matt Davis

Matt is a content marketing specialist with more than 5 years of experience in content creation, he is glad to share his experience about online education and digital marketing.