Original Author: Stokes, Richard
Date of Material: 08/16/2012
Subjects(s):
Personnel--Selection and recruitment--Tests
Personnel--Surveys
Personnel--Testing
Pre-Employment Testing of Clerical/Administrative Support Candidates
Reviewed Date: 05/14/2021
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Fourteen cities were asked questions about their pre-employment testing of clerical/administrative support candidates.
CLERICAL / ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT TESTING SURVEY
|
City/Agency
|
Yes/No
|
|
Brentwood
|
No
|
|
Jackson
|
No
|
|
Hendersonville
|
Yes
|
|
Knoxville
|
Yes
|
|
White House
|
Yes
|
|
Athens
|
Yes
|
|
Farragut
|
Yes
|
|
Chattanooga
|
Yes
|
|
Martin
|
No
|
|
Columbia
|
Yes
|
|
Lawrenceburg
|
Yes
|
|
Sevierville
|
No
|
|
Tullahoma
|
No
|
|
Pigeon Forge
|
Yes
|
If no, please briefly explain why not?
|
City/Agency
|
Why Not
|
|
Brentwood
|
Use prior experience and reference checks
|
|
Tullahoma
|
Small clerical staff and no significant turnover. Would be interested in survey results to consider testing for future openings.
|
If yes, please respond to the following:
|
City/
Organization |
Job Title(s)
|
Test(s) Administered
|
Minimum Score(s) Required
|
| Knoxville | Office Assistant I & II | Written Exam & Typing Exam | 70% correct on written; 35 wpm typing |
| Principle Secretary | Written Exam & Typing Exam | 70% correct on written; 35 wpm typing | |
| Data Entry Operator | Written Exam & Typing Exam | 70% correct on written; 35 wpm typing | |
| City Court Assistant | Written Exam & Typing Exam | 70% correct on written; 35 wpm typing | |
| White House | Billing Clerk | Grammar, Computations, spreadsheets, computer usage | |
| Police Clerk | Grammar, Computations, spreadsheets, computer usage | ||
| Secretary | Grammar, Computations, spreadsheets, computer usage | ||
| Athens | Department Secretaries | Microsoft Word, Excel, Customer Service | 70 |
| CM Admin Asst. | Microsoft Word, Excel, Customer Service | 70 | |
| Farragut | Admin Assistant | Word, Excel, PowerPoint | No minimum; Score is used as one part of total interview score |
| Chattanooga | Admin Support Specialist | Clerical written; keyboarding | 40 WPM keyboarding w/90% accuracy |
| Admin Support Assistant 1 & 2 | Clerical written; keyboarding | 40 WPM keyboarding w/90% accuracy | |
| Customer Service Representative 1 | Data Entry | 4500 KPH; 90% accuracy | |
| Tax Specialist 1 & 2 | Data Entry | 4500 KPH; 90% accuracy | |
| Accounting Technician 1 | Acct Principles written; data entry | 4500 KPH; 90% accuracy | |
| Payroll Assistant 1 | Clerical written; data entry | 4500 KPH; 90% accuracy | |
| Court Operations Asst. | Clerical written; data entry and keyboarding | 4500 KPH; 90% accuracy | |
| Personnel Asst. | Clerical written; data entry and keyboarding | 4500 KPH; 90% accuracy | |
| Columbia | Administrative Secretary | Grammar, Spelling, Math, Microsoft Office | 70% |
| Police Records Clerk | Grammar, Spelling, Math, Microsoft Office | 70% | |
| Accounting Clerk | Grammar, Spelling, Math, Microsoft Office | 70% | |
| Executive Secretary | Grammar, Spelling, Math, Microsoft Office | 70% | |
| Court Clerk | Grammar, Spelling, Math, Microsoft Office | 70% | |
| Lawrenceburg | Admin Assistant |
National Career Readiness Certificate, Typing Test for Speed, Word & Excel Proficiency |
75 – 100 25 WPM 70 – 100 |
| Pigeon Forge | All Clerical | Typing, Computer Usage (Memo’s, Memorandums, and letters | Depend on Dept and type of testing being done |
2. Who administers the above test(s)? (check one)
| City/Organizations |
Staff
|
Outsource Agency
|
Others |
| Hendersonville |
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
| Knoxville |
Yes
|
||
| White House |
Yes
|
||
| Athens |
Yes
|
||
| Farragut |
Yes
|
||
| Chattanooga |
Yes
|
||
| Columbia |
Yes
|
||
| Lawrenceburg |
Yes
|
||
| Pigeon Forge |
Yes
|
Yes
|
3. Does your organization create a qualified candidates’ pool list from your clerical/administrative support test results?
|
City/Organization
|
Yes/No
|
|
Hendersonville
|
Yes
|
|
Knoxville
|
Yes
|
|
White House
|
No
|
|
Athens
|
Yes
|
|
Farragut
|
No
|
|
Chattanooga
|
Yes
|
|
Columbia
|
Yes
|
|
Lawrenceburg
|
Yes
|
|
Pigeon Forge
|
No
|
Additional Comments
| City/Organization | Additional Comments |
| Hendersonville | We use job specific testing. It may be drafting a letter that relates to that function; preparing bank deposits; excel spreadsheets….whatever is actually done on the job. We use typing tests and base those scores on nature of the work. |
| Farragut | We only test applicants who are interviewed |
| Chattanooga | Also test Permit Clerk, keyboarding test only, passing same as above |
| Lawrenceburg | We have Admin Asst. in every department but have not hired anyone in a very long time. These answers reflect how we intend to hire in the future |
Contact Information:
| Contact Person | City Name | Phone Number | Population | No. FT Employees |
| Mike Worsham | Brentwood | 615.371.0060 | 35,000 | 250 |
| Lynn B. Henning | Jackson | 731.425.8252 | 65,000 | 671 |
| Kaye Palmer | Hendersonville | 615.264.5314 | 50,000 | 300 |
| Matthew Bradburn | Knoxville | 865.215.3052 | 178,874 | 1550 |
| Cheryl Lewis Smith | White House | 615.616.1008 | 10,000 | 90 |
| Rita Brown | Athens | 423.744.2703 | 13,458 | 108 |
| Janet Curry | Farragut | 865.966.7057 | 21,000 | 46 |
| Susan Dubose | Chattanooga | 423.757.4856 | 170,136 | 2280 |
| Celeste Taylor | Martin | 731.587.3126 | 11,515 | 147 |
| Connie Etzkin | Columbia | 931.560.1565 | 34,681 | 387 |
| Doug Edwards | Lawrenceburg | 931.762.4459X222 | 15,000 | 126 |
| Kristi Inman | Sevierville | 865.868.0908 | 11,757 | 275 |
| Casta Brice | Tullahoma | 931.455.2648 | 18,655 | 142 |
| Kathy Valentine | Pigeon Forge | 865.429.7307 | 5,875 | 260 |
Thank you for your sharing your time, knowledge, and information.
Main Document(s):
Survey Results - CLERICAL test survey 2012.pdf