The complete guide
Everything about the Negotiation Skills Test
Pair this test with the rest of the first round: springhire's candidate screening software adds a one-way video interview and resume scoring to the same candidate link, ranked in one report.
What is the Negotiation Skills Test?
The Negotiation Skills Test is built for roles that negotiate regularly. Preparation questions cover goals, limits, BATNA, ZOPA, anchoring and team roles. Value creation questions cover positions versus interests, logrolling, package offers, contingent agreements and expanding the pie. Tactics questions cover low first offers, final offers, good cop bad cop, nibbles, limited authority, deadlines and bracketing. Closing questions cover confirming terms in writing, ethics, one-sided deals, stalled talks, cultural differences and handling a deal that falls through. The questions reward principled negotiation over hard bargaining.
What the Negotiation Skills Test does not measure
It does not measure how a candidate performs live under pressure. Use a recorded interview where they respond to a short negotiation scenario, such as a customer asking for a discount.
How does the Negotiation Skills Test work?
The Negotiation Skills Test is an auto-scored multiple-choice test. Each candidate answers 20 questions drawn at random from a bank of 60, so two candidates rarely see the same set, and most finish in 8 to 12 minutes. The questions are spread evenly across preparation, creating value, tactics and responses and closing and relationships, with a mix of easy, medium and hard items, and the report shows a score for each area as well as an overall score.
Why is the Negotiation Skills Test important to employers?
Poor negotiators give away margin, accept bad terms under pressure or win deals that sour relationships. Good ones prepare, trade rather than concede and close deals that last. This test shows who understands the principles, before a candidate sits across the table from your customers or suppliers.
