Author: Luciano Torrente

Tablet vs. proctoring competitions: which implications for candidate stress

Tablet vs. proctoring competitions: which implications for candidate stress?

Posted on | by Luciano Torrente

Preparation for public competitions requires significant commitment and a well-defined strategy; however, it is often accompanied by a considerable level of stress for aspiring candidates. Managing studies and personal life can be particularly challenging, but thanks to technological innovations in recent years, there is a path towards a more efficient and less stressful process for all participants. The introduction of tablets during competitive examinations has brought about a significant change, offering a more modern solution adapted to the needs of competitors.

Impact of technology on stress in public competitions

It is not unusual for candidates to experience a high level of emotional stress in the run-up to a competition. The competition poses a considerable challenge for those preparing for it. The pressure associated with the amount of study required to tackle tests that can influence the course of one’s career is considerable. However, one of the elements that contributes most to stress is the practical handling of the test.

The introduction of technology has shown that it can ‘relieve’ this tension: the shift from traditional paper-based tests to the use of tablets offers a sense of security for competitors, allowing them to face the exam with greater peace of mind and confidence in their abilities.

Not only that, but this has also brought a speed of proceedings that is not comparable to the past, both in terms of corrections and in terms of daily competition sessions.

How public competitions work with tablets

In the past, public competitions were conducted exclusively on paper. However, with the advent of digital technologies, the competition landscape has undergone a significant transformation. The solutions offered, such as those provided by Recrytera, have made it possible to adopt a more efficient and modern approach.

Within the competition venues, participants receive personal tablets, through which they access the designated platform to take the tests. This approach not only speeds up the process of taking and correcting the tests, but also ensures greater transparency and security in the selection process.

Advantages of tablet competitions

But what are the real benefits of competing using the tablet? Let us look at some of them.

Efficiency and speed: the time required to run and correct tests is significantly reduced, allowing for faster and smoother management of the competition process.

Environmental sustainability: the elimination of paper reduces environmental impact, reflecting a commitment to more sustainable practices.

Transparency and security: using technology, greater transparency in the selection process is ensured, reducing the possibility of challenges or disputes.

Centralized management: the adoption of digital solutions enables a more centralized and coordinated management of the competition process, ensuring uniformity and consistency in procedures.

What is proctoring and what it signifies for candidates

While digital technology offers many advantages in the context of public competitions, it is essential to carefully consider the practical aspects and implications associated with the use of online proctoring. Online proctoring, or online monitoring, is a way of remotely monitoring participants during the conduct of competitive examinations, conducted by a proctor who verifies the candidate’s identity and monitors activities during the test.

The introduction of online proctoring, made necessary in the times of the COVID-19 pandemic, has not failed to raise some critical issues that require careful evaluation.

These undoubtedly include the presence of limitations in the ability to detect and prevent fraudulent behavior on the part of candidates, intrusions into the privacy of participants through active microphones and webcams, and complex issues regarding the accessibility of public competitions, an issue to which increasing attention needs to be paid as required by the social context in which we live.

Proctoring - Disadvantages of online contests

Proctoring – Disadvantages of online contests

Posted on | by Luciano Torrente

Proctoring, or online monitoring, is a method of remotely monitoring candidates during competitive examinations. It is carried out by a proctor who verifies the candidate’s identity and monitors activities during the examination. The introduction of online proctoring, made necessary by the COVID-19 pandemic, has raised some critical issues that require careful evaluation.

Security and integrity

One of the main points of discussion concerns the effectiveness of proctoring in ensuring the security and integrity of competitive testing. Although remote monitoring allows a certain degree of supervision during the conduct of the test, there are limitations in the ability to identify and prevent irregular behaviour by participants. The possibility that candidates may bypass control measures using sophisticated elusion techniques or the complicity of third parties raises doubts about the real effectiveness of proctoring in ensuring the fairness and impartiality of evaluations.

Privacy and personal data

The adoption of online proctoring raises concerns about the privacy and security of candidates’ personal data. The need to allow remote access to cameras and microphones on participants’ devices during the conduct of tests can be perceived as an intrusion into privacy and raises concerns about the protection of sensitive data. The possibility of third parties gaining undue access to candidates’ personal data or using it for unauthorized purposes poses a serious threat to information security and trust in the competition process.

Doubts about equal access to candidates

In addition, online proctoring raises other questions regarding the fairness and accessibility of competition tests. Disparities in access to reliable technology and secure internet connections may compromise the participation of some candidates, introducing elements of inequality into the selection process. Lack of uniformity in the conditions under which the tests are conducted may negatively affect the results and affect the credibility of the competition process.

The overall experience of candidates while taking tests under online monitoring can be compromised by external factors, such as technical problems or interruptions of the Internet connection. In fact, not a few candidates have complained – over time – about problems with retesting and re-testing due to no or interrupted internet connection.

Conclusions

The impact of such inconveniences on participants’ concentration and performance can seriously affect the results and raise doubts about the validity and reliability of the evaluations.

Thus, although online proctoring may offer advantages in terms of cost savings, it does not guarantee privacy, security and fairness to all participants.

The future of competitions: moving from paper to digital

The future of competitions: moving from paper to digital

Posted on | by Luciano Torrente

The evolution of public competition procedures has reached a significant turning point with the shift from the traditional paper-based mode to digital platforms. This change represents not only the future, but already the present of selections.

A new win-win approach for PA and candidates

In recent years, the adoption of digital platforms has brought many advantages. Among them, security, transparency and environmental sustainability play a key role.

This new approach not only simplifies the selection procedures, but also reduces stress for both organizers and candidates.

The introduction of tablets in competitions has eliminated the mistakes that characterized paper-based tests, reducing disputes and complaints. These modern and efficient tools have simplified the entire competition process, both in the public administration and in the private sector, responding decisively to European environmental requirements and drastically reducing the use of paper material in selections.

Dematerializing the selection process using tablets and IT tools made it easier for candidates to submit the necessary application documents, while ensuring anonymity and impartiality during the tests. It also simplified access to the services of the procedures and sped up the outcome, respecting the environment without wasting paper.

For the organizers, the adoption of digital platforms offers a streamlined and professional procedure suitable for all types of competitions.

Organizers can count on experienced companies ready to support them at every stage of the process, allowing selection procedures to be carried out in different locations and reducing the total time required for the tests.

Seizing an opportunity

For companies that do not adapt to the new digital platforms, it means losing the opportunity to manage their human resources quickly, safely and professionally, while respecting the environment, sustainability and technological innovation.

This digitization is not just a technological change, but a way to improve the efficiency, transparency and sustainability of competition procedures, contributing to a more modern and environmentally friendly future.

Dromedian nella classifica del Financial Times

Dromedian ranked eighth in the IT sector by the Financial Times

Posted on | by Luciano Torrente

The Financial Times places the Dromedian Group (Recrytera’s group holding company) among Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies 2024. This is reported by the Financial Times, which ranks the Dromedian Group as one of the fastest-growing European companies in the top 1,000 European companies selected by growth rate in the various fields of entrepreneurship. The ranking is compiled by Statista in partnership with the European and global financial news giant.

In particular, the important result achieved by the group from Chieti – with a growth rate of 90.88% between 2019 and 2022 – has made it possible to achieve a place of honor not only in the European ranking, but also in the Italian sector.

Eighth place for Dromedian in Italy

In the ‘IT & Software’ sector, Dromedian ranks 8th among the companies in Italy and 61st in Europe chosen by the prestigious British magazine and confirms its position as one of the market leaders in offering IT and digital solutions.

This is a remarkable achievement that considers the developments, growth and innovative journey that the company is pursuing, moreover, in the right direction. As already anticipated by the newspaper ‘La Repubblica’, the Group is investing in skills, human resources and innovative markets.

To view the ranking and categorize by country and sector of interest click here.

Digitization in public competitions: another step by Recrytera

The economic advantages of digital competitions

Posted on | by Luciano Torrente

In the last few years, technological developments have introduced new tools and methodologies for the conduct of competition tests. In particular, the adoption of suitable digital tools has represented a significant step towards a more efficient management of resources and a reduction in the costs associated with the organization of competitions. In this article, we will explore the economic advantages that Recrytera’s digital solution offers for public competitions and private company selections to meet these features.

Savings on digital competitions

Reduced printing and distribution costs

One of the most obvious benefits of Recrytera’s digital competition solution is the significant reduction in costs associated with printing large quantities of tests and supporting materials. By using tablets for test taking and eliminating the need for hard copies, public and private organizations can save considerably on production and distribution costs.

This means not only financial savings but also a positive impact on the environment by reducing paper consumption and pollution associated with production.

Reduction of errors in correction

Thanks to the automation of correction processes, competitions in digital mode reduce the risk of human error and considerably speed up the time needed to return candidates’ results. In this case, it is not just a matter of saving money, but a broader saving, in the sense of people and resources employed and, above all, time.

This efficiency of Recrytera’s solution not only optimizes human resources, but also improves the overall quality of the assessment experience.

Simplifying logistical organization in digital competitions

The organization of digital recruitment greatly simplifies the logistics of preparing and administering tests. The planning of classrooms, the distribution of tests and the supervision of competitors can be managed much more efficiently. This means savings in time and resources, allowing institutions to concentrate on other important activities.

Enabling multi-location participation

Digital recruitment procedures such as ours provide greater flexibility in the administration of tests, also allowing candidates to take part in competitions in real time in multiple locations. This option can further reduce the costs associated with transporting participants to competitions. The reduction in travel costs not only benefits the participants, but also reduces the environmental impact associated with travel.

Recrytera’s solution is the most efficient way to optimize the economic and time resources of a competition or selection. The economic benefits, from reduced printing costs to logistical simplification, not only improve operational efficiency but also the overall quality of the evaluation process and outline a sustainable, state-of-the-art approach to competition management.

digital revolution in public recruitment

Digital Revolution in Public Recruitment: the success case of Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli with Recrytera

Posted on | by Luciano Torrente

In the heart of the digital era, the Italian public administration is embracing innovation to face an epic challenge: renewing its workforce by drawing on new generations.

The first step in this new direction was taken with the launch of a considerable number of public competitions held in totally digital form. An innovation which has made it possible, in 2021, to hire 45,000 young people in the PA, with permanent contracts, and to foresee for the following years a number equal to 300,000 recruitments.

At the center of this transformation process there is Recrytera, whose technological and methodological support is redefining the methods of personnel selection in the PA. Let’s discover together how Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli has experienced this change, achieving incredible results.

Recrytera leads PA towards digitization

Starting in early 2021, Recrytera is leading the way in the digitization of PAs, managing public competitions in a totally innovative way, using ten thousand tablets for the conduct of tests, a wristband equipped with a QR code for the identification of candidates, which has enabled the speeding up of the accreditation and recognition phase.

All this has allowed 1.5 million candidates to be examined and a reduction in the percentage of appeals and disputes.

Not only that, but the technological approach has also made it possible to reduce the time of the selections, allowing them to be handled simultaneously, even remotely and in geographically distinct locations, and to conclude them in a much shorter time than with the paper-based method.

 

The experience of Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli
Aiming for the future by learning from the past

This is the choice made by Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli which, for the new competition scheduled for 2024, has chosen to rely once again on the clever technologies provided by Recrytera.

Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli is a non-economic public body with legal personality and wide regulatory, administrative, patrimonial, organizational, accounting and financial autonomy, politically dependent on the Ministry of Finance.

The first contact between the Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli and Recrytera took place in 2021 when the Agency decided to call for a tender, making the suitability in the digital management of the entire tender process one of the requirements for its entrustment.

The entrusting included the eventual pre-selection phase, the provision of hardware and related support, and the coordination between the various decentralized locations intended for holding the competition. All this during a pandemic, one of the most complex periods in modern history.

The surprising results achieved by Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli

In the course of 2021, through the constant support of Recrytera, Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli finalised a major recruitment procedure, totally digitally.

Recrytrera’s support enabled the Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli to carry out the selection simultaneously in sixteen different locations throughout the country and to recruit more than 1,200 functionaries in 8 months, selected from 180,000 candidates, with a very low drop-out rate of around 5%.

Further achievements were the great reduction in the time taken to complete the entire procedure, between the publication of the competition notice and the publication of the final ranking of the winners, and a total elimination of the error rate compared to the classic paper-based procedure.

Recrytera cares about environmental protection

An issue that Recrytera has always focused on is environmental protection.

The use of tablets and, more generally, of all technological devices has made it possible to cut down on problems related to environmental pollution, and to the disproportionate use of paper.

All this has prompted Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli for the second time to draw up a new framework agreement that provides for the launch of new competition procedures aimed at the participation of thousands of candidates.

Said and done.

Between 2022 and 2023, Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli published and announced new selections for more than 1,000 candidates, and in 2024 it published a new competition for 564 full-time and permanent positions, whose applications were collected in a totally digital form, for various professional figures: these are experts in various fields ranging from communication to more technical-professional sectors.

The success of Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli should serve as a wake-up call for all PAs that still rely on traditional recruitment methods. It is time to look beyond, to take an example from those who have dared to innovate, achieving surprising results.

Recrytera: PA’s partner in the digitization challenge

Recrytera acts as a strategic partner for PAs wishing to embark on this path of renewal, offering not only the technology but also the expertise and support needed to navigate the change.

We invite all public administrations to reflect on the potential of digitization in public competitions. It is an opportunity to take a qualitative step forward in human resources management, improving not only internal efficiency but also the service offered to citizens. The ADM case with Recrytera is not only a success story, but a model to follow, an example of how technology can be put at the service of a more modern PA, accessible and close to everyone’s needs.

Contacting Recrytera will allow you to find out how you can turn your organization into a benchmark for public sector innovation, creating selection processes that are at the same time effective, fair and sustainable.

The future of public administration starts today, and it is digital. Are you ready to be part of it?