Case Study: Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative achieves qualified hires and reliable internal promotions with Wonderlic's Basic Skills Test

Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative - Customer Case Study

Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) is a member-owned, not-for-profit utility serving more than 130,000 customers. To support a promotion-from-within policy, SMECO discovered that some entry-level employees were being promoted into roles requiring higher reading and math skills than they possessed, and HR needed a reliable way to screen large applicant pools.

SMECO began administering the Wonderlic Basic Skills Test to all qualified entry-level applicants (apprentice linemen, meter readers, custodians, clerical and accounting), testing up to 1,000 people a year and hiring only those who passed. The result: new hires consistently have the math and English skills needed for advancement, overpromotion problems were eliminated, hiring became more efficient, and HR gained confidence in candidate readiness while applicants received a clear, fair step in the process.

Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative

Judy Dudley

HR professional