How the Industry Vocabulary Test Prevented a Costly Hire at a Legal Publisher

“The IVT saved us from a very costly hire. The candidate looked great on paper; the test told a different story.”

— Talent Manager, Legal Publisher

The Challenge

A specialist legal publisher was hiring a senior editor for its commercial contracts division. The successful candidate would be editing manuscripts and guidance documents covering complex commercial law concepts — a role requiring genuine command of legal terminology, not merely strong general editorial skills. One candidate had an outstanding CV: ten years'' experience at a major legal publisher, glowing references, and confident performance in first interview. The Talent Manager was close to making an offer.

The Solution

Before extending the offer, the Talent Manager ran the candidate through EditingTests.com''s Industry Vocabulary Test (Commercial Law specialism). The test results arrived within the hour. The candidate scored in the 31st percentile — a score that placed them well below the competency threshold the publisher had established for this role. The Talent Manager also ran the remaining two shortlisted candidates, who scored in the 74th and 82nd percentiles respectively.

The Results

The offer was extended to the candidate who scored in the 82nd percentile. They were appointed and, within three months, had independently copy-edited two flagship commercial law publications to a standard the editorial team described as exceptional. The Talent Manager reflected: "The strong-CV candidate was a very polished interviewer. Without the IVT, I am certain we would have hired them. The gap between their presentation and their actual vocabulary command was stark. The cost of getting that hire wrong — in time, in editorial quality, in client relationships — would have been significant."