Are these hiring practices fair?

[Kopji]

I don't get to participate in every interview, sometimes I wonder what we were thinking when we hire some people though ...

One guy insisted on always being called by his full name, sort of like "Stephen" instead of just "Steve". Humm, that seems weird. He's doing ok as far as I can tell though, except people fear him. Imagine a bunch of IT people scrambling around changing address book settings so he wouldn't be offended. heh heh heh.

We had one guy, in the first week went out and bought a new $80,000 car. I called his home phone for some reason and got his answering machine. It was just looney toonish: About a five minute recorded "hello leave a message" speech along with an orchestra. Sheesh.

I won a dollar bet from HR on that one: He was gone in six months. (It's not the money its the principle.)

Oh I could go on.

A good part of the hiring process is done by the human resources department. Advice: Be sure you meet the minimum requirements and show it on your resume'. Actually want the job. Don't be rude on the phone and ask to be taken to the leader. Stuff like that.

 

[a_unique_person]

I had to take a whole battery of pathetically obvious tests in order to get what turned out to be my worst job ever. It was kind of fun, though, taking those tests. The grammar and spelling one apparently weeded about fifty percent of the applicants out. It's not like it was hard.



The really funny one was the "ethics" test.



To pass a "business ethics" test of such sterling quality, all you have to do is say it's always best to be fifteen minutes early for everything, it's better to finish the task than stop immediately when the clock hits time for lunch, break, or going home, and be a total rat but only spread your tales to your own supervisor, unless it's your supervisor you're ratting on (which is highly encouraged), in which case you go up the chain of command to their supervisor.

The "personality" test was equally easy to fake. You just have to pick all the choices that make you sound like a total square: being early, being responsible, not making waves, obeying all the rules, and ratting out your peers in a dignified and professional manner.

I did a personality test when I went for a job at a bank in their mainframe security technical support. They said later they found a better qualified person for the job, but could they call me later if another technical job came up because I did well on the personality test.

The test wasn't one where there was the simple, obvious answers, they were too clever for that. This one asked you the same questions, multiple times, on overalapping areas. If you lied, it was going to be obvious pretty quickly that you were just making up, as the answers wouldn't be consistent. Which felt very invasive, as they weren't just testing you, there were effectively interrogating you.

I said yeah, that personality test, it made me fell like I had been mentally raped. They didn't call back after that.

 

[The Fool]

I failed my last drug test, I was able to identify most of the strains of hemp and the Amphetamines were pretty obvious but halfway through the narcotics I passed out.

 

[clarsct]

Let's see....For my current job I had to:
A) Pass a drug test
B) Pass a personality test.
C) Get fingerprinted at the DMV
D) Pass a Lie detector
E) Have a notarized affidavit of what I was doing during a 6 month employment gap
F) Write down everything I've done since I was 18
G) Pass a background check with the Professional Employment and Regulation Commission.(PERC)

And what is this glorious job, you ask? Would it be a high level technition at a nuclear facility? Maybe a high-level civilian position at the Pentagon?

No, not at all. I'm a fire inspector specializing in Haz Mat.
Basically, a security guard with a pedigree.
It pays the bills, but I'm going back to school after the marriage...*sigh*

But I can tell you that the personality test was BS. I lied my way through it. The lie detector is also BS. I have also had evidence that background check ain't up to snuff, either. One of our hirees got arrested on two felony warrants. Some check.

But my bills are paid, for the nonce, anyway.
(Edited for lack of typing skills)

 

[Darat]

How about writing in bold letters all over the personality test:

"This test has been widely discredited and shown to have no validity in assessing the infinite complexity of human personality.

If you want gullible, badly informed people to work for you, hire one that took the test.

If you want people that can examine information critically and make effective, real world decision in your company.

Hire me."

Would it work?
Wouldn't you only want to work for someone that did hire you?

I don't have a personality so would have to leave it blank.

I haven't quite done that but I've refused to use them when I've been hiring people even though it was company policy since there was no evidence (or at least none supplied by the company that supplied them) that they were reliable.

Recently I've been recommending new hires for some companies and their HR people have asked me would/could I recommend "personality" tests. My answer is always that unless the company providing it can provide evidence that they offer significant and quantifiable benefit over standard interviewing procedures don’t use them. (It is interesting but speaking to a colleague who advises companies on the legal aspects of hiring and firing she reckons that how some companies use these test could leave them open to claims of unfair hiring procedures under UK and EU employment laws & regulations.)

 

[Darat]

...snip...

One guy insisted on always being called by his full name, sort of like "Stephen" instead of just "Steve". Humm, that seems weird. He's doing ok as far as I can tell though, except people fear him. Imagine a bunch of IT people scrambling around changing address book settings so he wouldn't be offended. heh heh heh.

...snip...

There is nothing weird about that, what's wrong wanting to called by your actual name and not a nick name you haven't given? My first name has a very common "diminutive", which I don't answer to (or rather I don’t answer to after the first time I've asked them not to use the diminutive).

 

[Kiless]

I recall being told that it was indeed inappropriate to put age and marital status on a CV... don't know the legalities, however. On an employment form, I'd ask about the security of the info, certainly.

In terms of testing - the government entry tests here that used to be held in the mid 90s had general knowledge and personality... which meant for the two months ahead of time I boned up on IQ tests both online and from the library, did revision of basic math formulae (since I knew my mathmatical skills were going to be my weakness) and, as you did, looked over the personality quiz carefully to see where it was designed to trip people up. Gave myself trials in timed situations similar to what they were going to do. Seemed a logical strategy to take if this was going to be a criteria they wanted to use.

They stopped doing these (rather expensive, considering the hiring of halls and moderators and marking the papers, etc.) around the year 2000. I'd talk to the hirers... after they've hired you.

 

[Kiless]

There is nothing weird about that, what's wrong wanting to called by your actual name and not a nick name you haven't given? My first name has a very common "diminutive", which I don't answer to (or rather I don’t answer to after the first time I've asked them not to use the diminutive).

Wot, "Rat"?

 

[The Fool]

There is nothing weird about that, what's wrong wanting to called by your actual name and not a nick name you haven't given? My first name has a very common "diminutive", which I don't answer to (or rather I don’t answer to after the first time I've asked them not to use the diminutive).

Chumley for Cholmondeley?

 

[Darat]

Re: Re: Are these hiring practices fair?

I recall being told that it was indeed inappropriate to put age and marital status on a CV... don't know the legalities, however. On an employment form, I'd ask about the security of the info, certainly.

...snip...

In the UK those are both questions you aren't meant to ask in an interview. Strictly speaking I don't think you are even meant to ask their name.

 

[Kiless]

Re: Re: Re: Are these hiring practices fair?

In the UK those are both questions you aren't meant to ask in an interview. Strictly speaking I don't think you are even meant to ask their name.

Huh.

Call me Peel. Mrs Emma Peel. I shall call you Steed. John Steed.

 

[Darat]

And a very appropiate thread by Undodog: http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=56013

 

[username]

The tests sound stupidly obvious, but if you are too stupid to figure out the "right" answers they don't want you...

I have wondered about this for quite some time as it relates to drug tests. Pot shows up for weeks, but most other drugs are undetectable via the pee test after a few days. It amazes me how often someone will test positive for cocaine or E or something that is only detectable for a few days. I mean if you know you have a pee test for a job coming up, stop taking the drugs for a few days.

So, those who do test positive I can only conclude are hard core addicts (don't want to hire them) or incredibly stupid or undisciplined (don't want them either).

Couple this with the fact that drug stores carry home drug test kits that one can use to test themselves to ensure they will test negative the morning of the official test. If the test comes back positive, get 'sick' and reschedule'. Sheesh.

 

[Mosquito]

I have wondered about this for quite some time as it relates to drug tests. Pot shows up for weeks, but most other drugs are undetectable via the pee test after a few days. It amazes me how often someone will test positive for cocaine or E or something that is only detectable for a few days. I mean if you know you have a pee test for a job coming up, stop taking the drugs for a few days.

So, those who do test positive I can only conclude are hard core addicts (don't want to hire them) or incredibly stupid or undisciplined (don't want them either).

Couple this with the fact that drug stores carry home drug test kits that one can use to test themselves to ensure they will test negative the morning of the official test. If the test comes back positive, get 'sick' and reschedule'. Sheesh.

This, taken with the knowledge that these tests (drug-tests) are 100% accurate and therefore never ever gives a false positive (or negative) and it becomes clear that only the most hopeless idiots would fail. Certainly not anybody capable of doing the job.


Mosquito (slightly sarcastic?)

 

[Kaylee]

Are you being sarcastic? I've heard that poppy seeds in bagels can give false positives in drug tests. Perhaps other foods/drinks can also.

 

[Mosquito]

Are you being sarcastic? I've heard that poppy seeds in bagels can give false positives in drug tests. Perhaps other foods/drinks can also.

I assume you're asking me.

Poppy seeds contains opium (or similar, no?) so eating bagels makes you a drug-user/addict. Clearly not someone you'd want near your work-force or equipment.

Would YOU want to work with someone stuffing themselves with opium on a daily basis? Would you want them to work near your children? Or in the manufacture of some product you (or your children) use? Would you like to share the road with any of these dope-heads?

No?


Mosquito (Not seeing the forest for all the trees)
(That means, yes, I'm sarcastic and stretching it, a "little" over the edge).

 

[CBL4]

This, taken with the knowledge that these tests (drug-tests) are 100% accurate and therefore never ever gives a false positive (or negative) and it becomes clear that only the most hopeless idiots would fail. Certainly not anybody capable of doing the job.

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