Is there anything stopping a prospective employer from requiring their job applicants to take the SAT as part of the job application process?
As Jordan Peterson and others have pointed out, in the past if one hired someone from a prestigious university, you could be pretty sure that they had been pre-screened for well-above-average intelligence in the admissions process - an Ivy League degree didn’t provide absolute certainty in that regard, but it was a pretty good starting point.
But if academia is going to abandon those standardized tests, then the prestige of those formerly top-notch schools is going to come into question, at least as regards the likely level of intelligence of their graduates. The way things go at most of those universities, once you’re admitted you almost have to make a deliberate effort to flunk out, especially if you gravitate to particular majors and you fit specific demographic criteria.
Aptitude tests for employment are generally not legal.
Aptitude tests for employment are generally not legal.
As Jordan Peterson and others have pointed out, in the past if one hired someone from a prestigious university, you could be pretty sure that they had been pre-screened for well-above-average intelligence in the admissions process. -
An Ivy League degree didn’t provide absolute certainty in that regard, but it was a pretty good starting point.
What,I found to be interesting was how those of us, who scored well on the SAT, got into a good college/university and were graduated from those colleges/universities, were hired because of those degrees/SAT’s, and basically the companies and/or military didn’t even ask to see our degrees in their hiring/enlistment practices.
Often, our siblings and first cousins with lower SATs didn’t get in the colleges//universities they wanted. So, later, while job hunting, they carried copies of their degrees as they were often asked to show them.
“Is there anything stopping a prospective employer from requiring their job applicants to take the SAT as part of the job application process?”
Griggs vs Duke Power.
A SCOTUS decision in 1971 that essentially killed the ability of employers to administer their own tests.
It didn’t prohibit testing outright but it made companies vulnerable to constant EEOC lawsuits, so it’s a defacto prohibition.
Companies responded by requiring college degrees for virtually every non-menial position, letting colleges do the vetting that they could no longer practice.
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/401/424/#
“Duke Power Co., 401 U.S. 424 (1971) Even if there is no discriminatory intent, an employer may not use a job requirement that functionally excludes members of a certain race if it has no relation to measuring performance of job duties.”
It was pretty funny—I was on a work call with some HR types and the issue came up of requiring testing as part of applying for jobs. The black people on the call were enthusiastically all for it, and the white female leftists were left to tell them: “Umm, that might have an impact on certain groups.”
Too funny. The blacks were enthusiastic even after that and said “bring it on!” (the testing), unafraid. And good for them.