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What If Employers Want You to Take a Personality Test? Are Employers Going Too Far?
http://wlb.monster.com/articles/personalitytest/?WT.mc_n=rss2005_DMM ^

Posted on 11/28/2006 6:56:38 AM PST by freepinglurker

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To: Quilla

"I'm assuming she's applied for a customer service position and they are seriously testing her patience quotient."

I hope they don't test me on my patience. That's not one of my redeeming qualities.


101 posted on 11/28/2006 8:55:52 AM PST by caver (Yes, I did crawl out of a hole in the ground.)
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To: RightWhale
The one who recommended me to check out IBM found out I had scored too high on the general smarts part of the test, and reassembled the typewriter much too quickly.

ROFL!!!! Having had the pleasure of working with IBM, I can honestly say that I'm not surprised. Management, in their global services division at least, was comprised completely and uniformly of the most incompetent misfits that I'd ever had the displeasure of doing business with.

Their techs were OK. But management.....wow. Proved the Peter Principle to a T.

102 posted on 11/28/2006 8:59:18 AM PST by wbill
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To: freepinglurker
Yes, privacy is dead. So are vacations, bonuses, and job security for many of us. The human genome is mapped but not translated. In 20 years or less, we will be able to look at DNA and point out many genetic diseases. And yes, your insurance company will do everything they can to get ahold of that information. Before that, they will probably gain greater access to your purchase records as everyone buys things with cards now and most people use those coupon cards at almost every store they shop at.

Welcome to the brave new world. Random urine screens for everyone!
103 posted on 11/28/2006 9:04:15 AM PST by mysterio
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To: freepinglurker
Personality Disorder Test

I got all lows and 2 moderates. I tried to be honest.

104 posted on 11/28/2006 9:11:01 AM PST by the_devils_advocate_666
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To: freepinglurker
Just a few observations:

An interview IS a personality test, among other things. They want to know how you get along with others. It is also an opportunity for HR people to justify their jobs, which are basically non-productive mental masturbation and social engineering.

They want to know if you're a "team player" and will be an enthusiastic lemming, or if you'll create friction by pointing out when the emperor has no clothes.

Remember, all those benefits that they promise you when they're luring you onboard, and which you consider part of your compensation package, will eventually be eliminated or changed to your detriment, and if you are the type of person who questions that, it makes them uncomfortable. Because if you're not OK with that, you'll quit when they pull all their HR funny stuff on you. And it's expensive to replace you.

They don't want someone who is too concerned about being treated with respect. They want a "human resource", not a person. They want someone who will basically sacrifice their lives for the company, always available for uncompensated overtime and other crappy assignments, and who will go along with everything management decrees because of the promises they make when they hire you, which seldom come to pass.

105 posted on 11/28/2006 9:15:28 AM PST by Kenton
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To: freepinglurker
Instead of a personality test can we administer a conservatism test ??


BUMP

106 posted on 11/28/2006 9:16:42 AM PST by capitalist229 (Get Democrats out of our pockets and Republicans out of our bedrooms.)
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To: Brilliant
"You see a tortoise lying on it's back."

"A tortoise? What's a tortoise?"

"Know what a turtle is?"

"Yes"

"Same thing."

...
107 posted on 11/28/2006 9:22:30 AM PST by RobRoy
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To: Kenton

I think you nailed it on the head!!!

The reason I am leaving my current job is that basically, the employment offer they gave me was pure BS. They promised me (in writing) a certian territory. Before I even left training at corporate headquarters, they eliminated a third of this territory. Within 6 months they eliminated ANOTHER third of my territory and GAVE my existing business to someone else and my compensation is based on cumulative revenue.
I don't want to argue that they can change anything they want after they hire you, but I feel this has been a huge SCAM to get me on with this company. This was 2/3rds of my promised territory in the employment offer gone with no replacing it with anything. A hell of a way to treat someone who has already made this company mega bucks with my expertise in the field.


108 posted on 11/28/2006 9:29:00 AM PST by freepinglurker
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To: wbill

YUP! One reason I am looking at much smaller companies. They also tend to *share* $ucce$$ with all employees.

OTOH, when they crash, it can leave a mess.


109 posted on 11/28/2006 9:33:20 AM PST by ASOC (The phrase "What if" or "If only" are for children.)
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To: freepinglurker

I think I have taken a personality test for a job a time or two. It was no big deal and in fact I was hired so I don't think people should be afraid of them.


110 posted on 11/28/2006 9:35:56 AM PST by napscoordinator
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To: ContemptofCourt

Do they allow you to see the results of these tests?


111 posted on 11/28/2006 10:05:09 AM PST by freepinglurker
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To: Madeleine Ward

Do they allow the person taking the tests view these results?


112 posted on 11/28/2006 10:05:16 AM PST by freepinglurker
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To: freepinglurker
My husband is also in sales and has on occasion taken these tests. They are sold as a cure-all to the company who then use them to get their ROI.

He does not come though these as a 'sales type'. On one occasion an employer ignored the results and hired him anyway.

He tracked down the person/professor who created and sold this to the company and brought a W2 with him to make a point about the fallability of this test.

It is very frustrating when you have little or no control over your future. Employers already do credit checks prior to hiring. and yes, I think DNA testing will be part of the hiring process in the future. Good thing we all die. It evens the playing field somewhat!

113 posted on 11/28/2006 10:10:38 AM PST by chit*chat
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To: wbill

Yeah, I'm in IT and programming as well. Personally, for work environment, it's one of the best industries to be in. You don't have this overly formal overbearing type bureaucracy and as long as a fellow IT man is in charge of your department, you don't usually get any crap as long as you get your projects done in reasonable time. It's an industry where everybody really does understand each other. My boss even lets me wear jeans to work.


114 posted on 11/28/2006 10:11:33 AM PST by JamesP81 (If you have to ask permission from Uncle Sam, then it's not a right)
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To: freepinglurker
I am so sick of this.

I hear ya. I'm going through the same stuff right now. The thing that kills me is the fact that they won't hire you if you have what "somebody" considers to be excessive debt. Well, if you've been unemployed for a while you're gonna have amassed some debt. How do they ever expect you to pay it back if they won't give you a freekin' job? That just blows my mind. I'd really like to meet the genius that came up with that one - and slap him senseless.

115 posted on 12/01/2006 12:04:57 AM PST by Musket (The last major culture shift took about 2 years 1968-69 -- so why is this one taking so long?)
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To: freepinglurker
My Army training taught me how to answer questions that are intended to get into your head. Personaltiy tests don't work on me because I know how to answer in such a way that pleases them and they get nothing.

I knew that counter interrogation training would someday be useful useful in civilian life.

When the corporations and the state become police like in nature thats when it becomes useful. ;)

116 posted on 12/01/2006 12:18:23 AM PST by ColdSteelTalon
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To: cripplecreek
Nearly 20 years ago I went for a job interview. Part of the interview was with a psychologist. Amazingly enough I got the job.

When I was asked during one of those interviews what best defines my moral beliefs I answered with what I knew they wanted to hear. "judeo Christian in foundation". They liked that answer.

of course it is the truth but I already knew how to answer it. I manipulated them. And they were too stupid to know it.

117 posted on 12/01/2006 12:22:43 AM PST by ColdSteelTalon
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To: freepinglurker
One of our college kids applied for a PT position with a major office supply retailer. She was asked to take 'the test'. She said some of the questions were near ridiculous and sort of did not take them serious and answered 'silly'. She was disqualified as a candidate not because she did not have the experience they were seeking, not because of her excellent work history but because she got 'silly' with the answers on the personality test.

You live you learn (or at least she did).

118 posted on 12/01/2006 12:24:32 AM PST by zeaal (SPREAD TRUTH!)
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