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pre-employment personality surveys fail it

By The Hanged Man in The Hanged Man's Diary
Sat Oct 10, 2009 at 01:47:12 PM EST
Tags: sodomy, peopleanswers, unicru (all tags)

Pre-employment personality surveys make me want to hr murder managers and the pseudo psychologists that make these tests. Here are the first 3 "questions," where the applicant must answer whether they SD (strongly disagree), D (disagree), N (neutral), A (agree), SA (strongly agree):

Coworkers would describe me as someone who follows the rules. What the company wants to see: SA. Honest answer: D or SD.

I think everyone should obey those in positions of authority. What the company wants to see: SA. Honest answer: D or SD.

Coworkers would describe me as being obedient. What the company wants to see: SA. Honest answer: D or SD.

When I read those three questions... I just fucking lost it, I don't even want to submit the application anymore. There is of course no room for nuance in such a test. They are merely trying to weed out sociopaths, but more importantly, they're trying to figure out who the sheep are. So you could say I failed the test before I even started it, and now you ktards will say 'look thats pruf the test worked lol'

They say these tests are not pass/fail, but that's a goddamn lie. If you don't meet a certain threshold, the company's message to the hiring manager will be 'DO NOT HIRE ANYONE WITH A SCORE FROM 0 to 15' or some such shit. I speak from personal experience.


As you may recall, in a past life, I answered a personality survey honestly, and the hiring manager told me that it came back telling her I was 'unhireable' aynd that was the end of the conversation. My diary entry actually resulted in getting an email from a WSJ reporter who wrote this story about Unicru: http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB123129220146959621-lMyQjAxMDI5MzAxNzIwOTcy Wj.html

I wasn't included in the article, but she rightly points out the cheating that goes on with these surveys, answer keys are available online. The test makers claim their test accounts for cheaters. Hahahaha, psychologists are so fucking stupid.

You can certainly understand my reticence in taking this test.

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pre-employment personality surveys fail it | 33 comments (33 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)
s/hr murder/murder hr/ (none / 0) (#1)
by The Hanged Man on Sat Oct 10, 2009 at 01:48:32 PM EST

I just woke up.

Goddammit.

-------------

Dificile est saturam non scribere - Juvenal
it's actually much simpler (none / 1) (#2)
by bride of spidy on Sat Oct 10, 2009 at 01:57:09 PM EST

they're trying to weed out people who would be dumb enough not to answer correctly. I'm pretty sure SA or A would work. A may even be a nudge to a management position because they want people who think a little more independently in those positions.

It's like drug tests. They know you can pass them and go do drugs. They just want to make sure you're smart enough to hide any drug use.


depends on the job/employer (3.00 / 2) (#3)
by j1mmy on Sat Oct 10, 2009 at 02:32:28 PM EST

blind obedience isn't always a virtue, and some employers might recognize that

Could be worse (3.00 / 5) (#4)
by QuantumFoam on Sat Oct 10, 2009 at 02:33:13 PM EST

After taking the MMPI, I had to sit down with a shrink (Part of SOP). He was an older man, maybe 70 or so. He asked my if I was "gettin' enough" poontang.

- Barack Obama: Because it will work this time. Honest!

Coworkers would describe me as potentially postal. (3.00 / 3) (#9)
by JulianConrad on Sat Oct 10, 2009 at 04:39:05 PM EST

What the company wants to see: SD. Truthful answer: A or SA.

ay yo (3.00 / 3) (#10)
by Empedocles on Sat Oct 10, 2009 at 04:47:10 PM EST

it has been quite awhile since i've dealt with monstrosities such as the MMPI, but watch out for the questions like "i read the newspaper editorials everyday." the assumption is that absolutely no-one reads them everyday and anyone who answers "yes" is lying their ass off not only about that question, but the entire test.

i believe answers to questions like that are placed on a "validity" axis. blow that axis, and you blow the entire test.

---
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
'Till touch down brings me 'round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home

OH please, you just read the WHOLE thing (none / 0) (#12)
by Del Griffith on Sat Oct 10, 2009 at 05:43:24 PM EST

first...

It's really quite easy to game.

-------
I...I like me. My wife likes me. My customers like me. Because I'm the real article. What you see is what you get. - Me


just fill it out honestly (none / 0) (#16)
by LilDebbie on Sat Oct 10, 2009 at 06:45:37 PM EST

and sue them for discrimination when they don't hire you. christ, if fucking IQ tests are considered a violation of the civil rights act, gorram personality tests certainly are.

now tell me only the good things that come to mind when you think of your mother.

My name is LilDebbie and I have a garden.
- hugin -

Consider the bullet you dodged (3.00 / 2) (#22)
by localroger on Sat Oct 10, 2009 at 08:24:22 PM EST

If you had gotten the job, you would be working for someone who thinks deploying a tool like that is actually a good idea.

And that is what is so great about the internet. It enables pompous blowhards to connect with other pompous blowhards in a vast circle jerk of pomposity. -- Bill Maher
It's just a turing test for "normals" (3.00 / 3) (#30)
by Pentashagon on Sun Oct 11, 2009 at 02:12:18 AM EST

All you have to do is know how a normal (think gaussian distribution) person thinks, and answer like they would.  The average sucker is trusting, obedient, and actually answers the test truthfully.

This is also an excellent proof of why strong super-human AI will either be completely friendly or absolutely, frighteningly, psychotically evil (in human terms).  Psychopaths and high functioning aspies (is there a difference?) have no trouble passing as standard humans if it amuses them or furthers their goals, and an uber-smart non-friendly AI is going to be able to fake being an obedient, helpful AI until it gets all the launch codes.

pre-employment personality surveys fail it | 33 comments (33 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
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