The personality tests.
If I were to fly an airplane, I wouldn't need to prove my ability to fill in answers on a Scantron sheet. But if I want to sell shoes or run a cash register for 8.00 an hour, I have to prove my worthiness with questions such as "Have you ever lied?" and "I used to have a drug problem, but that's all behind me." (Strongly disagree/agree/etc). These things always take at least a half an hour to complete and leave me feeling dirty, as if I need to shower afterwards. Sometimes these tests go even deeper, asking you if you've ever felt lonely due to family issues, or if you've ever had relationship problems that stem from insecurity.
Questions such as "Have you ever lied" trip me up. Ever? Ever ever? Like when I was seven and I lied about breaking my mother's beloved china plate? Or when I was fifteen and lied about sneaking out to see my boyfriend? "I used to have a drug problem, but that's behind me now (strongly agree, etc)". Do you mean do I have a drug problem NOW and it's NOT behind me? (It's actually looking for you to say "strongly DISAGREE, because it means you've never had a drug problem TO put behind you.) I sometimes feel sad and lonely (strongly agree - strongly disagree.) Yes, but who doesn't on occasion when the cat dies, the mother gets cancer, your husband cheats on you, or any number of actual life things? "Have you ever gotten really angry in your life?"
*blink blink*
Filling out the questionnaires honestly gets you passed over for the interview - every time. Attempting to "fake out" the test with straight, angelic answers also fails the interview. The purpose of these tests serve nothing that wouldn't be otherwise sussed out in a face to face interview (and occasionally cross into territory that would be illegal to ask about in an interview.)
It's patently ridiculous and the only thing these tests prove is that you know how to fake it to management. Barbara Einchreich, author of "Nickeled and Dimed" also pointed out that it's part of the whole "We don't want your services, we want to own you, even your mind" problem with entry level work. They certainly don't want to pay you very much, but they want to make sure you understand they are always watching.
It's easy to keep a workforce underfoot and underpaid if you can convince them that you know everything about them and have deemed them unnecessary for anything but minimum wage. After all, it's all there on paper, black and white.
Questions such as "Have you ever lied" trip me up. Ever? Ever ever? Like when I was seven and I lied about breaking my mother's beloved china plate? Or when I was fifteen and lied about sneaking out to see my boyfriend? "I used to have a drug problem, but that's behind me now (strongly agree, etc)". Do you mean do I have a drug problem NOW and it's NOT behind me? (It's actually looking for you to say "strongly DISAGREE, because it means you've never had a drug problem TO put behind you.) I sometimes feel sad and lonely (strongly agree - strongly disagree.) Yes, but who doesn't on occasion when the cat dies, the mother gets cancer, your husband cheats on you, or any number of actual life things? "Have you ever gotten really angry in your life?"
*blink blink*
Filling out the questionnaires honestly gets you passed over for the interview - every time. Attempting to "fake out" the test with straight, angelic answers also fails the interview. The purpose of these tests serve nothing that wouldn't be otherwise sussed out in a face to face interview (and occasionally cross into territory that would be illegal to ask about in an interview.)
It's patently ridiculous and the only thing these tests prove is that you know how to fake it to management. Barbara Einchreich, author of "Nickeled and Dimed" also pointed out that it's part of the whole "We don't want your services, we want to own you, even your mind" problem with entry level work. They certainly don't want to pay you very much, but they want to make sure you understand they are always watching.
It's easy to keep a workforce underfoot and underpaid if you can convince them that you know everything about them and have deemed them unnecessary for anything but minimum wage. After all, it's all there on paper, black and white.
I wonder if the President has to take a personality test. I'll bet he doesn't. It seems that attempting emotional and intellectual extortion is only necessary for keeping your poorly paid workforce in line.
On occasion, I've had to fight the urge to fill those out as trigger-happy as I can. See what it would take to produce a test result that says I am a psychotic, sociopathic axe-murderer who will snap on the first aggravating customer I encounter.
I don't know if the tests check for that, though. They usually just want to know if you consider yourself happy and not ever depressed or down. A shame. Screening for murderers seems a better idea.
At least in this economy.
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