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from the boss-wants-to-see-how-you-handle-pressure? dept.
I recently applied for a job in Silicon Valley.
The recruiter had me take a battery of tests that measured my verbal, mathematical and visual aptitude. I'd guess it was a mini-IQ test; it wasn't a mini-MMPI. As a result of the tests I was invited to interview onsite.
At the end of the interview the manager declared that he wanted me to take some tests.
His tests were brain teasers he had downloaded from a random website. The brain teasers had nothing to do with the work I was interviewing for. He seemed to ignore the battery of sophisticated tests I had been subjected to, and to believe that he could do better.
What is the REAL purpose of using brain teasers during an employment interview?
Is it just to make the candidate feel stupid? Are any of these people qualified to interpret the results? Are any of them industrial psychologists? Or is this all about power and control?
Please advise.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday October 05 2018, @04:39PM (3 children)
While this screen of create a monoculture which is not necessarily a good thing, testing for compatibility of personalities (you can reference that thing that I like) is what the interview should be mostly about.
Anyone who didn't lie on their resume can likely learn the tech skills. Incompatible minds is the most important thing to flag.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 05 2018, @06:40PM (2 children)
Oftentimes, lying on the resume is necessary because companies are stupidly requiring degrees for jobs that don't need them and didn't used to require them, or asking for N years of experience using a technology that hasn't even existed that long. Because of that, people lie, use degree mills, etc.
(Score: 2) by The Shire on Friday October 05 2018, @07:32PM (1 child)
Job postings like that are generally written with absurd requirements because they really don't want to hire you, they want to hire an H1B but they're required by law to post the position for citizens first.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 05 2018, @09:12PM
Yes, so even if you do lie on your resume in response, you're still not likely to get the job because they'll look doubly close because they know only a liar or great fool is likely to be applying for the job they're offering. And the rare exception won't stick around long enough to justify worrying about false positives.