Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
WRONG!! I prefer contracting because it pays almost TWICE as much to do the exact same job. What is the value of FTE these days?
I earned $86K as an FTE for Freddie Mac. I earned $215K as a CONTRACTOR doing the same job because the hourly rate was higher AND I billed for EVERY HOUR on site. An FTE gets the same pay regardless how long they work. When they starting laying people off, the first to go were the FTEs.
I am aware that in IT and some more in demand fields the pay is higher for contract positions to compensate for the lack of benefits. In science that is not the case. There is such a glut of scientists desperate for work that the agencies actually pay significantly less (as little as half) as much money as companies pay FTE employees to do the same things. In most cases the pay is ~$15 an hour no benefits compared to around $45-50k + benefits for direct hire.
I have said this before in another Thread.........I have absolutely NO problems with taking a test like this. I have also taken tests which included basic math, alpha/numeric filing, spelling and punctuation. I think certain tests should be given for certain positions, like Inventory. Some people have a hard time doing simple math, spelling and counting. I had a job where I was in-charge of inventory, but the warehouse guy had dyslexia and transposed numbers/counts all the time. Really mess up the inventory in the computer! Had a test been given him, he wouldn't have got the job and inventory would have been better.
I have said this before in another Thread.........I have absolutely NO problems with taking a test like this. I have also taken tests which included basic math, alpha/numeric filing, spelling and punctuation. I think certain tests should be given for certain positions, like Inventory. Some people have a hard time doing simple math, spelling and counting. I had a job where I was in-charge of inventory, but the warehouse guy had dyslexia and transposed numbers/counts all the time. Really mess up the inventory in the computer! Had a test been given him, he wouldn't have got the job and inventory would have been better.
I apply to at least 10 positions a day. I would definitely have a problem spending an hour for each application dealing with psychobabble scam tests when the response rate is already so low. Again most people are not Jim Carrey from the movie Liar Liar. They are going to answer the way they think they should. Even if someone is trying to be truthful, it is one thing to answer on a test that if they were in a bad mood and under high stress they would be calm and friendly to everyone (that may be their ideal to strive for) it is another thing to actually do it.
I have no objection to taking relevant aptitude tests though at the interview not before they even consider me.
I apply to at least 10 positions a day. I would definitely have a problem spending an hour for each application dealing with psychobabble scam tests when the response rate is already so low. Again most people are not Jim Carrey from the movie Liar Liar. They are going to answer the way they think they should. Even if someone is trying to be truthful, it is one thing to answer on a test that if they were in a bad mood and under high stress they would be calm and friendly to everyone (that may be their ideal to strive for) it is another thing to actually do it.
I have no objection to taking relevant aptitude tests though at the interview not before they even consider me.
You should spend a few hours per application tailoring your resume/cover letters to that particular company anyway, it is really too much more work to fill out a few questions?
And not everyone has to lie on this test...A person would have to be very angry, self-centered and spiteful if they would have to flat-out lie to answer those questions...
I apply to at least 10 positions a day. I would definitely have a problem spending an hour for each application dealing with psychobabble scam tests when the response rate is already so low. Again most people are not Jim Carrey from the movie Liar Liar. They are going to answer the way they think they should. Even if someone is trying to be truthful, it is one thing to answer on a test that if they were in a bad mood and under high stress they would be calm and friendly to everyone (that may be their ideal to strive for) it is another thing to actually do it.
I have no objection to taking relevant aptitude tests though at the interview not before they even consider me.
You should spend a few hours per application tailoring your resume/cover letters to that particular company anyway, it is really too much more work to fill out a few questions?
And not everyone has to lie on this test...A person would have to be very angry, self-centered and spiteful if they would have to flat-out lie to answer those questions...
These tests are a matter of degree agree strongly agree slightly disagree. Employers are not using it to weed out just the most obnoxious people, they are using it to weed out the candidates that don't have a personality like the Dalai Lama and answer all or nearly all the question "right" (which if everyone were really honest would be probably 99% of the applicants). As always lies and spin rule the day.
These tests are a matter of degree agree strongly agree slightly disagree. Employers are not using it to weed out just the most obnoxious people, they are using it to weed out the candidates that don't have a personality like the Dalai Lama and answer all or nearly all the question "right" (which if everyone were really honest would be probably 99% of the applicants). As always lies and spin rule the day.
I can't really disagree with this.
An example question might be:
"Do you believe that all people have the best intentions?"
I still don't know how to really answer this, but I've seen it several times, written in many different ways, on the tests you are speaking of. Part of me thinks that if you answer 'yes', they will consider you too naive for the job. If you answer 'no', perhaps they will consider you too pessimistic for the team.
If you are smart enough, you will likely figure out what they are wanting to hear in your responses to these questions. After that, it's just natural to respond accordingly.
These tests are a matter of degree agree strongly agree slightly disagree. Employers are not using it to weed out just the most obnoxious people, they are using it to weed out the candidates that don't have a personality like the Dalai Lama and answer all or nearly all the question "right" (which if everyone were really honest would be probably 99% of the applicants). As always lies and spin rule the day.
I will say it again, most people are not scumbags that have to lie and spin to sound like they want to help people.
If that is your attitude...well...then I imagine you are having a very tough time in any professional environment.
I will say it again, most people are not scumbags that have to lie and spin to sound like they want to help people.
If that is your attitude...well...then I imagine you are having a very tough time in any professional environment.
I'll say it again I did not imply people are scumbags. They get annoyed, they are not always polite when provoked enough etc. This test is screening for people that are absolutely perfect and since noone really is they either outright lie, spin a bit, see themselves the way they'd like to be. In the end this test is nothing but a test for who is desperate enough to go through it and clever enough to put down what they know everyone wants to hear.
These types of tests do not have "correct" or "incorrect" answers.
Perhaps not where you work, but our computers flag inappropriate responses and also flag questions where the applicant has taken too long to respond to questions involving honesty. Something I have seen, not just been told about. Too many flags and an applicant is ineligible for hire.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
