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It seems the new thing is to have tests or questions that "help" HR screen you. ( I feel like Bob&Tom here...)
I had one which said, "Pick one of the following:"
1- I am under 40 years old
2- I am over 40 years old
3- I decline to answer
Ha ha ha ha ha, who is kidding who? Yeah, there may be those RARE souls who would be under 40 and "decline to answer", but really, come on...if you pick 2 or 3, you're going into the wastecan. And who said age discrimination was illegal?? Who?
Another "fun" thing is screening questions such as
"Pick one of the following:"
1-It's never okay to be absent except for holidays or vacations
2-It's okay to miss one day every 6 months
3-It's okay to miss one day a week
4-It's okay to miss as many days as I need to
Funny, eh? They actually have to ask that. By the way, I picked number 4. See, they didn't have the option of "It's okay to be absent if I am sick and feeling like a vomitorium." Or, they didn't have the option to pick "I am human, I will come to work like a responsible person, but if I am not there, you can bet your bottom something is really wrong with me because I didn't take off because they had a sale today at Macy's."
It may be funny to you but not the EEOC.
An employer may not discriminate because of age but also has to be within compliance of diversity ratios. 40 happens to be one of them. You were given the opportunity to say "I have something extra you may be looking for" depending on your age.
Over 40 costs them more to hire with insurance, just like a smoker. Chances are a person over 45 or 50 will have pre-existing conditions and costs more to insure.
You know, I have never minded taking a "Literacy/Comprehension" test for math, spelling, filing, etc. I have never had a problem passing those and they are good tests to "weed out" people who are bad in math or whatever when they are going to work in Inventory or another clerical type job.
Now, the "Personality" tests I do have a problem with. If you don't answer the questions with answers that HR wants to see, your resume could end up in the old trash can.....pronto like!
Screening, interviewing, "personality" testing, etc., etc. If you are going to a Government or State type job, I can understand this. But, if you are applying for a simple Warehouse or other lower to medium paying jobs, "come on Employers, do you have to know EVERYTHING about me??"
Last edited by BabyBoomers2; 03-12-2008 at 09:09 AM..
Reason: puncuation correction
"come on Employers, do you have to know EVERYTHING about me??"
Yeah, like what race you are. It should be illegal to ask, although I know it is technically "optional". That's still just rude.
If you want to know what race I am, call me in for an interview!!
On personality tests never, ever pick "Strongly Agree" or "Strongly Disagree". Both of those answers are a job killer. "Somewhat Agree, Neutral or Somewhat Disagree" are your better choices.
On personality tests never, ever pick "Strongly Agree" or "Strongly Disagree". Both of those answers are a job killer. "Somewhat Agree, Neutral or Somewhat Disagree" are your better choices.
What the hell--- why do people think 40 is some magic number to start 'weeding people out as undesirable?'
40 is not old. Seriously. I'm 42 and I 'am not old.' I don't think like some old person, I keep up with technology, I don't 'cost more' because of insurance--I don't smoke or drink or do drugs.
Please...it's all b.s.
Oh, I know, let's all hire 25 year olds...and the rest of us can kill ourselves like in that movie, Logan's Run (I think it was called that...go google it..)
Fortunately I live up in Vermont where half the people are REALLY old...(and still work..)
It is a strange situation that the EEOC apparently puts the already stressed out HR department in. You can't hire someone based on their race, but you have to know their race to make sure you're not hiring them based on their race. We all know there are some magic numbers somewhere that tell you how the workforce has to be spread out, according to EEOC rules. At some point, someone has to be hired based on compliance to those rules and therefore, several other people will be discriminated against.
On personality tests never, ever pick "Strongly Agree" or "Strongly Disagree". Both of those answers are a job killer. "Somewhat Agree, Neutral or Somewhat Disagree" are your better choices.
I disagree with you. The matrix is based on preferred traits based on job requirements.
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See, they didn't have the option of "It's okay to be absent if I am sick and feeling like a vomitorium." Or, they didn't have the option to pick "I am human, I will come to work like a responsible person, but if I am not there, you can bet your bottom something is really wrong with me because I didn't take off because they had a sale today at Macy's."
Ooopsie!
