An Unusual Tool in Hiring the Right Person (1998) | Hacker News Reader

An Unusual Tool in Hiring the Right Person (1998)

nytimes.com

13 pointsdandrewsen7 comments

This is an advertisement for a $50 quiz with 36 multiple choice questions.

Not only that, the article is almost 20 years old.

Interesting flashback article from 1998!

Here's a more recent podcast on behavioral profiling, Scott Britton with Steve Sisler> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYywbJT5TOU

I wonder how the effectiveness of this test in the workplace would stack up against the following:

  * Myers Briggs
  * Big 5
  * Weekly horoscope
  * Sugar pill
  * Japanese radio calisthenics

I was surprised recently when a job application resulted in a request/demand for me to take personality tests. In a long career, this was the first time* I've seen it. Which of course was grounds for immediately disconnecting myself from further discussion with this company.

*Though I've seen weird stuff with a company having a psychologist on the payroll that one had to "see".

I was expecting yet another Myers-Briggs, but I found the actual test (36 questions, each with 4 aspects and least/most options) interesting. I don't know how effective it'll be at gauging employees, but I think it does a good job of minimizing opportunities for 'gaming' the test. Almost all the options are fairly neutral.

I took the test, but sadly, I'm not willing to pay that $50 to see the results!

Feels like 1960s writing

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