I have recently been looking for work. I engaged an online solicitation for work. After sending in my resume and answering several question (by email), a questionnaire was sent to me today. The questionnaire was 132 questions (reminds me of a sike (:)) evaluation test).
Would you want to work for a company that had to go to these lengths without even a phone call or an interview?
I realize that some large companies use these tactics to hire. I have seen these types and they have a very high turn over in employees (you would think if they were that good and that careful in hiring the turnover rate would be low).
It is an employers market...right? They have many applications on file to show they have several choices. Bravo...most of these folks have an Lic Prof with an MBA.
But why doesn't it work? Why so many employees coming and going? What have these brilliant MBA's done so obviously wrong?
Let's exclude the economy for now and talk about business. How would you advertise to hire?
The company I am referring to is not a "Head Hunter". They are a firm performing Land Surveying and Engineering. They tout a rather large client base.
Given the economy, unemployment rates and the short term future, would you apply?
I know many will say the same ol' thing...if it puts food on my table then yes...or It's all I can do right now for me and my family. Some very valid comments.
I think the answer is that's the way things are done now. No more phone calls, no more interviews...it's simply all electronic masturbation.
My experience in dealing with these types of companies is they have no regard for the employees. Their "one size fits all" business model causes more work lost than gained with a multi-office firm. The moral of new hires and seasoned folks degrade sooner than later.
I wonder how many good folks this type of procedure has missed?
I don't think I could come up with 132 "zingers" to fill in as answers.
I trash that rascal. Any company thinking they need to put every applicant thru such a process prior to a true interview is a company I would not consider a worthy employer.
Short answer, yes.
Longer answer: in my quest to find some sort of income, I have applied to such places as Office Depot, Target, West Marine, Home Depot, etc, etc.
Of the many places I have applied, retail seems to stand out as a royal pain with their long involved questionnaires that take longer to fill out than the application itself... literally. I never got an offer from any of those places.
I went into one place in particular (no names, but the initials are office depot) to ask why I had not been called for the interview. "Perhaps it was due to scoring low on the test" was the response. He looked me up and with surprise exclaimed "you did quite well". He interviewed me and told me to come back in a couple days to interview with the manager which I did. When I went in, no manager or assistant manager were to be found. The next week I wandered in and found the manager and asked what happened. She claimed not to have heard a word about me.
I gave up. All that grief for a part time, low paying job? Why?
Sorry for the rant, you hit a nerve (I suspect everybody can tell)
No. 131 is my limit. 🙂
> Given the economy, unemployment rates and the short term future, would you apply?
I doubt it. Even if they hired me I would not last long. Too old and set in my ways, a recipe of conflict.
If the job twice as much as I'm making now, most likely. If not, than probally not.
Employment?
If you don't mind relocating across the country, try www.fcx.com . I know they are looking for surveyors in Morenci, AZ. One of their surveyors transferred to our location, one got promoted, and another got fired for faking a blue stake. You have to go through that online crap, but eventually you get a phone call and an interview. They might give you a phone interview since you are so far away.
I have before, like in 1973, plus went thru 2 days filled with meetings with office personnel and smoozing at the Engineers Club. All that just to be offered $350 a month, lol, I declined.
Done the same several times since.
They are measuring you up and weeding out as many as they can without having any direct contact.
Good Luck.....
Like John, I also applied for a bunch of jobs at places like Lowes, Home Depot, Staples, Petsmart (for goodness sake) and had to take the stupid assessment tests.
I remember one of them taking TWO FRIGGIN' HOURS!! I can't believe I stuck with it to apply for an $8 per hour job.
I am done with that. I remember taking a math test for a surveying job I applied for in 1992, but it was only about 30 questions and had a pretty good basis in reality for the job I would be performing. Not some bullcrap personality test, which is what most of the evaluation tests are.
Personally, I will not work for a company that thinks that bull crap is important. I left a place like that and won't go back.
Good luck!
I'm with Julie. In my former field of software engineering/programming I often get asked questions that are so obscure it amazes me. In my current field of doing nothing, well, I am an expert.
Personally, I'm intensely offended to have my intelligence insulted or challenged by some by some "drit prat" (old English for s..t a.s) questionaire or some idiot headhunter which I usually piss off straight away.
to answer the question at hand... negative. I'm not wasting my time for 132 questions only to be one of the next turnover casualties.
Glad I'm not the only one who thinks this way.
Thanks for all the input.
roger that Just
You already got your LS and PLS stuff... what are they fishing for?
Same with the programming techno stuff they fish on me for I reckon.
Maybe they're just looking some major "faux pas" (sp?)
The only leads I ever got from head hunters was from crap I've never dealt with.
I'm through with them.
I had other stuff to say but cut it out already.
NIghty night.
sure, i'd do it
I can sit here drinking beer in my sweatpants and dirty tee-shirt and have a job interview! (The last employer balked when I brought a 6-pack to the interview)
sure, i'd do it
Perry,
Perhaps next time...you should offer him one..:)
Guess it's an ice breakin' thing.
sure, i'd do it - Perry
> I can sit here drinking beer in my sweatpants and dirty tee-shirt and have a job interview! (The last employer balked when I brought a 6-pack to the interview)
Honestly Perry, don't you New Hampshire guys know anything about interviews?
Sheesh..next time bring a keg.
I have to disagree with the general consensus. I'm with the "put food on the table blah, blah, blah" opinion.
It might be poor hiring tactics, I don't know, but I would go through the grind. There are some things I wouldn't do for moeny, but answering 132 questions is not one of them. (although I wouldn't use that technique to hire)
sure, i'd do it - Perry
Forty-something years ago, the CIA flew me up to D.C. for testing & interviews. Two written exams, (four hours each), and two interviews. Got the job pending completion of military service. Wanted to work for the CIA so that I'd be draft deferred!
Wound up in the Army with the same security clearances ...
132 questions say 30 seconds per question about 1 hour at most, I know people who drive hours to get the chance for an interview to get a job.
Yes, I would put in the effort.
I suppose that survey would cut back a whole bunch on the tire kickers and the highly unqualified applicants.
I once knew a HR type that just checked off his list the various application submittal requirements... and only looked at the content of a few. I thought that was a sketchy practice back then, but no longer do.
PS: Earlier today I was reviewing my tax deductible job search expenses for the first 8 months of 2008. I am now astounded that I had spent that much time and money...
The truth is that I sort of did that once upon a time. It was a civil service exam.
I was looking for a summer job between my Freshman and Sophomore years of college. What appeared to be a really good opportunity required having taken the civil service exam. I then found an even better job so went no further on the first situation.
I was severely disappointed with the civil service exam experience to discover that certain other people were being awarded extra points, thus allowing them to jump ahead of me.