Re: Hiring Criteria, Writing Tests, and Drug Tests

Subject: Re: Hiring Criteria, Writing Tests, and Drug Tests
From: Chantel Brathwaite <cnbrath -at- cbel -dot- cit -dot- nih -dot- gov>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2000 17:17:55 -0400

Dan Emory said: "Testing, not samples, is important." He then went on to relay
the experience of an employee who could not perform the job.

I think I have to agree with Dan concerning testing. I think that in some
cases, samples are important, but I think testing is a good idea regardless of
the background of the applicant. I had an experience like Dan, only I was a
co-worker, not the manager. One of
the companies I worked for hired a woman who was a PhD and looked really
impressive on paper. (She taught university
level classes, had a couple of undergraduate/graduate degrees in varied fields
etc.). I got my first clue about her on the second day of
work. She came to me and said: "I don't see how anyone can compose a document
and type it in the computer
at the same time. I just can't do it, but they won't give me a secretary to do
it for me." Well I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt. I thought --
well maybe
she writes best with pen/pencil and paper. Later I found out that this lady
just couldn't write what we needed. She couldn't write logically, she couldn't
follow instructions, she couldn't copy files from one directory to another (with
a GUI interface, not even a command line prompt). She didn't know how to work
the software. And to top it all off, she was very arrogant about her PhD. I
don't have anything against advanced degree holders, but this lady was well ...
hard to take. I'm pretty sure a good writing test would have exposed her.
Eventually I think they let her go. She was around for a few weeks and then I
didn't see her anymore ....


Chantel


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