Dumbass personality tests and job applications

[Misanthropical]

I'm just saying that I'm seeing another Great Depression on our hands if things keep going the way they are going.

[Gurndigarn]

I'm just saying that I'm seeing another Great Depression on our hands if things keep going the way they are going.

I can see economic troubles on the horizon, but it's less because of jobs going away as it is money leaving the country. At some point, that money's going to come back to the country... and if it's handled wrong, it'll come back in a flood. And there's enough money outside of the US to cause serious inflation if it hits all at the same time. And the odds of it hitting all at the same time are pretty good... kinda like the housing crunch. So long as people kept buying houses, the market kept climbing. Then a few people defaulted, so house prices slowed down, meaning fewer people could get quickfast loans, so prices dropped... so on and so forth until banks are in a panic because they're sitting on billions of dollars of unsecured, not-very-wise loans.

There are about half a trillion US dollars outside the USofA. Their backing is the faith and trust of the US government and its industries. Which is good, so long as people outside the US have faith and trust in the above things. When they stop having faith and trust, it's time to sell those those dollars. Which means the dollars are worth less. Which means fewer people have faith and trust in the dollar. And so on and so forth.

Just as an aside, the Canadian dollar is selling at 99.89¢ right now (was 60¢ not all that long ago). It costs $2.02 for a British pound, and $1.41 for a euro.

Now, on the plus side, if all that money starts pouring back into the states, we should have a number of manufacturing and other jobs return from overseas. The downside is, of course, that we won't be able to afford all that much of the stuff we make* because of real, real nasty inflation that will hit.

* relative to now, of course. Unless we really hit the skids, our standard of living will still be higher than most third world countries, and it would take a near-meltdown of civilization to put us behind the way the wealthy lived three hundred years ago. That won't stop the protests, boycots, riots, and other misbehaviors from happening, however. "OMG! I can't afford my cell phone! What do I do!? This is all the government's fault!"

[MMATM]

OK, here I go playing Devil's Advocate. Short version at end.

Personality tests (particularly the Meyers-Briggs test) are usually used by major corporations to pre-screen applicants before considering interviews. So-called "wrong answers" suggest a different personality type than is deemed "ideal" for the intended job. These tests are usually not the "be-all, end-all" and any "wrong" answers are generally followed up with additional tests (for example the Thematic Apperception Test or the Rorschach Inkblot Test). These more advanced tests (and the TAT and RIT are proven to indicate any subconscious mental conditions) must be performed under the direct supervision of a qualified psychologist (certified by the American Psychological Association) in a one-on-one setting. Since any huge number of applicants may apply for a job, it is financially unsound to TAT/RIT test all of them, and so the Meyers-Briggs test is used as a first line of testing. Anyone that clears the Meyers-Briggs (which is also proven, but generally viewed as less accurate due to, as noted in the OP, a lack of explanation of each answer) with relatively few "wrong" answers will be considered first for the job. Anyone who answers many questions "wrong" will have their application rejected, without even an interview. I can understand your frustration, but the test you took does not sound like the Meyers-Briggs (you found out just which answers were "wrong", which I don't believe is the case with the M-B), and as I don't know if it's a Hollywood Video-specific test, I can't pass judgment on its validity.

In short (skip to this if you don't want to read the whole mess), yes it sucks but personality tests (which I also dislike) are the most tried-and-true method of pre-screening applicants before they are considered for interviews. It doesn't seem like Hollywood Video would use such an extensive test (93 questions seems a bit much for a video rental agency) and so it's possible you took a different, HV-specific test. In that case, I cannot comment on whether the test is valid.

[NightAngel]

.. It doesn't seem like Hollywood Video would use such an extensive test (93 questions seems a bit much for a video rental agency) and so it's possible you took a different, HV-specific test. In that case, I cannot comment on whether the test is valid.

Nope. We DO use such an extensive test. There is no HV specific test- we use a large, national hiring system that administers the exact same test to everyone. They also run a background check on you before we ever even receive the application.
It's the exact same system Blockbuster Video uses and many, many other retailers nationwide as well.

Honestly, I get slews of applications (I have 2-300 in my applicant pool right now) and it's a relief not to have to read every single one of them to find one or two people to interview.

[Jester]

A lot of places I have worked don't use personality tests, but they DO weed out many applicants with simple things:

--showing up in less that suitable attire (and down here in Casual Land, you have to really dress down to make that impression!)
--showing up to fill out an application without a pen (I can't tell you how many people do that, and how many managers get annoyed with that!)
--acting like a drunk or a druggie when filling out the application
--talking very negatively about previous jobs while filling out the application
--talking about why they got fired from a previous job
--saying how desperate they are for a job (it's just like dating, kids--if you act desperate, it ain't gonna work)
--writing illegibly on the application
--filling out the application imcompletely

Etc., etc., and etcetera. This may all seem like minor things to a lot of you, but all of them reflect on the applicant, and enable management to weed out a bunch of unprepared, immature, screwed up, unprofessional people. And that can be a big help to management.

The above are all just forms of "personality tests," though not the written kind under discussion, of course. Just different ways to get rid of the people who are most likely not what the establishment is looking for.

And yes, knowing someone can definitely help you get a job. Three people I work with (RW, my friend Jeff, and my eldest niece) all work at The Bar because a. I suggested they apply there and b. I gave them my stamp of approval with management. (My server manager loves me.) These are the only three I have recommended to my manager, and all three are still employed there long after many other people have come and gone. Hell, the main reason *I* got the job was I knew one of the bartenders (who also happens to be a manager) there, and after I left from filling out my application, she told my server manager "Hire him!" I got a call for an interview literally five minutes after I left there. Was hired within an hour of first picking up the application.

Knowing people helps.