Failing retailers' 'personality' tests - repeatedly!

pow wow

I am back at college and looking for part time work so have been applying for jobs advertised with major retailers, all of whom have an initial online test, I think M&S called it a 'suitability' test, where you're asked oodles of questions that have no negative option, but you still have to pick one that's more like you - for example

a) I like solving problems
b) I work well in a team.

Neither of those are glaringly obvious negatives so I answered them as honestly as I could (usually I couldn't pick between the two so a bit of thought did go into it!).

No surprise to me but I failed the M&S one, and the B&Q one, and I have failed the Tesco one before! All I've applied to won't entertain off spec applications and insist on the test....which I always fail. I understand I clearly have what they deem the 'wrong' personality for retail but I have retail and retail supervisory experience (yep I got promoted in the good old days where they took you on merit and not because you aced the personality test) and am a hardworker depserate for work.

I am tempted to get a friend to do the next one for me in the hope I get to interview stage - but does anyone have any tips for me as a serial personality test failer?!

Thanks

seamus

They have a particular profile that they like for their sales/supervisory people.

Largely you need to be outgoing, have a limited amount of initiative and have no real problem doing repetitive tasks.

For example, in the above question you give, someone who "Likes solving problems" is more likely to be someone who likes to go off and consider issues on their own without the help of others. They're also likely to be bored by repetitive tasks - there's no challenge.
Someone who "works well in a team" may indicate someone who is outgoing, tends to consult others before making decisions and doesn't mind menial tasks all that much, provided that they have people to talk to.

Of course, personality tests are all about horrific generalisation and putting people into boxes. They could easily exclude someone who would flourish in the job. This must be a very British thing, I've never heard of Irish companies issuing these "tests".

pow wow

Thanks Seamus, I hadn't quite thought of the problem solving like that! I thought more along the lines of if a customer had a problem then I would go out of my way to help them with it rather than go and be pensive for a moment lol. I guess that's where I've been going wrong!

When I worked in England (around 3 years ago) I never had these tests, they seem to have come with the advent in online applications. I failed one this morning for the company I used to work with as a supervisor. How times have changed eh.

seamus

ellscurr wrote:

Thanks Seamus, I hadn't quite thought of the problem solving like that! I thought more along the lines of if a customer had a problem then I would go out of my way to help them with it rather than go and be pensive for a moment lol. I guess that's where I've been going wrong!

Well that's where these personality tests fall down. An initial interview is where the interviewer gets a chance to meet the applicant and assess what kind of person they are. One interviewer's impression of someone may be different to another interviewer's impression.

Personality or pre-screening tests are an attempt to remove the initial interview and automate it. But they're not nearly sophisticated enough to replace the intuition or initiative of a real interviewer and so exclude a lot of good candidates.