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Why don't employers bother having applicants demonstrate skills?

  • 21-02-2009 3:49am
    #1
    Xiney
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,085 ✭✭✭


    In IT (and I'm sure in many other sectors) this is standard, so why not for admin roles?

    Give me a problem solving test! A typing test! An IQ test! Personality! Anything except asking me stock questions to which nothing but stock answers can be given. Anything that will convince you that yes, my 4 years experience may indeed be worth more than a dim witted person's 10.




    Anyway, I'm feeling more and more like giving up altogether. I haven't had great luck with jobs in Ireland and my CV is starting to look really bad - originally it was very good, long service records with impressive sets of responsibilities. Now, the top three jobs I've got on there are crap and/or short termed, and there are long gaps of unemployment in between. This isn't an accurate depiction of me, but even I'll admit that with every "crappy" job I take, I end up starting lower on the ladder in employers' eyes.


Comments

  • #2
    MagicMarker
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 32,865 ✭✭✭✭MagicMarker


    When I worked for eBay you had to do a number of ''tests'', you had an interview, a role play over the phone with a disgruntled customer and a ''computer'' test, where by they monitored your response and timed you and presumably marked your overall grammar etc.

    Tbh, I'd hate to do that for every interview.


  • #3
    doolox
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,350 ✭✭✭doolox


    I think everybody is going to have a mixed CV from now on.
    They are not called hard times for nothing.
    It all depends on what is happening to the competition.
    I remember being asked the very same question by a HR guy back in 1995, how come you are out of work from feb 1993 to jul 1995?
    I took the opportunity to go from cert to diploma when I found no job offers at cert level and then they realised that the jobs market in 1993 was, in fact crap.
    Keep a cool head and have a list of attempts and solutions tried to tell them about.
    Never let them think you gave up.
    ANY job is better than no activity to put on the CV and it doesn't have to be rocket science.


  • #4
    leeroybrown
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,562 ✭✭✭leeroybrown


    Xiney wrote: »
    In IT (and I'm sure in many other sectors) this is standard, so why not for admin roles?
    I certainly wouldn't say that it's standard in the IT area. I work in a technical area and I've always had to prove my ability by answering detailed technical questions about my skills and experience.
    Xiney wrote: »
    Give me a problem solving test! A typing test! An IQ test! Personality! Anything except asking me stock questions to which nothing but stock answers can be given. Anything that will convince you that yes, my 4 years experience may indeed be worth more than a dim witted person's 10.
    I think that all the tests that you've mentioned are in fact a far worse method of selection than a normal interview. Typing only measures one small aspect of the job. Problem solving and intelligence tests are generally used by companies who wish to have a defined range for the job. They quite often reject the best candidates. These kind of tests can easily be gamed with practice. Personality based interviewing is generally results in hiring the candidate who 'fits in best' not the best candidate for the work. The real issue you're encountering is poor interviewing skills among employers.

    I'd suggest that your real competitors at the moment are not those with 10 years experience but those who are competent but only have one or two. Lower salary expectations would be a big issue for many companies at the moment.


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