A Peculiar Psychometric Test

[timf]

The declaration of "left in limbo" might be considered excessively accusative. There might be several other possibilities such as a medical emergency. An inquiry at 20 minutes would generally be more acceptable.

[Michael37]

36 minutes ago, timf said:

The declaration of "left in limbo" might be considered excessively accusative. There might be several other possibilities such as a medical emergency. An inquiry at 20 minutes would generally be more acceptable.

Yes. A point scored in the "cons" for Candidate A, who waits another 45 minutes, takes one of the pens, and leaves through the open entrance to the frustrating examination room he had become tired of waiting in, taking advantage of the conveniently marked exit to his left.

[ladypeartree]

This is so not a company I would want to work for and you have to wonder about the mental stability of the person who designed the so called test and the company that paid for / used it 

[Michael37]

Enter Candidate B: When asked by the Examiner to choose one of the pens he takes them both from their holder, inspecting each of them in turn. On one of them he notices some hardly distinguishable letters embossed onto the barrel of the pen in the form of an acronym, which reads D.I.S.A.V.O.W. 

Candidate B selects the acronym embossed pen, holding it in his right hand, and replaces the other pen in one of the holders, - the left one.

[walla299]

I hate companies that do this to candidates. It's a waste of time - mine especially. If I'm looking for work I have little time for stupid silly games. The time wasted on things like that psych test could be used for something more productive (like the interview at a company that doesn't waste people's time.)

Yes, I've run into several companies over the years that do this. I usually try to have some fun with it and react in ways that screw up their whole little game. Best one: They left me in a room with cameras, etc. for a bit over 2 hours - so having learned in the military to grab some rest whenever you could I took a nap. Then when someone finally showed up I made them wait while I went to the bathroom. It was pretty clear they were not happy at that point, so then I grilled them about why they'd wasted 2 hours of my time in a polite professional manner. Someone else showed up for the real interview and I was surprised when they made me an offer awhile later.

As someone said on LinkeIn.com about this stuff: "Be the dumpster fire that spreads light in the darkness, or at least be the purple squirrel!"

[D. Adrien]

These tests are comical. I was hired after being subjected to one of these tests, many years ago now, and promptly was a complete flop at the job!

Anecdotal of course.

[other one]

I think one should know the job the person was applying for before judging the tests.   When I went for my first interview for Xerox, in the middle of the interview the interviewer asked me to hold out my hand.  He placed a cap full of the dry ink I would be working with as a service engineer in the palm of my hand.  Depending on what I did with it made some difference as to whether or not I was hired.

Some tests can show a built in thought process that tells things reflexively.  

BTW, I must have past for it was a 38 year very enjoyable career.