Ms DD Posted June 20, 2007 ^^ What kinda people do you hang out with? Bluffing just isn't enough By Robert Watts, The Telegraph Group Limited, London 2007 About 70 per cent of Britain's biggest employers are using psychometric tests as part of their job interview process. And, in recent years, an industry has grown up of authors and coaches, who promise to help you "pass" these tests. "There are fake-ability issues with behavioural tests - this is a genuine issue for the industry," says Laurence Paltiel, a director of Psytech International, which trains people to administer the tests. Dean Taylor, a director of Occupation Psychology Services, who has run tests on behalf of Allied Irish Bank, LloydsTSB and JP Morgan, says: "Wander into any bookshop and you will find any number of books promising to show you how to do well in psychometric tests." A cursory search of online retailer Amazon reveals dozens of books with titles, such as How to master psychometric tests and Passing psychometric tests: Know what to expect and how to get the job you want. There are essentially two types of psychometric tests - to assess a person's character and ability. People can be schooled into ticking boxes which suggest they are natural leaders, diligent and ambitious. Fighting back The companies which run these tests are fighting back. Many interviewees are now obliged to sign an "honesty contract", in which they pledge to give truthful answers. Candidates can be obliged to re-sit a test and the exams themselves are regularly changed. SHL, the United Kingdom's leading designer of psychometric tests, has staff who monitors the internet. Still, doubts persist. Barclays, for instance, recently ceased using psychometric tests. One banker grumbles that many of the graduate tests are now so mainstream that candidates sit the same tests five times. But, another banker who interviews analysts for two leading US investment banks in London likes using such tests. "Some people are just very good in interviews," he said. "Hitting them with something like a test can give a good idea if they are bluffing." James Bywater, SHL's top psychologist, says the guidebooks could only influence a candidate's results by about 5 per cent. SHL has designed a series of "Situational Judgment Questionnaires" for firms, such as Prudential and Marks & Spencer. These present an interviewee with workplace situations and ask them to pick three possible strategies. At the end of the day, hardly anyone would accept a psychometric test as the be-all-and-end-all of a job application. Dr Robert Sharrock, who works for the human resources consultancy YSC, says tests should be used in conjunction with an interview. YSC is often called in to give full cognitive psychological interviews to candidates for top roles at FTSE100 companies. "I have seen cases of ‘impression management', where people try to distort their answers," says Sharrock. "Doing so is misguided - you can very easily find yourself getting a job that you are quite unsuited for." http://www.gulfnews.com/unwind/People/10132624.html Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Khayr Posted June 20, 2007 Originally posted by Rahima: quote: Anyone print and laminate 'NO PARKING' signs and stick them around a parking lot? It could be arranged . I have a friend who printed herself a disabled sticker so that she could park in the disabled parking which are free half the time. She also printed herself a concession card, which is given to low-income individuals or students (neither of which she is)- she uses it for public transport where it isn’t verified. Lastly, near her home, they had a parking sign which indicated that there was no parking past a particular point, in the middle of the night with her 4WD she rammed it down and threw it at the nearest tip. Now her family park wherever they wish along the strip. All of this done by a criminal 20 something hijabi who owes the government thousands of dollars in parking fines . I don’t know how she gets away with it :confused: . I need to stop being a square. I like your friend's tenaciousness/ilbaxnimo You need to network with her ASAP They are a shark in a lake! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Khayr Posted June 20, 2007 Salamz, Folks stop the CV/Resume BS and starting building your web of Networks (easier said then done). Most of the jobs that I have ever had were through networking and building relationships with people. Unfortunately, as you get older your pride gets the best of you and networking becomes an issue of injury to personal pride. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ElPunto Posted June 20, 2007 ^Well speak of the devil I guess you're too busy building those networks these days. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
