Definitely not "The way it should be"

Recruitment press encourages cheating | Date:

Tuesday, 16 September 2008 |

2 comments

votes: 0 | score: 0

Whilst enjoying my recent holiday I was relaxing reading The Sydney Morning Herald careers section (what holiday?) when I came across an article by one of their journalists that really annoyed me. Now I am not easily annoyed, but this article really got to me. The article in question was about how to "get the results you want" from psychometric testing and then went on to explain how to "beat the test" for those that "have a fiery temper and are prone to fly off the handle" or those that are "not so good at being a team player".

The fact that a careers lift out that is paid for by employers and recruitment agencies can print such a piece baffles me - This article advocates cheating and employing underhand tactics to dupe an employer that clearly values the recruitment process more than the author.

At RecruitR we go to every effort to match our candidates to roles that suit their needs and by doing so we are careful not introduce parties that have differing needs. Many of our clients do use psychometric or personality profiles though do so as a management tool not a selection tool.

What are your thoughts? Get the job at any cost or get the job that's right for both parties?

Clinton Moore, Director

2 Comments Posted

Devil's Advocate | Tuesday, 16 September 2008 12:42:17 PM

Fair call-- I think there's definitely value in psychometric testing, but is "cheating" in a job interview really that outrageous or that unusual?

I think all of us have done it at some point or another ito some degree in a job interview.

After all, if a prospective employer asks you a loaded question like: "Are you a team player?," are you really going to say no?

So what's the difference between stretching the truth to give an employer the answer they want to hear in a face-to-face interview or on a test?

Maybe it's not so much a problem with people cheating on psychometric tests as how they're perceived by job seekers as unfairly categorising them into neat little boxes based on whether they pick A B or C on a multiple-choice exam. And no one wants to be put into a box!

As a job seeker facing a tick-box test, do you have any suggestions on how someone can get past being treated like a certain personality "type" to be seen as the complex and creative human being they actually are?

Clinton | Wednesday, 17 September 2008 1:50:03 PM

Thanks for your response. You raise some really good points, the first being that some interviewers would even consider asking someone directly if they are a team player!!! Interviewing any job seeker is a skill and one that many companies fail to recognise let alone provide adequate training. Anyway, getting back to your question, firstly I need to reiterate that psychometric tests are not, and should not, be used as a selection tool - they are a powerful management tool and help an employer understand what stimuli you need to be the best you can. So in summary, when used properly a psychometric or personality profile can help your new employer become aware of what a truly complex and creative human being you are.