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anyone have any tips for passing an employment personality test?

M

Mark

Golden Member
im gonna have one on wednsday and im wondering if i should be honest or bs my way thru it? i tried looking online for some practice tests and they look like they're a b!tch to pass.
 
it's pretty hard to bs. they will ask the same type of question multiple ways so if you're inconsistent you will fail. always remember George Costanza: "it isn't a lie if you believe it to be true"
 
Pass?!??

Be totally honest - it's your first opportunity to find out whether you are a match for this job, and if you aren't, the sooner you know, the better. Show some respect for the hand that may be feeding you; they'll figure out pretty quickly if you're not who they thought they hired.
 
Originally posted by: cjgallen
You can fail a Personality Test?
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yes. i have a friend of mine who failed it and as a result didn't get the job even though the guy that gave him the interview liked him alot. told him there was nothing he could do about it and even gave him some tips on how to pass it afterwards if he ever takes one again.
 
Originally posted by: Mark
Originally posted by: cjgallen
You can fail a Personality Test?
Click to expand...



yes. i have a friend of mine who failed it and as a result didn't get the job even though the guy that gave him the interview liked him alot. told him there was nothing he could do about it and even gave him some tips on how to pass it afterwards if he ever takes one again.
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They use them to see if the person seem to fit for the job and group he will be working with. No-one will benefit from lying. While you might seem as a nice guy, it doesn't matter if your personality is way off compared to the job. On the other hand if an employer lets such a test decide 100% he shouldn't handle employment IMO. Maybe he just told your friend a little white lie.
 
If they ask you for three negatives about yourself, don't say you have bad breath. Say something like "Some times I forget the time and end up working late."
 
Originally posted by: smc13
If they ask you for three negatives about yourself, don't say you have bad breath. Say something like "Some times I forget the time and end up working late."
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does employers like brown noses?
 
the problem is, its not someone who looks at the answer and evaluates them. it's some computer that spits out information to the employer about me based on my result. so im not really asking if i should lie to the employer, but rather the computer.
 
Originally posted by: Mark
the problem is, its not someone who looks at the answer and evaluates them. it's some computer that spits out information to the employer about me based on my result. so im not really asking if i should lie to the employer, but rather the computer.
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uhm, that's because it's based on a certain system and there would be no difference in score wether it's summed up by a person or a computer. And it's still a person that evaluates what the results show.
 
:thumbsdown: to this type of crap.

I'm not sure if they are too lazy or cheap to do a thorough interview and background investigation or they just want to put you though the ringer but I'd be homeless before taking such a test. Same for drugs. (although I admit in USN I had to do the cup) but I was young and did'nt value my privacy.
 
Originally posted by: Zebo
:thumbsdown: to this type of crap.

I'm not sure if they are too lazy or cheap to do a thorough interview and background investigation or they just want to put you though the ringer but I'd be homeless before taking such a test. Same for drugs. (although I admit in USN I had to do the cup) but I was young and did'nt value my privacy.
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My father who works as a chief of a department in an engineer company uses them when they employ people, but just as a extra tool to find the right (wo)man to the job. You can have top grades in all your classes but if you can't work together with others you probably not going to fit well into the team. It seems to give a more precise picture of the person you're interviewing. Basically they just want as much info on the person before they hire him, and therefore they ofcourse still pay lot of attention to the interview itself and the application. If you think you're the right man for the job I can't see what you have to fear from taking a such a test. Now if they asked for my zodiac sign I would walk out the door with no hesitation 😛
 
Originally posted by: biostud
Originally posted by: smc13
If they ask you for three negatives about yourself, don't say you have bad breath. Say something like "Some times I forget the time and end up working late."
Click to expand...

does employers like brown noses?
Click to expand...


That should be "Do employers like brown noses?" The answer is employers want people who are smart enough not give stupid answers. Employers are looking for people who will mesh with everyone else, be productive, think on their feet, and come up with smart solutions to problems. You don't want to answer questions that make you look bad.
 
BioStud- I have seen plenty of studies which seriously question both the methodolgy and validity of such testing, especially in scantron form where it's easy to "game" the test if you have a just a bit of intelligence. This is my problem mainly with them, again ringer. I work for one of the top 5 DOD contractors and we don't use them, but instead a personal interview with a licened PhD psychologist (only for clearance candidates) and of course all the commitee stuff where a candidate is on display for a couple hours.

 
Originally posted by: Zebo
BioStud- I have seen plenty of studies which seriously question both the methodolgy and validity of such testing, especially in scantron form where it's easy to "game" the test if you have a just a bit of intelligence. This is my problem mainly with them, again ringer. I work for one of the top 5 DOD contractors and we don't use them, but instead a personal interview with a licened PhD psychologist (only for clearance candidates) and of course all the commitee stuff where a candidate is on display for a couple hours.
Click to expand...

And if you have a clearance you are subject to peeing in a cup so I don't understand your last post. And you really have no privacy with a clearance, your life is the government's business.
 
I think trying to bluff your way through one of those is not going to work. All it takes is one slip-up where two questions should be answered the same way but aren't, and they could conclude you're lying. And lying is the kiss of death.

Plus, the so-called "right" answers aren't always right. Different employers look for different things. And even for one employer, what they want for one job isn't necessary what they want in another.

What do you do when you lie your way through, then after you start the job it's obvious you aren't the type of person your test indicated? What kind of impression will that make on the employer? Are you going to change your entire personality at work to match your test answers?

One the one we give, one question asks if you've ever stolen anything from a job. 99% of the people answer no. Then in the interview we bring that answer up and say, "You've never taken anything? Noe even a pencil? Even by accident?" At that point most people say "Oh, by accident, yes." Guess what? The HR guy concludes that person lied on the test. It may not eliminate someone automatically, but it's factored in.

Our HR guy wants to see "yes" as the answer, then an explanation of what happened. He's perfectly OK with someone saying they've left pens and pencils in their pockets and didn't bother to bring them back, because that's believable. Other people want to see "no". From what I hear, there's no "right" answers so just answer honestly. You can't tell how people are going to interpret the results anyway.

Of course, there are certain questions to which the "right" answer is absolutely crystal-clear. I'm not talking about those.
 
Lie.

I went on an interview recently and one of the questions they asked me was, "What's one of the things you don't want us to know about yourself?". Lame.
 
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