Re: Hiring Criteria, Writing Tests, and Drug Tests

[Chantel Brathwaite <cnbrath -at- cbel -dot- cit -dot- nih -dot- gov>]

Dan Emory said: "Testing, not samples, is important."  He then went on to relay
the experience of an employee who could not perform the job.

I think I have to agree with Dan concerning testing.  I think that in some
cases, samples are important, but I think testing is a good idea regardless of
the background of the applicant.    I  had an experience like Dan, only I was a
co-worker, not the manager.  One of
the companies I worked for hired a woman who was a PhD and looked really
impressive on paper.  (She taught university
level classes, had a couple of undergraduate/graduate degrees in varied fields
etc.).  I got my first clue about her on the second day of
work.  She came to me and said:  "I don't see how anyone can compose a document
and type it in the computer
at the same time.  I just can't do it, but they won't give me a secretary to do
it for me."  Well I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt.  I thought --
well maybe
she writes best with pen/pencil and paper.  Later I found out that this lady
just couldn't write what we needed.   She couldn't write logically, she couldn't
follow instructions, she couldn't copy files from one directory to another (with
a GUI interface, not even a command line prompt).  She didn't know how to work
the software.  And to top it all off, she was very arrogant about her PhD.   I
don't have anything against advanced degree holders, but this lady was well ...
hard to take.  I'm pretty sure a good writing test would have exposed her.
Eventually I think they let her go.   She was around for a few weeks and then I
didn't see her anymore  ....


Chantel


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