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David Castro wonders: <<While we're on the subject of pre-employment
testing, what tests have you taken that you enjoyed or that you thought were
particularly appropriate?>>
Before getting an interview at my current job, where I was going to be
working primarily as an editor, they sent me a manuscript by one of their
touchier authors to edit--in French, since we're a bilingual workplace. I
edited it heavily, returned it, and got paid for the work, since the
manuscript actually went on to become one of their reports. I also earned an
interview based on my edit, and subsequently landed the job. I can't see how
this approach would be suitable in all cases, but I acquired a great deal of
respect for my employer (which has only increased in the intervening years)
because they showed that they respected and valued my time.
I suspect you could sometimes use a comparable technique for any other kind
of pre-employment interview: ask the person to do real work for you, and pay
them your going rate for that work. If the work is suitable, then you don't
have to ask one of your regular staff to do the work and you know the
candidate is potentially suitable. A more practical approach (given the
learning curve etc.) might involve bringing a seemingly suitable candidate
onboard for a short-term contract; if they work out, you convert the
contract to a full-time position, and if not, you're under no obligation to
extend the contract. In either case, the worker is compensated for their
time and effort--a rare occurrence in my experience.
--Geoff Hart, geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada
580 boul. St-Jean
Pointe-Claire, Que., H9R 3J9 Canada
"User's advocate" online monthly at
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Hofstadter's Law--"The time and effort required to complete a project are
always more than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's
Law."
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