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Yes I think its weird. But it sounds to me like an artifact of a
weird company. Only you know how to interpret your intuitions,
but if the interviewer's presence or techniques set your antennae
to twitching, then you have to process the signals and proceed
according to your own lights, or reserve plenty of time in the
future for self-administered swift kicks in the butt for not
heeding the warning signs.
FWIW, I've been around the block as a candidate more times than I
care to remember, and I have never met a CEO, much less been
interviewed by one. But if this is a small company, I guess it
isn't so weird, and what you saw was just the CEO's untested
vision of a lean, efficient interview process. The CEO probably
has a vision of hand-picking a staff of team players who will
look to the leadership and execute with relentless loyalty. I
have to admit that while some people would be able to fit into a
staff such as that, without missing a beat, it makes me
nervous--unless the CO is a better judge of writing than engaging
as interviewer, the successful candidate might well be just some
low-hanging fruit with exceptionally-apparent skills as a "yes"
person. If that is the real hire criterion, then it is also the
real job description. Yikes. Maybe this isn't simply an
interview with a lean, hungry company looking for a lean, hungry
tech writer! What if it is some cult of zombies?! What if they
make you drink the Kool-Aid???
But before you jump to any conclusions, first consider the
interview in light of some of the alternative tests you might
have been posed:
Doug, tell me why a manhole cover is round.
Doug, does my office door open inward or outward? Why do you
think that is?
Doug, tell me about a problem you solved.
Assuming the CEO is aware of "real" interview techniques and has
chosen instead to do it the way you described, you might
interpret it as an evaluation of your ability to work
independently and do your job. Frankly, I would welcome such a an
interview and test that didn't leave me wondering what in hell it
was about. You have been given the time to analyze and
synthesize an understanding of the target product, to structure
the information and design the presentation, write and rewrite
the content to your satisfaction, and you've had an chance to get
acquainted with the target audience for the document (the CEO, I
guess, unless the instructions specified some other). Knowing
what you know about the direct, off-beat, individualistic style
of the audience, you don't even have to follow the hard and fast
rules of covering every detail in your presentation--just target
the CEO and let the rough side drag.
That's what I think. What have you got to lose in following up
anyway?
Ned Bedinger
Ed Wordsmith Technical Communications Co.
doc -at- edwordsmith -dot- com http://www.edwordsmith.com
tel: 360-434-7197
fax: 360-769-7059
----- Original Message -----
From: <subscribe -at- cuff -dot- mailshell -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Sent: Saturday, May 29, 2004 10:44 AM
Subject: Ethics of job-interview testing
>
> Yesterday, I had a 15-minute job interview that terminated
abruptly. The president and CEO told me to go home, log into
their product via a guest account, and write up a page or two of
documentation for that product.
>
> <paranoid_delusion>They stressed a couple of times that all
applicants would be writing up the same feature. The way they
stressed it made me wonder.</paranoid_delusion>
>
> Does this strike anyone else as being slightly shaky? They
told me they wanted me to take this test to prove I could write.
(Umm, and you consider that text I e-mail you from my home
computer has to have been written by me?)
>
> I've taken writing tests for job interviews before. They
usually involve writing instructions for a "surprise object"
(last time, it was a telephone) that is not related to the
company's products in any way at all. Am I being overly
sensitive, or does anyone else get a weird vibe?
>
> Admittedly, whether or not it's ethical doesn't affect my
participation, but I hoped you'd be able to give me a reality
check.
>
> Doug Cuff
> Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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