Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

I applied for a software role at FedEx and was asked to take a personality test

old.reddit.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

151–160 of 448 posts

Re: I applied for a software role at FedEx and was asked to take a personality test

#151

Post by Analemma_ »

gorkempacaci wrote: post #117
syntaxing wrote: post #56

I once took an IQ test(?), I think it was called Wonderlic or something. I was desperate and it was my first engineering (unpaid) internship. Somehow I was a “genius” and they kept my test record as an example for the next couple years after my internship. I would probably walk out of an interview if someone handed me one today.

I took one of those (Alva labs) multiple times for different companies. My “intelligence” (or whatever they call it) score was 7/10 first, then 8/10, and then 9/10 I think in the last one. Just got better each time I took it. And the results for the personality test kept changing dramatically for each take too. Total pseudoscience.

These quasi-IQ tests have to be designed to carefully maneuver around Griggs v. Duke Power to be eligible for use in hiring decisions, but the more you mess with them the more you degrade their usefulness. Actual IQ tests have very high test-retest reliability.

Re: I applied for a software role at FedEx and was asked to take a personality test

#152

Post by JohnFen »

Brananarchy wrote: post #132
kube-system wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does social filtering constitute dishonesty or professionalism? This question itself might be a good interview question.

Both. The entire concept of "professionalism" is based around the idea that certain people should be dishonest about themselves in public, for the sake of others' comfort.

I entirely disagree with that being what the concept of "professionalism" is based on, but I'm also not entirely sure what you're alluding to here, so grain of salt.

Re: I applied for a software role at FedEx and was asked to take a personality test

#154

Post by ano-ther »

That’s a really weird test in the linked article.

When done right though, this can be quite helpful. As a hiring manager I had very good experience with a test that tried to identify behavioural patterns.

At that company, we used it to have a discussion with the candidates, not as a hiring criterion —- moderated by an experienced HR colleague who was trained in how to interpret the results.

Gave much more insightful discussions than the usual “describe a conflict” type of questions.

Re: I applied for a software role at FedEx and was asked to take a personality test

#155

Post by AtlasBarfed »

niceice wrote: post #36

You can take it here: https://fedexdataworksprod.traitify.com/assessment/31449c4a-... Each one has a title like "Starter Not a Finisher", "Frequently Change My Mind", "Always Wonder Why", "Easily Offended", "Art Isn't My Thing", "Unstoppable", "Make Friends Everywhere", "Good Enough", "Not My Job", "Tend to Feel Sad", "Volunteering", "Believe the Best of People", "Hard to Start a New Task", "Loves the Social Scene",…

So, guessing:

Two Drinks - Frequently Change My Mind

Laptop Screen - "Hard to Start a New Task"

Painting - Easily Offended

Couch Happy/Sad - "Tend to Feel Sad"

Sculpture Yawn - Art Isnt My Thing

Four Stars - "Good Enough"

Puzzle - Starter Not a Finisher

Flower - Unstoppable

Clock - "Always Wonder Why"

Gift - "Make Friends Everywhere"

Superhero - Natural Leader

Talking during Party - Chats in Elevators

Tweezers - "attention to detail" type of thing

Couch Laundry Basket - "Not My Job"

Hands in the Air - "Loves the Social Scene"

Pizza Glutton - Sometimes Thoughtless

Hike/Cook/Skydive - ... probably "adventurous" or fearless or like that

Fruit vs Donut - "Volunteering"

Close park - "Believe the Best of People

Re: I applied for a software role at FedEx and was asked to take a personality test

#156

Post by PsylentKnight »

UncleOxidant wrote: post #83
billy99k wrote: post #2

I once had a SW interview with a job that had a 2-hour long personality test. No tech questions. Just random questions to test my personality. It started out simple, like 'what was the last book you read' to more in-depth situations that had nothing to do with the job. The manager interviewing me (who admit he basically just started managing a month prior) told me he just read a 'great book on management' and wanted…

> I ended up choosing the job that had no whiteboard interview or personality test. It was just a simple conversation with the tech lead about my previous experience and if I had the experience to work on their current system I miss interviews like this. We need to compile a list of companies that still do this. In fact, getting on that list could really help a company's recruiting efforts - which in turn could influ…

https://github.com/poteto/hiring-without-whiteboards

Re: I applied for a software role at FedEx and was asked to take a personality test

#157

Post by kmac_ »

al2o3cr wrote: post #128
billy99k wrote: post #2

I once had a SW interview with a job that had a 2-hour long personality test. No tech questions. Just random questions to test my personality. It started out simple, like 'what was the last book you read' to more in-depth situations that had nothing to do with the job. The manager interviewing me (who admit he basically just started managing a month prior) told me he just read a 'great book on management' and wanted…

Just random questions to test my personality. "You're not turning the tortoise over, Billy. Why is that?" :P

Short whiteboard interviews have become LeetCode/take-home assignment/one vs whole-team-from-every-department interview marathons. So instead of those funny pictures, we'll have Rorschach tests followed by polygraphs soon.

Re: I applied for a software role at FedEx and was asked to take a personality test

#158

Post by kube-system »

Brananarchy wrote: post #132
kube-system wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does social filtering constitute dishonesty or professionalism? This question itself might be a good interview question.

Both. The entire concept of "professionalism" is based around the idea that certain people should be dishonest about themselves in public, for the sake of others' comfort.

If someone isn't capable of being honest without making their coworkers socially uncomfortable, I don't think the honesty is a redeeming quality.

Re: I applied for a software role at FedEx and was asked to take a personality test

#159

Post by itronitron »

squeaky-clean wrote: post #104
vundercind wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m convinced most use of these is actually testing for: 1) bright enough to answer to achieve just about any desired outcome (usually not a high bar), 2) socially/politically aware enough to realize which outcomes will be good, and which will be bad; and, 3) agreeable/compliant enough to go ahead and game the quiz to achieve a good outcome without raising a fuss.

I interviewed at Burger King in college, the manager told me I was the only applicant in their system to get above 80% on the personality test. It was incredibly easy things like, "How many minutes are acceptable to show up late for your shift? 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, being late is unacceptable". Or "If you knew there were no cameras able to see you, and no other employees around, how much money is okay to…

"How many questions is it acceptable to lie on when taking a personality test? 10 lies, 5 lies, 2 lies, lying on a personality test is unacceptable."

Re: I applied for a software role at FedEx and was asked to take a personality test

#160

Post by user_7832 »

niceice wrote: post #36

You can take it here: https://fedexdataworksprod.traitify.com/assessment/31449c4a-... Each one has a title like "Starter Not a Finisher", "Frequently Change My Mind", "Always Wonder Why", "Easily Offended", "Art Isn't My Thing", "Unstoppable", "Make Friends Everywhere", "Good Enough", "Not My Job", "Tend to Feel Sad", "Volunteering", "Believe the Best of People", "Hard to Start a New Task", "Loves the Social Scene",…

Am I missing something, or is it geolocked outside the US? I just get a login page.
Post reply on HN