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

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

#251
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…

> but the second was going to be a 5-hour remote codeshare/whiteboard interview with the team.

I've never understood why large companies do such long gruelling interviews. I always assumed it's because big companies get lots of low quality applicants at high volume but thats just a huge investment for both sides.

From my limited experience hiring you can spot the talented ones pretty quickly and the real test comes a few months down the road when you're working together and you see their output and ability to learn and adapt quickly to the team.

Work background and experience is usually plenty of information. Not sure what some toy tests in a remote call is going to tell you other than their ability to manage nerves and operate under public pressure.

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

#252
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 had an interview where I had to sit with one of the developers working at the company and I had to do one of the tickets while being supervised.

I have created a bug fix for the issue they had. I saw the developer has committed my code into their repo.

Then there was a white board session when I had to present my take on the problem they have described and outline possible ways of resolving it.

I saw few team members had lightbulb moments.

In the end the whole exercise took whole day. I didn't get the job.

I've been thinking if I should have sent them an invoice for that day...

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

#254

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Slavery was also legal one day. And I bet there was also some "science" (if only political) to back it up. Just sayin)

I'm confused, I thought I was very critical of these tests in my comment.

Some folks read "It's legal" and hear "It's legal and therefore acceptable"

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

#255
post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I get an ASMR-like response from taking tests/quizzes, even these sorta pop-psych nonsense ones. Apparently I'm a "mentor" at FedEx. It resonates. :) My current client had me sit one of these after 2 years on the job. That one labeled me "Debater". I argued with them out of principle. I think that if their HR people used it to screen me before I started, I would not have gotten the gig at all. :D

The test is pretty easy to game just by giving answers you think make you a good prospect - traits you would aspire to but don't necessarily achieve. I too got a Mentor rating whereas in reality I am retired and much closer to a lazy shy procrastinating individual contributor who never gets anything done!

Im pretty sure the test being easy to game is the point. Theyre looking for someone who 1. Knows what the "right" answers are and 2. Is willing to give them whether or not they reflect reality.

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

#256

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I got asked "what was the last book you read" in a SW startup interview once. I told them and then the interviewers started arguing amongst themselves about whether or not they liked the book, based on what I had told them about it, instead of asking me what I thought about it and what I learned from it. That was one of about thirty red flags. I left without completing the interview.

I had a high school literature teacher that asked me what I thought about the assigned reading, and then told I was wrong. After arguing that the question was not "what did it mean" vs what I thought. I think think whatever the hell I want to think. This was pretty much the death knell of my desire to participate in literature, and freed me up to spend my time in math/sciences. yes, it was just an excuse for somethin…

> bedside manner from a teacher

Why would a teacher have "bedside manner"? Sounds pretty sus...

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

#257

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.

It seems to me that what you are getting is people who are both decently clever and fairly dishonest. Which is an awful combination to select for, imo

[deleted]

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

#258

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Did you ask to see which questions you supposedly got wrong?

He refused to tell me, but I'm betting it was one about getting called in to work on a day off because someone else called out with no notice.

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

#259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had a high school literature teacher that asked me what I thought about the assigned reading, and then told I was wrong. After arguing that the question was not "what did it mean" vs what I thought. I think think whatever the hell I want to think. This was pretty much the death knell of my desire to participate in literature, and freed me up to spend my time in math/sciences. yes, it was just an excuse for somethin…

> bedside manner from a teacher Why would a teacher have "bedside manner"? Sounds pretty sus...

lack of better words to call it, but if a teacher is a bad teacher at an influential time, it easily can sour a student. how is that sus?

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

#260
I have strong doubts about working for any company that thinks this is the most efficient way to gleam this information from potential candidates. From looking at the images in the reddit post, I'm not sure how that is supposed to better gather this information than just having a human talk to the candidate.

If I encountered this while interviewing; I would politely state that we can stop the interview process here and would gladly tell them why if they were to inquire about my reasoning.

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