How do you feel about those personality surveys that can determine the fate of your career?

We have all done it. You see a job that you feel you would be perfect for. You submit your resume. You get past the initial screening. Next you receive the dreaded personality survey with the misleading, repetitive questions that will probably knock you out of the running for being among the remaining qualified candidates. We have to summarize complex answers into the confines of "strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree and strongly disagree"





Do you really think this is an accurate method for screening job candidate?





Also, does anyone have any particular techniques that they use when faced with these questions?





Juuust wondering.

How do you feel about those personality surveys that can determine the fate of your career?
I don't think that they really help because they say one thing but what you can do is another... It is really what your heart says not what a piece of paper does...
Reply:I think a lot of people lie, but those surveys are just too long. I usually end up screwing up some of the questions because I am sick of reading them and don't read the question right.
Reply:Most of the time, you can predict the answer they want. You'd be surprised how many people answer "agree" to a question like "I have taken small items in the past, but would not take anything now." That alone shows you may lack integrity and might, if tempted, take something from your boss. You go in the "High Risk" or "RED FLAG" category and you'll not be hired.





Other questions are like "I tried drugs once, but I don't use them now." An honest Strongly Agree or Agree will tag you as a Potential Drug User and there you go again HIGH RISK.





The questionaires are a fairly accurate prediction of the way you will behave once you're an employee. While they may not seem so to you (that's the way they're designed to seem), they are very scientific questions based on past performance by individuals.





I was told that you should answer EVERYTHING either STRONGLY AGREE or esle STRONGLY DISAGREE.......there should not be any middle of the road. If you read the question and "think" they are looking for an agree answer, don't say "slightly agree" or "neither agree or disagree", you need to STRONGLY AGREE. Same thing if you think they are looking for a disagree answer.





Some examples of tests I have administered to job applicants:





I believe that low wages and poor living conditions can make an honest person take things sometimes. --Correct answer: strongly disagree. [Indicates if you would be inclined to steal if times got hard or if the opportunity was great enough]





There is no difference between smoking marajuana and drinking alcohol. --Correct answer: strongly disagree [Because marajuana is ILLEGAL and alcohol isn't--looking for your permissive attitude toward using drugs].





You should not publicaly expose a person who is caught stealing. --Correct answer: strongly disagree. [Seeing if you would be sympathetic to a thief and perhaps not tell on him]





I have been late to work in the past, but that is behind me now. --Correct answer: strongly disagree. [Looking for tardiness or attendance prone people]





Some workers know more than their supervisors. --Correct answer: strongly disagree. [Looking for how well you respect authority]





Each question is looking for a trait you possess. They are pretty reliable. If you always answer truthfully, you may not get the job. You have to play the game.

my bird