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pjp
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 Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 3:39 am Post subject: Do you know your Employability Score? |
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Ask The Headhunter: Big data in HR means big problems for job seekers
Here's Your Sign.
| Quote: | Are you frustrated because employers reject your job application out of hand without even talking to you? Tired of online application forms kicking you out of consideration because you took too long to answer questions or because you failed to disclose your salary history?
Wait — America’s employment system is getting even more automated and algorithm-ized by applying “big data” to process you. According to a new report in The Atlantic (“They’re Watching You At Work” by Don Peck), the vice president of recruiting at Xerox Services warns that “We’re getting to the point where some of our hiring managers don’t even want to interview anymore.” According to the article, “they just want to hire the people with the highest scores.” |
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porodzila
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Joined: 22 May 2004
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Location: Terrapin Station
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| Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 9:48 pm Post subject: |
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In my business we just use google on each applicant. While my partner makes up his mind from this data I choose to take a different approach:
I leave the radio on during an interview.
I mispronounce a word or two.
I ask them questions with no right answer ( kobayashi maru style .
I ask them a question that doesn't seem relevant but actually says a lot about their character.
I feel I can judge a persons work ethic better this way than any other except :
If i find a criminal record.
If I find they have had 8 jobs in the last 8 years ( et sim. )
A reference says they are not (re)hireable
They are not eligible or able to work at one of my locations.
The interview is much more important. People are just being lazy.
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pjp
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| Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 12:32 am Post subject: |
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| porodzila wrote: | I leave the radio on during an interview.
I mispronounce a word or two.
I ask them questions with no right answer ( kobayashi maru style .
I ask them a question that doesn't seem relevant but actually says a lot about their character.
I feel I can judge a persons work ethic better this way |
I'm curious... what do those four items indicate about work ethic?
1. Rude. I'd strongly consider whether that was a person I'd want to work for. If they do that in an interview, what are they likely to do day-to-day. Not a deal breaker, but a strong warning signal.
2. Assuming I understood the word, I wouldn't comment. I'm guessing that's part of your test... whether or not someone felt the "need" to correct you.
3. I've yet to grasp the usefulness of most of these. Everyone knows they're "trick" questions. If I'm being jerked around in an interview, what about day-to-day. Another warning signal.
4. Given that a question may seem irrelevant, it may be difficult to answer well. There's a good chance it says nothing about character. Assuming clarification wasn't required, more warning signals.
Based on the generalizations presented, none of those are an indicator of my work ethic.
I agree that companies / people are being lazy in hiring. Yes, it is work. But that is part of the job. Personally, HR isn't worth most of the cost.
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notageek
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| Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 3:31 pm Post subject: |
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For anyone to be employable, one has to be affordable.
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porodzila
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| Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 11:24 pm Post subject: |
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| pjp wrote: | | porodzila wrote: | I leave the radio on during an interview.
I mispronounce a word or two.
I ask them questions with no right answer ( kobayashi maru style .
I ask them a question that doesn't seem relevant but actually says a lot about their character.
I feel I can judge a persons work ethic better this way |
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1. The work is in a noisy environment. They better be able to ignore the radio. Its not loud.
2. I've had to deal with some pretty brash people. I like to rule them out early. "You said that wrong. (giggles)" is not a good response.
3. Once again its about judging attitude not metrics.
4. "Do your relatives ask you for advice?" If a completely off the wall person tells me "yes". I have something to worry about.
You must remember I'm hiring high school drop outs to work in a factory setting. They need to have an attitude that will self sufficient and non-interfering. They will have to put up with other people's idiosyncrasies. They are not skilled jobs.
At this level you get a lot of people with little skill and a big big head.
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porodzila
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| Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 11:40 pm Post subject: |
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Also to put this in context. This is a small part of the interview. Each candidate is interviewed by three people.
The first segment is conducted my partner and office manager who gives them a tour and grills them about the details of their resume.
My segment is conducted in the break room (where the radio is on) and centers around schedule availability and personality. I try to make them feel more comfortable by asking mostly simple questions. What was their best and worst day at work? at home? What kind of music do you like? Whats been the biggest obstacle to attaining your goals?
The third segment is conducted by the assistant manager who asks them to explain and demonstrates practical skills they will need to see if they will catch on.
Then there is a vote. This way my partner and I don't stalemate. 
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pjp
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| Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 3:33 am Post subject: |
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The break room setting does make a difference. An office or other small meeting room would seem odd and deliberate. For me, the type of noise makes a difference. If it is generally quiet with a small amount of noise, that can be extremely annoying and subsequently distracting. If there's enough noise to provide a "din," then I'm OK. Also depends on mood. I've found headphones and listening to anything to make the small amount of "annoying noise" go away works well. Obviously not something that would work in factory settings, but then again, they're usually not all that quiet. There's enough machinery or something chattering away.
Fortunately I've not had many trick questions. I've had some that were borderline, and very well may have been intended more for the how of the answer than the answer itself. That's fine, but it is still a warning bell. If I don't know what kind of an answer the interviewer is looking for, then my answer is probably not going to satisfy. Answers are always contextual, and unless I know the intent, I'm probably not going to provide a satisfactory answer. Most people aren't likely to. IMO anyway. *shrug* Maybe that's the test.
My biggest interview weakness is probably not asking questions, not enough questions, or not the "right" questions. I often find that my questions get answered during the interview, and it isn't really a good idea to ask if their culture sucks. I know of no way to determine that without actually working there (or knowing someone who does).
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porodzila
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| Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 10:09 am Post subject: |
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I haven't had to fire anybody or give any negative reviews since we started interviewing this way.
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pjp
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| Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 2:56 pm Post subject: |
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Hopefully I'll never need to interview for a position :D
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John-Boy
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| Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 5:16 pm Post subject: |
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| porodzila wrote: | | What kind of music do you like? |
Do you ask them what their favourite films are ?
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porodzila
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| Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 6:45 pm Post subject: |
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| John-Boy wrote: | | porodzila wrote: | | What kind of music do you like? |
Do you ask them what their favourite films are ? |
Sometimes. The point of this is to make them feel more at ease. If I know they are a book worm I'll ask them about books. People who aren't into music at all tend to make really good workers though.
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John-Boy
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| Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 9:22 pm Post subject: |
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| porodzila wrote: | | John-Boy wrote: | | porodzila wrote: | | What kind of music do you like? |
Do you ask them what their favourite films are ? |
Sometimes. |
Has anybody said Spartacus ?
Edit - sorry, it's almost an OTW equivalent of a Rick Roll, but with more leather.
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porodzila
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| Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 2:20 am Post subject: |
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| John-Boy wrote: |
Has anybody said Spartacus ?
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Passion of the Christ was popular with the Latinos. I don't know if it has anything to do with the leather, but the leather used in the movie could have come from Mexico. I liked it because the used a lot of the language of my ancestors : Latin.
I don't remember seeing Spartacus.
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Muso
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| Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 4:01 am Post subject: |
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Music & Films are both excellent questions. Along with their favorite H.P. Lovecraft story & which character from "The Stand" they identify with the most.
(Though, mostly to see if they would fit in)
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pjp
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| Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 4:33 am Post subject: |
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| Muso wrote: | Music & Films are both excellent questions. Along with their favorite H.P. Lovecraft story & which character from "The Stand" they identify with the most.
(Though, mostly to see if they would fit in) |
I've never read Lovecraft, and I don't remember The Stand well enough to discuss the characters. I enjoyed the book, but it isn't high on my list of King's Best.
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Off the Wall
