Unions-Firms-Markets

Blogging & Your Job: NY

The Volokh Conspiracy takes a look at NY State labor law an how it may relate to workers who blog about the workplace. Definitely worth a read.

Is Blogging Recreation?

Pre-Hiring Personality Tests

The Washington Post reports on employers using pre-hiring personality tests to screen future employees:

    

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif.  --  The 10 young men and women were there to impress.

    

Decked out in their best suits, they were vying for hourly work as sales associates, ride operators, drivers and cooks at Universal Studios Hollywood theme park and its adjoining retail unit. When asked their favorite movie, they mentioned ones they knew were produced by Universal. When asked what they detested most about their previous jobs, they said not much. And when asked what single word would describe them best, several quickly offered "happy."
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Even before the candidates had stepped through the door for the group interview, their fate had been largely determined by a computer. They had taken a 50-minute online test that asked them to rate to what degree they agreed or disagreed with statements such as, "It's maddening when the court lets guilty criminals go free," "You don't worry about making a good impression" and "You could describe yourself as 'tidy'."
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Over the past few years, personality assessment tests have moved from the realm of experiment to standard practice at many of the nation's largest companies, including the Albertson's grocery chain and retailers such as Neiman Marcus and Target. A recent survey found that about 30 percent of all companies use personality tests in hiring. To many companies, the tests are as important, if not more important, than an applicant's education, experience and recommendations.f
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There is a famous law case that Industrial Relations students study in Employment Law called Soroka v. Dayton Hudson Corp (Target) which deals with these type of screenings.

Many employers use these tests to also screen the likelihood the employee will join a union.