Employment Applications Suck

[The_Blur]

My fiancée is filling out an employment application, much like the hundreds that I filed before and after I graduated college in my own fruitless effort to find meaningful employment.

Her sales application asked if she was a hunter or a farmer. I advised her to indicate that she is a farmer because farmers harvest relationships that grow and flourish over time. A hunter, from how I read it, seemed like a salesperson who goes in for the kill; a one-time sale.

The sad fact is that so many of the unemployed, if given a single interview, could wow enough employers to hire some of them. Instead, abstract questions like the one about hunters and farmers help sort those "worthy" of an interview from those who are not. Finding a job is the most impersonal experience, but I'm sure someone here will point out that it is only business. Sadly, a good employee might be ignored because he or she answers only one question wrong.

[brandotron]

Ah, sounds like one of those stupid "personality tests" places use to determine your likelyhood of stealing. Is she applying for retail? I worked at a Sam Ash Music for a while and they made me take one of those stupid things.

[NoUCantDriveIt]

I fully agree with you a zillion times over. The process can range from demeaning to ridiculous (and back again). Best of luck to your fiancée, hopefully it will be a short job search for her

[Brokinarrow]

can only tell so much by someone on paper.

[Gibby]

A sad fact is that many employers rely on the interview, and it is actually the worst indicator of job performance. References, applications, questionnaires, interviews, etc., have to be considered as a whole.

[lil_chef]

i remember taking all of those tests, unfortunately they are an awful indicator of how a person will actually perform. when i was applying for jobs staples actually said that i failed the test somehow, they told me i had a great personality and that i seem like a hard worker but since i didnt pass their test i couldn't be hired.........:(

[The_Blur]

Originally Posted by Gibby

A sad fact is that many employers rely on the interview, and it is actually the worst indicator of job performance. References, applications, questionnaires, interviews, etc., have to be considered as a whole.

Is a poorly worded questionnaire a better indicator of job performance? Have you seen an improvement in the level of competence of your fellow employees at your workplace since the mass implementation of these ridiculous questionnaires?

Interviews show something very easily overlooked: chemistry. Is this person a good fit? Do they make eye contact? Are they socially inept? We want to work with people that are capable of both working and working with others. Some people might have years of experience in management but fail to communicate, leading to incompetence when it comes to conveying important information to subordinates.

Had we forms like this to file 150 years ago, I guarantee you that President Lincoln would have been laughed off stage for lack of a 4-year degree. Remember, most people get sorted to the trash bin when they check the "no" box beneath the question "did you graduate from college?" Some of the greatest innovators of history break the mold, and we as a society fail to recognize that greatness is more than a list of check boxes. Greatness is evident in those who go above the highest, most elite standards of measure, and we take them out of our businesses for lack of the most minimal standards of measure.

[Angrybird 12]

I have been filling out these silly applications for months now, basically they don't allow much leeway for applying for more than one job. Unless they contact you it is hard to let them know you are willing to take other positions other than the one you are applying for.. Plus some of the questions have no bearing on the type worker you are.
I think alot has to do with my age and my job experience, they won't consider me for a lesser position that what I was working fearing i would bolt at the first opportunity. Unless they talk to me they have no way of knowing that.
I am getting tired of answereing the same questions over and over again..

I even applied with a temp service and they have not even called me back.. I called them to make sure they got my application and they said they have my application but they don't handle the contacts, there is another department that does that. and they wouldn't transfer me to talk to someone over there..

[Gibby]

Originally Posted by The_Blur

Is a poorly worded questionnaire a better indicator of job performance? Have you seen an improvement in the level of competence of your fellow employees at your workplace since the mass implementation of these ridiculous questionnaires?

Interviews show something very easily overlooked: chemistry. Is this person a good fit? Do they make eye contact? Are they socially inept? We want to work with people that are capable of both working and working with others. Some people might have years of experience in management but fail to communicate, leading to incompetence when it comes to conveying important information to subordinates.

Had we forms like this to file 150 years ago, I guarantee you that President Lincoln would have been laughed off stage for lack of a 4-year degree. Remember, most people get sorted to the trash bin when they check the "no" box beneath the question "did you graduate from college?" Some of the greatest innovators of history break the mold, and we as a society fail to recognize that greatness is more than a list of check boxes. Greatness is evident in those who go above the highest, most elite standards of measure, and we take them out of our businesses for lack of the most minimal standards of measure.

I didn't say the interview was useless. It, alone, is not a good predictor of job performace. You can have a useless dork interview well, and a genius get nervous and interview poorly. But, that is what many people rely on!

Many employers over rate their own ability to judge people. This isn't my opinion, these are facts.