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Pre-Employment Quiz

9 posts
  1. Dustin Riley
    Dustin Riley avatar
    8 posts
    1/23/2018 7:01 AM
    Good Morning,

    I am toying around with the idea of introducing a 5-min, 10 question, multiple choice type exam to my interview process for new staff. I'm trying to word the answers in such a way that, to the candidate, there's no right or wrong answer.

    For instance:

    Would you prefer to:
    __See a beautiful sunrise
    __See a beautiful sunset

    Others would consider me:
    __An introvert.
    __Fairly Social.
    __Extrovert.

    I believe I work best:
    __By myself
    __When I work with a partner
    __When I'm working as part of a group

    Even though there isn't necessarily any right or wrong answers for each question, aligning the answers may help me identify how a candidate might think, or how they may fit or possibly perform in course maintenance. I think this may be particularly beneficial for high school or college age candidates that have never held a job before. I also hope to identify whether a potential candidate has any traits that tend to be pet peeves of mine. ie tardiness, hands stop working when mouth is, etc.

    I know there are companies that provide and score wonderlick or personality tests to help screen, but I'm not interested in securing a service.

    I would ask the candidate to complete this little questionnaire prior to the interview. My questions and answers are neutral and do not approach any sensitive subjects such as sex, race, religion etc.

    Has anyone ever tried a pre-employment exam? Thoughts?



    Thanks in advance.



  2. Stephen Ravenkamp
    Stephen Ravenkamp avatar
    1 posts
    1/23/2018 7:01 AM
    What value would you get from this? Unless you are a trained psychologist I don't see any validity and you're just providing one more arrow in the quiver of someone who might sue for job discrimination. Why don't you just ask the questions you are concerned about in the interview? Most of the jobs we interview for are entry-level and most of our candidates are not looking for a career. Keep it simple.



  3. Anthony Nysse
    Anthony Nysse avatar
    1 posts
    1/23/2018 9:01 AM
    This would be a turnoff, to me.



  4. Dustin Riley
    Dustin Riley avatar
    8 posts
    1/23/2018 11:01 AM
    Thank you for your input.



  5. Kyle Fick
    Kyle Fick avatar
    4 posts
    1/24/2018 4:01 PM
    You would get enough applicants to choose based on some form of a test? I'm envious!



  6. James Smith
    James Smith avatar
    112 posts
    1/28/2018 6:01 AM
    I learned something two days ago about interviews that has never occurred to me. when our office manager was discussing a new cook interview with a member who owns restaurants, he told her he could hold a second interview with the candidates if she likes. he said they went to a three interview process because it is too easy for one person to like the candidate right off bat and miss small things. lots of times their interviews are one behind the other meaning the three managers are set up waiting for the other to finish and then they have a quick meeting discuss what they see.

    I know Superintendents like to hire their own people but maybe something like this with our Assistants would actually help us weed out potential bad apples. it can serve another purpose in helping train our Assistants for this process also. I know I have hired people in the past where I have scratched my head and wondered why. a second opinion might of helped.



  7. Melvin Waldron
    Melvin Waldron avatar
    43 posts
    1/29/2018 10:01 AM
    James Smith said: I learned something two days ago about interviews that has never occurred to me. when our office manager was discussing a new cook interview with a member who owns restaurants, he told her he could hold a second interview with the candidates if she likes. he said they went to a three interview process because it is too easy for one person to like the candidate right off bat and miss small things. lots of times their interviews are one behind the other meaning the three managers are set up waiting for the other to finish and then they have a quick meeting discuss what they see.

    I know Superintendents like to hire their own people but maybe something like this with our Assistants would actually help us weed out potential bad apples. it can serve another purpose in helping train our Assistants for this process also. I know I have hired people in the past where I have scratched my head and wondered why. a second opinion might of helped.


    We actually do this for our full time staff positions, our city HR staff member, the superintendent, and our supervisor sit in on interviews. Interviewees are all asked the same questions, scored, and then I as the hiring supervisor will interview the top 3 scoring candidates on a second interview, and we can see how well they fit in with our current staff. Last time there was a superintendent position open, we had 5 people in the interview, an HR person, golf pro at the course, the superintendent's supervisor (operations director), the assistant park's director for operations, and the assistant park's director who oversees the pro's. (we do have 3 courses, and our maintenance and clubhouse operations are overseen by different parts of the department, sometimes that's good, and other times it's not.)

    I think that's a great idea for the assistant to sit in.....that is if we had one.

    Thanks!

    Mel

    Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO

  8. Dustin Riley
    Dustin Riley avatar
    8 posts
    1/30/2018 10:01 AM
    My Assistant has the responsibility of recruiting/posting jobs & performing initial interviews. He then recommends, to me, which candidates are worth a 2nd look. And then I interview them, with the Assistant present and participating.

    It's great experience for the Assistant. However, I make the final call on any candidate.



  9. Jeremy Hreben
    Jeremy Hreben avatar
    0 posts
    2/9/2018 12:02 PM
    I used to do all that you have mentioned. However, in my market, I do not have much to choose from. Unless something stands out as a red flag, I hire the person. I try to hire more than I am budgeted for knowing I will lose some throughout the year. I could question my manage style based on my turnover but, nah I'm a perfect boss!!!!!!



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