OT: (and bloggish) those "personality tests" employers use.

[Reverend179]

 

Yeah..... but ain't it possible my attitude toward attendance might have changed in 27 years?

 

 

You should apply at Fountain Valley, mang. Good group of people there, or there was when I worked there.

[Optimus Prime]

 

Just FYI, when I worked at GC in SoCal they didn't drug test anyone. Odds are you'd start out in Accessories (guitar floor is where everyone wants to be, so rarely if ever do you start out there), which isn't bad. Just stay the hell away from Pro Audio and Keyboards (where I was). No money there.

 

So I'd start out selling stands, pedals, effects and strings?

[Funkee1]

 

So I'd start out selling stands, pedals, effects and strings?

 

Pickups, picks, straps, books, whatever. Accessories is a quick sell. smaller money, but usually easier to do. Guitars takes a longer investment. Despite what you might think, the real money at GC is in acoustic guitars!

[Craig Vecchione]

 

Again, if someone is shy, introverted and does not have a high achievement drive, it doesn't matter how smart they are. They have no business in sales. Further, someone who is not pessimistic will not be the best auditor. I don't need a smart kid. I need a self motivated person, who is honest and dependable. Sometimes the smart ones are too smart for their own good.

 

 

Meaning; they can read through the bull{censored} that is most companies.

[Optimus Prime]

 

Pickups, picks, straps, books, whatever. Accessories is a quick sell. smaller money, but usually easier to do. Guitars takes a longer investment. Despite what you might think, the real money at GC is in acoustic guitars!

 

Really? What's the difference between selling basses and guitars? If you can sell one, can you sell the other? Their essentially the same wood, wire and a few electronics.

[__tony__renaud]

The lion's share of people walking into GC with money to spend are not looking to buy basses. In terms of sales, the numbers are small compared to electric and acoustic guitars. When I did retail, I did maybe one bass for every 20 guitars, and I'm probably lowballing it on that guitar number.

 

Bass guitars are a niche market, and not a cash cow in music retail.

[Funkee1]

 

Really? What's the difference between selling basses and guitars? If you can sell one, can you sell the other? Their essentially the same wood, wire and a few electronics.

 

At GC, they're one and the same, but. like Tony said, guitars are a cash cow, while basses, and their amplification, are a niche market. They prefer to see associates mill about the guitar floor, and sell those thin necked, thin stringed thingies. That's why the basses are back in a dark corner.

[lokidecat]

Intel Corp. gives the Meyers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test to find employees that may be depressed and could snap.

[Optimus Prime]

 

At GC, they're one and the same, but. like Tony said, guitars are a cash cow, while basses, and their amplification, are a niche market. They prefer to see associates mill about the guitar floor, and sell those thin necked, thin stringed thingies. That's why the basses are back in a dark corner.

 

We have a nice bass section. Still its only about a 1/4 of the size of the massive guitar wall.

[Reverend179]

 

At GC, they're one and the same, but. like Tony said, guitars are a cash cow, while basses, and their amplification, are a niche market. They prefer to see associates mill about the guitar floor, and sell those thin necked, thin stringed thingies. That's why the basses are back in a dark corner.

 

 

Beyond that, how often do you buy picks, strings, cables, effects pedals, etc, versus a new instrument or amplifier? Sales in accessories is more of a clerking job than a salesmen position; they'll test you out there to see how you do before even thinking about moving you out to the 'big' floor.

[ThudMaker]

Meaning; they can read through the bull{censored} that is most companies.

Meaning IQ doesn't indicate laziness or lack of motivation one way or the other.

[Brother Mango]

 

And most employers do not use detailed personality tests.

 

 

Those tests are a crock of malarkey!

[Texas Noise Factory]

I used to work for a company that made/administered one of those tests. Interesting employment experience I must say. I have my own opinion on where these types of tests work, but employment is not a situation where I feel they are best used. relationships and team building are really the only good use of tests like the MBTI and others....

[BeeTL]

That is a significant part of any decent personality profile test. As I said, I have 20 years of experience as an employer administering these tests (not the kind about stealing and stupid stuff like that). I'll take those 20 years as qualified research.

Paging LavaMan...

 

:poke::poke:

 

[ThudMaker]

Paging LavaMan... :poke::poke:

If that's some sort of jab, it's not really bright one. There are many employment/hr administrators who will stand behind the value of detailed personality testing. There are poor tests out there and good ones, from basic ones to intensely detailed tests.

[Brother Mango]

 

Detailed personality tests rarely miss the mark with who an applicant really is. A good test will also have multiples of the same question worded in a different way, so that you can't spoof the test. Further, why would you want an employee who is mismatched to a job, when they might be better suited to something else you have available? If the test is good, you won't see right through it, even if you think you can. That's also the point of having multiple interviews with multiple people, even if they ask a lot of questions that seem redundant.

 

 

There have been lots of articles written about those tests--not in their favor. The only positive articles I found were "white papers" based on studies and anecdotes evidence that the test suppliers paid for.

 

Yes. Several years ago I dug into this years ago and discovered an entire industry set up to scare employers about the theiving, ne'er-do-wells that comprise 98% of the general populace. Hence, "you need our product/service to protect you from the vermine who'll come to fill out an application."

 

 

These tests are illegal or regulated in several states. I've written my legislators in Springfield in support of outlawing or restricting that hocus-pocus in Illinois.

[Brother Mango]

If that's some sort of jab, it's not really bright one. There are many employment/hr administrators who will stand behind the value of detailed personality testing. There are poor tests out there and good ones, from basic ones to intensely detailed tests.

 

LavaMan is exactly who I thought about.

 

But I wonder about this, and am willing to accept that there are bad tests, good tests and lots in between. But what companies are likely to offer which tests to applicants? The retail store that has 3 locations in its "chain" vs. a company with an international presence? Are a certain group of people more likely to encouter the crappy tests again & again? A lot of places don't even have an HR or employment division; it might be a side task for some guy who's the assistant manager at the location, and he's not up on HR details, methods & concerns.

 

He'd be easy to scare into buying the crappy test if it means less work he's gotta do as a pseudo-HR-guy. He's not concerned with talk of false positives and false negatives.

[Brother Mango]

In his superb book A Tremor in the Blood: Uses and Abuses of the Lie Detector, University of Minnesota psychologist David T. Lykken relates the tale of a nun, Sister Terressa, who was denied employment with B. Dalton Booksellers after having "failed" an honesty test. She had been rejected for a part-time job (the pay was to go to her Order) with the Minneapolis branch of the store because - or so she was told - she had the lowest score on an honesty test ever seen.

 

As it turns out, she had made a serious error of testing judgment, although one not uncommon for straight-arrow types in our society. She told the truth - that is, she admitted to past misbehaviors and displayed a streak of Christian charity toward those who transgress, thus not conforming to the integrity industry's standards of honesty (not published normative data, by any means) and its expected punitive stance toward those who err. Ironically, therefore, the industry, by its inflexible position, inadvertently encourages people to lie on its tests for, as it turns out, only "liars" can pass them. (Sister Terressa later appeared before the Minnesota Supreme Court with her case, which resulted in the outlawing of many devices that purport to detect lying.)

 

 

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1374/is_n4_v55/ai_17100239/pg_1

[bassman1956]

In his superb book A Tremor in the Blood: Uses and Abuses of the Lie Detector, University of Minnesota psychologist David T. Lykken relates the tale of a nun, Sister Terressa, who was denied employment with B. Dalton Booksellers after having "failed" an honesty test. She had been rejected for a part-time job (the pay was to go to her Order) with the Minneapolis branch of the store because - or so she was told - she had the lowest score on an honesty test ever seen. As it turns out, she had made a serious error of testing judgment, although one not uncommon for straight-arrow types in our society. She told the truth - that is, she admitted to past misbehaviors and displayed a streak of Christian charity toward those who transgress, thus not conforming to the integrity industry's standards of honesty (not published normative data, by any means) and its expected punitive stance toward those who err. Ironically, therefore, the industry, by its inflexible position, inadvertently encourages people to lie on its tests for, as it turns out, only "liars" can pass them. (Sister Terressa later appeared before the Minnesota Supreme Court with her case, which resulted in the outlawing of many devices that purport to detect lying.) http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1374/is_n4_v55/ai_17100239/pg_1

 

 

 

This is classic!!!

[bassman1956]

I remember going through a battery of these applying for a 3-night-a-week position with Radio Shack about 1987. It concentrated on what I would do if I found I mistakenly took a work place pen home with me, whether I would turn in a close friend with a drug problem, and similar stupid stuff that yes, in order to pass, most people would most likely need to lie about.

[ThudMaker]

Yes. Several years ago I dug into this years ago and discovered an entire industry set up to scare employers about the theiving, ne'er-do-wells that comprise 98% of the general populace. Hence, "you need our product/service to protect you from the vermine who'll come to fill out an application."

I don't believe I've stated that I'm scared. Nor have I stated that the kind of "theivery and ne'er do wells" is the kind of personality testing I'm discussing. If you would like to post apples to apples you're more than welcome. I'll even buy your lunch sometime.

[Funkee1]

Well the problem, as I see it, is the tests are designed to weed out liars and theives, but the only way to pass the test is to lie like a rug!

[ModmanQ6]

Accessories is where they make the highest margin. Especially on cables...

[ThudMaker]

Well the problem, as I see it, is the tests are designed to weed out liars and theives, but the only way to pass the test is to lie like a rug!

Yes, BG. The test you took probably had questions such as have you ever taken any pencils home from an employer. Those are unreliable, and as you stated you can simply answer the questions as if you are/were a boy scout.

[ModmanQ6]

Yes, BG. The test you took probably had questions such as have you ever taken any pencils home from an employer. Those are unreliable, and as you stated you can simply answer the questions as if you are/were a boy scout.

I've never taken a pen or pencil, I just throw them away when they run out of graphite or ink...