I wasn't hired because I failed the personality test???

Nurses General Nursing

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I had to take a pre-assessment for a particular facility. I aced the clinical exams, but did not do well on the personality exams. So they declined to have me interview. I can't believe that they would not even consider interviewing me when I did well on the clinical aspect. The recruiter was shocked as well. She said it is very difficult to find an experienced ICU nurse who is willing to relocate and take a significant cut in pay($12 HR less for me). I was shocked too and disappointed in myself because I think I am a good person with a good personality. I'm hardworking, honest, dependable, and a team player and I answered those questions the right way I thought. Of course I chose I do not use drugs, drink, participate in sexual harassment, and am a team player. So how could one fail a personality test? So discouraged. I've been an ICU nurse for over 2 years and I worked hard for my license. I'm insulted that they didn't even want to meet me face to face before they made their decision based on a test. Well, their loss is all I can say because I'm a damn good ICU nurse who is there for her patients and co- workers.

Specializes in ER, ICU.

Sounds like their loss. Not much you can do about that.

Those personality tests are designed to fail lots of people.

Heh. It's just as well you didn't get into such a rigid place.

Specializes in LDRP.

ughh the hospital that i go to school at uses a personality test too. i took it to apply for a pca job and passed it, but im not sure how.. it took nearly a half hour and some of the questions were odd.

one that i can remember was something along the lines of:

Which do you think is worse, littering or parking in a handicapped spot without a placard..

i was like what? i dont know, i try not to do either, but i guess parking in the handicapped spot is worse?

i know a lot of people that have worked at that hospital for 10+ years that wanted to transfer to the newly built hospital in the network were denied because they had to take the new personality test.. pretty stupid IMO.

Specializes in PeriOperative.

When it was implemented in my hospital, we had to take it in order to change our shifts around (staying within the same department, but switching your day off!). Most nurses in my department failed (OR).

My favorite question was "are you addicted to smiling?"

"Why, yes I am! In fact I often find myself grinning widely at 2am during an emergency ruptured aneurysm evacuation. I'm saving up vacation time so that I can go to that posh rehab place out in SoCal, but on the peanuts you guys pay me that'll be a while!!!"

Personality exams - another example of what happens when the patients take over the asylum. If I am coding I could care less if the attending nurse considers whether littering or violation of handicap parking a worse offense against mankind.

Scott and White in Texas use a personality exam. Unfortunately, they do not use it on their human resources department staff.

As a recruiter, I am seeing a shift of interest of our nurses in many states including Texas going away from the big cities to the rural hospitals. None of our clients, that I know of in the rural areas, use personality tests. That is what the face-to-face interview is for.

Specializes in Addiction / Pain Management.

Looks like I'll be working rural. I hate those personality tests and those spineless HR's that hide behind them.

Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.
Scott and White in Texas use a personality exam. Unfortunately, they do not use it on their human resources department staff.

:yeah: :lol2: :smokin:

What can I say, this stuff can't be made up.

Another with a loser HR department is Trinity now purchased by Lifecare. Nothing improved, it just got worse.

I find it funny that many HR types will not speak to a recruiter - they hide behind voice mail . . . . until they get fired.

For them - experienced ICU nurse at a bargain basement price

For you - a significant pay cut, relocation, and an employer that uses personality tests rather than knowledge/education/experience to evaluate potential employees (and Lord knows what other strange employment practices you didn't even get to learn about...)

sounds to me like you are better off without them than they are without you. I hope you find what you are looking for.

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