Profile Assessment?

[Boswellia Carterii]

I apologize if I have posted this in the wrong place; today is the first day I have ever posted anything on this forum......but I would be grateful for any advice anyone has for me concerning the following: I recently graduated with my RN degree, & amazingly the position I have wanted from the time I began school became available. I knew several of the veteran nurses who encouraged me to apply for that position but said I would have to complete a profile assessment ...& that it was "the devil" to pass. I wasn't worried at all because it seemed to be about honesty/integrity, socialization, etc...I was sure I would have no problem. I completed the profile assessment & later noticed the position was filled. I called to inquire & was told I had failed the profile assessment! I was devastated! I never dreamed I would not pass a profile assessment! I was told I could reapply a year later,...... but if I gain employment elsewhere, I would hope it to be permanent....however THAT was the position/shift and location I wanted! (It may seem crazy but it was for personal reasons, having cared for & lost a loved one who was on peritoneal dialysis, & this was the same renal unit they initially spent months ....then after years of caring for them, they passed away. After that I decided to go to nursing school.)

When I contacted the recruiter she said since the assessment is job specific, & that candidates can apply to other positions in which they meet the minimum qualifications of the position. She said they utilize the same job pattern for all staff RN positions. I am not sure if "job specific" means only for that particular RN position, or for ANY RN position....Someone said this is something that will probably be done away with......... AFTER a facility realizes it is losing prospectively good employees.

A friend told me that they heard if you are very religious or have high morals, that you don't do well on the assessment, & if one fails the assessment they have either been found to be very, very honest or very, very dishonest. Also, I was advised by someone that in order to pass the assessment, one should answer very "middle of the road", because they are looking for someone very open minded.(which I am, and also honest). One question I am sure I answered incorrectly was: "You have never said anything to offend anyone." I answered YES, because I'm sure I have done that sometime, but this was a statement, not a question, so I should have answered NO. Has anyone else had experience with this? ANY advice would be greatly APPRECIATED!!:thankya:

[resumecpr]

You're probably better off not working in a place that assesses it's potential employees' values, beliefs and morals on paper. Just saying.

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

I honestly think these assessments are a complete waste of time! and an even more waste of money. The one I took at work was 3 hours long! I was so bored at the end of it I stopped trying! I am sure I didnt pass it but do you know they had recruited me accross country so they hired me anyway.

I am now a Manager and I read them and they are so useless because they stop a lot of good potential staff being recruited.

[tyvin, BSN, RN]

Before nursing I worked for extremely high end hotels as a bartender. They always gave the pre-test personality tests such as you describe. The correct answer to the question would have been no. It's about reading the quesiton correctly. If you spend too much time with the questions they start to turn on you, they're designed that way.

With these tests it's pretty easy to know what answer to pick depending on the position you're applying for. That's why I think those types of entry tests are usless, to easy to fake.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

By definition, you cannot "fail" an assessment, because there is no passing score. Instead, the OP should have been told that she did not match the profile that had been established for that particular job.

It is a very well known (lots of literature) fact that the vast majority of people lie on "honesty" assessments. They are worthless. However, other types of personality indices such as affinity for others, tolerance of disparate beliefs, conflict management style, etc -- these may be very pertinent to a position because they can help determine who would be a good 'fit' for the job.

Bottom line - no organization should be using these tools unless the process is managed and supervised by a qualified person... PhD in Organizational or Social Psychology.

[Whoadell]

i HATE those tests! they make you take them for everything nowadays! It's all to make HR's job easier....as if it could get any easier.

[DSkelton711]

These tests are ridiculous. Wish I had a word of wisdom, but I don't because I answer truthfully and apparently you get whacked for that, too. I wonder if someone could make a living teaching people how to create a perfect assessment. Haha. Maybe I could have a lucrative career if I figured it out! Good Luck and I would have put "no" because we've all offended someone at one time or another whether intentional or not.

[whichone'spink, BSN, RN]

I feel your pain. When I was in high school, I applied for a position as a cashier at a grocery store. I took a personality test three times, and all three times I failed, even though I tried to answer the way they wanted me to. Have you tried talking directly to the manager of the unit you were trying for? Hopefully that manager can see through the bull of this test and consider you anyway.

[Boswellia Carterii]

DSkelton711,

Yeah, I knew I had answered wrong on the "offending" question....and thought I was saying I had offended someone, but then I realized it was not ASKING....it was a statement......and I may have misunderstood what they were actually asking on many of the questions. One question I recall was "Would you rather go to a party with your friends or a classical concert?" ....I like classical, and don't like to party....so I chose going to a classical concert. Another was if you were in line and someone jumped in front of you would you address them over it....it would depend on if I were in a hurry or not...but that wasn't an option, so I put no....I'm sure this is not the exact wording, but very similiar to how they were worded.

I have heard from various managers in a number of job settings, how difficult it is to find the combination of honest, hard working people and ESPECIALLY those who can pass a drug test, I never dreamed I would not be hired over the profile assessment. I have always said I would trust God to put me where I was needed the most, and I need to not worry about it.....but I have caught myself saying that, but keeping my fingers crossed!! If I am going to trust Him, then I need to do just that.

[Rob72, ASN, RN]

Based solely on the three responses you provide (and being familiar with the tests) I would say that you were assessed as being aloof, superior and not a team-player; or, possibly, unable to address conflict, grossly insecure, and not a team-player.

You prefer the "introspective" entertainment of classical music to a group entertainment.

You have never said anything offensive. (I.e., you are either overly impressed with your humility, or you are grossly non-confrontational)

You would not confront someone cutting in line. (You are above such crass behavior and look down on the person, and would be satisfied to revel in your superiority w/o addressing the issue; or, you let people walk over you.

Because the managers are too toopid and lazzy to learn proper interview and assessment techniques themselves, they waste corporate resources on crap such as this. God will put you in the right place. Take this experience as evidence- He doesn't want you working with professional retards. (However un-PC it may be, reliance on these questionnaires, without a personal interview, is evidence of retarded managerial growth. If they can't be trusted to assess prospects, they shouldn't be in position to hire.)

[tyvin, BSN, RN]

Based solely on the three responses you provide (and being familiar with the tests) I would say that you were assessed as being aloof, superior and not a team-player; or, possibly, unable to address conflict, grossly insecure, and not a team-player.

You prefer the "introspective" entertainment of classical music to a group entertainment.

You have never said anything offensive. (I.e., you are either overly impressed with your humility, or you are grossly non-confrontational)

You would not confront someone cutting in line. (You are above such crass behavior and look down on the person, and would be satisfied to revel in your superiority w/o addressing the issue; or, you let people walk over you.

Because the managers are too toopid and lazzy to learn proper interview and assessment techniques themselves, they waste corporate resources on crap such as this. God will put you in the right place. Take this experience as evidence- He doesn't want you working with professional retards. (However un-PC it may be, reliance on these questionnaires, without a personal interview, is evidence of retarded managerial growth. If they can't be trusted to assess prospects, they shouldn't be in position to hire.)

Excellent!

[netglow, ASN, RN]

Approach those tests in this way:

If you are going for a staff nurse position and you are new, you must take the test as a "little indian" - not as a "chief". So, to HR, just about every staff nurse is to be a follower. You are not to be too intelligent, if you are to fill a role where you must follow other's orders, and pay close attention to rules. You also must not be a fighter. You must not be much of the type of person people "go to" for answers or help, although you will reply "sometimes" when asked if people do approach you in this way. If you are going for an advanced position, or especially management, do answer as if you are the independent, problem solver. I know, I know, it's a lot of dumbing down and it actually hurts to take a test like this and put on your stupid little indian disguise, but, if you do, you will pass. Another personality to "put on" for the test taking for a staff nurse position, is that of a 16 yr old teenager looking for his/her first job all wide-eyed and afraid of getting in trouble, never questioning the customer's wants, always obeying those who are superior with a YES MAM/SIR!!, and being sure to have showered and to have arrived to work a few minutes early. Approach every question with, "How would this basket-case 16 yr old answer the question?!" Trust me, do this and you will pass.