A weird interview exercise; and how interviews have changed: for the Worse!

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Well, the interviews continue (I'm actually getting good at them, I THINK)

The latest one had me doing the requisite PERSONALITY TEST (hate), and then something i have NOT encountered in nursing interview before:

A TIMED TYPING TEST. I'm not talking about just a small sampling to show you can use the keyboard; I am talking about the exact typing tests I remember from learning to type in the 8th grade. A sample entry (with lots and lots of proper names, geography places etc), that has to be typed accurately and is TIMED> They had a TIMER on the left side of the screen.

This was presented to me in the test about general office software and email software that was after the personality "Test". There was one, and then the second=-to-last question, there was a SECOND , timed test.

What gives? I was not interviewing for Admin. Asst. or other office job.

( I didnt make time on the second test for sure, and I can't remember if I did on test 1)

And in these interviews, they want you to fill out all sorts of disclosures and agree to this and that and give them your SS# for several things, and take these tests , BEFORE you EVER speak to a manager or before you, the potential employee, even decide for yourSELF whether you WANT that job ! IE: before any salary info, benefit info, shift info, etc. Sometimes, I've even had to submit a urine , before I've ever set foot in to a hiring manager's office.

Why?

Hey I attended many interviews in my day (before my last job which was my longest-term job). That was when you: filled out an app (no internet), got a call "Can you come in for an interview?", attended interview WITH the manager or decision-maker, then went home and waited for a call, or not. Perhaps a reject letter would arrive, in the U.S. mail. At some point in the interview you usually would be told the salary. There was no "ask HR about that", or "Oh--you need to ask your hiring manager about that..."

NO PERSONALITY "tests", either!

Specializes in L&D, OBED, NICU, Lactation.
Definitely some clinical knowledge tests are helpful for identifying learning gaps. But I wonder how valid some of the personality assessments are. One thing for sure- testing companies are making a lot of money selling these assessments to hospitals.

I think these clinical knowledge tests are best served for after the hiring process though. It is far easier to pick the right person and train them to competency. I would hope organizations are saving these for maximizing the orientation process rather than weeding out candidates.

As someone who used to interview candidates for nursing positions, I find these Personality Tests a joke. Not that they may reveal traits that are useful for the position, but what happened to HR people and managers learning interviewing skills rather than relying on canned information? In my mind, if you, as a hiring manager, are not able to communicate sufficiently well with potential hires, what does that say about you and the company that hired you? Most recently, I was asked to do an online personality test in which I was asked the same, tired questions like, "Tell me about an incident in which you went above and beyond expectations in a patient care situation." I started to answer it, and then stopped cold. I am a nurse with many years of successful experience. Why am I submitting myself to something I find patronizing and that tells me that the hospital doing the hiring is too cheap or too lazy to do their own recruiting? No personal touch, but they sure want YOU to have it. I stopped the process then and there and told my recruiter (I do travel nursing) why I wouldn't pursue the job. He kept after me, but I held firm. Subsequently, this hospital system, which had a good reputation but had also recently been purchased by another system known for being cheap, had a proliferation of contracts to be filled, and continues to seek travel nurses where they rarely had openings before. Bottom line: I won't work where I am not respected. If you, as an employer, don't value potential nurses enough to actually speak with them, why would I want to work for you?

Specializes in PCCN.

My opinion, but I think the personality tests want the extreme extrovert,as that will be what is needed in the "patient experience" movement that's going around again. Scripts are even worse this time around with bedside report.

If you can't have a cheery, scripted,patient buy up(,why, Ms Rivers is the nicest patient I have ever had the pleasure of taking care of........) Then you are a failure. Who cares what your skills are. Think of the movie office space with the "flair"scene. Where they're discussing about flair and personality for the customer.

I guess if you are not a happy ,bubbly, outgoing person, well then nursing is not for you.

Specializes in PCCN.

My opinion, but I think the personality tests want the extreme extrovert,as that will be what is needed in the "patient experience" movement that's going around again. Scripts are even worse this time around with bedside report.

If you can't have a cheery, scripted,patient buy up(,why, Ms Rivers is the nicest patient I have ever had the pleasure of taking care of........) Then you are a failure. Who cares what your skills are. Think of the movie office space with the "flair"scene. Where they're discussing about flair and personality for the customer.

I guess if you are not a happy ,bubbly, outgoing person, well then nursing is not for you.(of course I am being very sarcastic)

Specializes in PCCN.

:) makes me think if I had To do a personality test now as a new hire I'd be sol.

Except most of us aren't trained or being hired for typist positions.

Bottom line: I won't work where I am not respected. If you, as an employer, don't value potential nurses enough to actually speak with them, why would I want to work for you?

Well, I suspect it worked just exactly as intended! :(

+ Add a Comment