A while back, my wife was venting about how hard it was to find qualified people. She was baffled about how new hires would show a complete lack of critical thinking skills and the ability to perform functions involving basic math. This issue is with younger people (Millennials).
She wanted to give aptitude tests to all new potential hires (including temporary labor). HR shut that down. I explained to her about Griggs vs. Duke power and how that SCOTUS decision basically banned such testing. My wife (not US born) was given a series of IQ and aptitude tests as part of her application for employment, back in her home country.
A typical question: Your company has been hired to wash every window in every Midtown Manhattan high rise buildings. How would you go about figuring out what to charge?
Note: again, the purpose is not to get a $$$, but to have the person explain how they would go about getting the answer.
So I helped my wife develop verbal tests (on the order of what Google does) to see if the people can problem solve. These aren't 'fill in the blank with the right answer' type tests. These are more in line with seeing how a person would attack a problem logically. Later, my wife (having gotten HR approval) also added on some basic math tests. The tests are worded in such a way that they should pass the disparate impact criteria set by the Griggs decision. So far, every candidate has failed the math portion of the test. Here are the questions:
1. You have a men's jacket with a list price of $200. You discount it by 20%, what is the new price?
2. Shipping costs billed to us is $1,000. There are two parts of the shipment: 1000 unit black and a 500 unit block. What is the shipping cost on a per unit basis?
Her company is mostly foreign transplants now (not H1B.. but people who were born and raised outside of the USA). So far, they are the only ones who's college credential actually mean something.
We are creating a mass of young people armed with a degree but have no ability to think on their own. One girl interviewed, asked if she could call her Mom for help.
My employer (engineering) has issues as well. The biggest complaint is our junior guys being able to work on their own. If not directed like a friggin robot, they give up when confronted with difficulty. This frustrates the hell out of the senior guys, as they need to delegate tasks on projects.
She wanted to give aptitude tests to all new potential hires (including temporary labor). HR shut that down. I explained to her about Griggs vs. Duke power and how that SCOTUS decision basically banned such testing. My wife (not US born) was given a series of IQ and aptitude tests as part of her application for employment, back in her home country.
A typical question: Your company has been hired to wash every window in every Midtown Manhattan high rise buildings. How would you go about figuring out what to charge?
Note: again, the purpose is not to get a $$$, but to have the person explain how they would go about getting the answer.
So I helped my wife develop verbal tests (on the order of what Google does) to see if the people can problem solve. These aren't 'fill in the blank with the right answer' type tests. These are more in line with seeing how a person would attack a problem logically. Later, my wife (having gotten HR approval) also added on some basic math tests. The tests are worded in such a way that they should pass the disparate impact criteria set by the Griggs decision. So far, every candidate has failed the math portion of the test. Here are the questions:
1. You have a men's jacket with a list price of $200. You discount it by 20%, what is the new price?
2. Shipping costs billed to us is $1,000. There are two parts of the shipment: 1000 unit black and a 500 unit block. What is the shipping cost on a per unit basis?
Her company is mostly foreign transplants now (not H1B.. but people who were born and raised outside of the USA). So far, they are the only ones who's college credential actually mean something.
We are creating a mass of young people armed with a degree but have no ability to think on their own. One girl interviewed, asked if she could call her Mom for help.
My employer (engineering) has issues as well. The biggest complaint is our junior guys being able to work on their own. If not directed like a friggin robot, they give up when confronted with difficulty. This frustrates the hell out of the senior guys, as they need to delegate tasks on projects.