The Assessment Test!

What a misnomer.  

The professionals who designed these tests, structured the personality questions to eliminate people not matching or fitting the company profile which does bring up a question, what exactly is the profile with respect to an employee.  I then wonder what is the turnover rate and when you combine this with the cost of training and drug testing low competition employees, what is the actual retention cost? 

I feel comfortable in saying that the majority of shoppers have been to the different stores I applied to (Office Depot, Target, Kohl's, Sears, Walmart and Michaels').  Remember, the employees encountered are supposed to be the cream of the crop because they passed the company’s assessment test, making them the most qualified personnel the company hired.

Think about your last employee interaction in the stores!

Please understand, I am not upset at not being hired, just puzzled because their assessment test eliminates employees like me.  I am retired and have not worked for about two years.  My answers based on my past work experiences will be problematic because the answers will not fit the expected parameters.

 

And therein lays the problem.

The Odyssey Continues

I applied to Michaels' for a job and true to form, I needed to take an assessment test. I first encountered this strange phenomenon when I applied at Office Depot for an entry level job. I filled out the online application and after wards was informed I needed to take the assessment test.  Should I pass the test, the next step will be the interview.

 

In my professional life I was never required to take this type of test.  Curious about this procedure, I searched the Internet and learned that the test was devised to assist HR personnel in the hiring process.  The test would stream line the process and assure the hiring of the most qualified person for the position.  In English, most HR people do not do well in in this particular endeavor, after all HR is not there to protect the employee but to assure that company policy is adhered too.

Being properly prepared now, I went and took the Office Depot assessment test which consisted of one-hundred-twenty-five questions. Approximately twenty-five percent were about my selling experience and as my friends tell me, ‘I couldn’t sell water to a parched person.’

The balance of the enquiries consisted of questions being asked in different ways. The pattern emerging was rather obvious and here is one example: a) Are you an energetic person? b) Do you need a nap in the afternoon? If you answer yes to a, and you answer yes to b, you are contradicting yourself.  Target, Kohl’s, Walmart, JC Penny, Sears, Michaels’ have this type of repetitious question on their assessment test that is anywhere from sixty to a hundred-twenty-five questions long.

In my next blog I’m going to examine the results of the ‘Assessment Test.’

Job Hunt

Although I stated previously that I probably would not change the title of the blog, well, I added two words to make the title clearer.

My continuing quest to find employment is a real education, especially since the recurring issue I encountered has not been mentioned in newspapers writing about how to get a job. To begin with, I am not faulting the various companies nor is it sour grapes on my part, just trying to understand the whole concept.

My background, I am a college educated woman who is reasonable literate, have great computer skills, familiar with Management and the supervision of employees, stringent work ethics, arriving late maybe twice a year and lastly, do not take what is not mine including the pilfering of office supplies.

As I mentioned before I needed a small part-time job. So this January I earnestly started to look for work. Thinking my wanting to work weekends and evenings would make it simple for me to find part-time work. Not so!

As of now, I have applied to the following companies: Office Depot, Target, Kohls, Sears, Walmart and lastly, JC Penny. All of these companies were looking for employees.

Remember, I do not want a career, nor do I want to be in charge all I want is a part-time job I can earn some money and I exchange I will be a dutiful employee, be punctual, courteous listen to my supervisor and in general earn my keep.

Again, I do not fault the companies, however I cannot deny the knowledge I gained working for many, many years and discovered a major flaw in their hiring attitude.

Tomorrow, I will address what I discovered.

 

A New Blog Title

The biggest problem in having a blog is what to name it.  At the latest count, I changed the title fifteen times because it never felt right.  Why?  Well, life changes you, no matter how young or old you are and I belong to the category of old.  This time, I hope, it will stay the same for awhile. 

 

I have been retired for almost two years and due to economic circumstances and just like everyone else, I discovered to my dismay I needed to return to work, not full-time, just part-time.  Aah, what a revelation!  Under no circumstance did I want to return to my previous career, although well paying, I could not fathom this life style any more.  The title "Daily Issues" arrived from my adventures in trying to find a part-time job along with all the other issues life has a habit to trowing at you.  

 

Suffice to say, I am still un-employed and tomorrow, being Sunday, I shall delve into the exploits of trying to find a part-time job.

 

Have a nice Saturday.

Winning Football Teams

I just watched the NCAA handing out its penalty to Penn State regarding their actions by sweeping child abuse under the rug.  The NCAA premise, that having a winning football team trumps education and the protection of children is wrong.

Thank you for reaffirming that winning a game at all cost is not justified.    

Hearing about the child abuse at the first instance by Penn State and reacting correctly would have only resulted in a mild ripple and people would have stood behind the university because it did the right thing.  But by sweeping everything under the rug and believing that winning a foot ball game is everything and to borrow an army term, collateral damage happens.  Well, I can understand if you are under the gun, but for a foot ball team, absolutely not.

The Time for Gun Control is Now!

When will America have gun control laws to protect its citizens?

The recent killings and wounding of innocent people in Aurora, Colorado begs the questions, why would a sane person need a assault rifle, a glock and a rifle?

Please do not inundate me with the constitutional to bear arms which is the same constitution that gives me the alienable right to pursue life and liberty.  Well, the NRA made the wishes of a few tantamount to the wishes of the majority.  I also blame our spineless congress and senate to stand up to the NRA.

Somewhere along the line, the pursuit of power  became the goal of our congress and senate.  Shame on them for their lack of moral fiber and back bone.

The blame for the killings is on the hapless individual whose synopses misfired, on the NRA for stymieing proper gun control laws and our representatives, congress and senate for being such overt cowards.

Don't tell me, criminals kill guns, not guns.  Someone has to pull the trigger and firing a gun is so very impersonal.

Once and for all, let us address the issue and not mourn for a few days, then shove the whole matter of gun control under the carpet  until the next time the senseless killings occur.  For as sure as the sun rises each day and night descends upon the land, this kind of insanity will happen again and again.

Obama Care

What a touchy subject. The Supreme Court just ruled that Obama Care was constitutional. And the outcry began.

Let's look at the issue without sentiments. First off, it is now that law, so learn to live by it. Second, the current law needs to be tweaked to improve health care. Instead of arguing, yelling that it will be repealed, why not make the law better.

As a homeowner, I am taxed every year by the local hospital district to pay for the indigents that overflow our emergency rooms because they lack insurance. As a county hospital, they are required to treat patients irrespectively if they have insurance or not.

I wish someone with a back ground in econometrics would study what is cheaper, for everyone in this country to have health insurance or continue with the current system that burdens and bankrupts our community hospitals and raises property taxes every year?

The question also that needs to be examined is the income distribution by doctors. The battle cry that the doctors spend so much on their education, therefore they can charge as much as they want is disingenuous. I do not begrudge them their income I am only asking them to wait a couple of years longer.  Instead of five years, wait for ten years and learn to police your ranks.  If a doctor is bad, throw him/her out.

Being old enough, I can remember when Medicare came into to being. The outcries from AMA were terrible and so were all the statements from doctors, and yet I venture to guess Medicare is the biggest money maker for the medical profession.

Case in point, the Congress woman who was shot. I am truly grateful that she received the medical care that she got, but I on Medicare would have not received that level of care, and that is what is wrong.

So, let us examine the law, keep what is good and throw out what is bad. America has the best medical service in the world, the sad part is not all of its citizen have access to it. Lastly, let's make Congress,  the Senate and all the government agencies become part of the same health plan. And why not, after all it is being funded with our tax dollars.  If the individual wants a better plan, go for it and pay for it out of your own pocket.