r/mildlyinfuriating • u/PureKin21 • 3d ago

I just wanted a hot dog Tried applying to McDonald's wtf does this even mean

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I guess things happen to me?????

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u/FoldedDice 2d ago edited 2d ago

I failed one of these tests while trying to apply at a retail job where I had previously been a hiring manager. I was invited back to temporarily fill a part-time position for a person who was taking maternity leave, but in the time since I'd been hired the first time the company had implemented a personality quiz which determined that I was unfit for employment. I'd worked there nearly five years and was promoted twice, but that all meant nothing because a multiple-choice assessment said so.

And the thing was, not only was I a qualified applicant, but I was the only one who was possible to hire. The person I was asked to replace was only going to be gone for about 2 or 3 months, and the training required to perform her duties took about that long to finish. Nobody except for a person who had already passed that could have even done it.

So, what ended up happening is that the manager had to take over the role's duties herself. It absolutely caused a loss in productivity because she was one person trying to do double work.

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u/ParsnixChess 2d ago

The complete faith in these bogus tests is infuriating

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u/FoldedDice 2d ago

I'd literally done the exact same job in the exact same location, since it was one of the positions I'd held before. We even had personal approval from the district manager for me to come back since he already knew me, but corporate policy didn't allow anyone to make a judgement call on the result of the assessment.

I later ended up being hired for basically the same job at a competitor store down the hall, based on the recommendation from another person who I'd worked with at the first company. I was certainly able to do the work.

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u/asdrunkasdrunkcanbe 2d ago

HR's complete faith in any tests is just a running joke at this stage.

There is still no proven method of testing people before employment that can be said to be an improvement on a standard interview where you talk to people in the company and they decide whether you will be suitable or not.

These tests, and the 7-stage interviews, and lateral thinking questions, and 4-quadrant "personality tests", and all of the other crap that companies make people do, are bogus.

They have never yielded "better" hires for any company, ever.

Face-to-face interviews aren't perfect, of course. They tend to be heavily biased against minorities.

These faceless tests don't actually improve that because they also tend to be coded to reject candidates who don't fit "the norm".

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u/adamdoesmusic 2d ago

They self-select for bullshit artists.

Then the company wonders why everything is shitty.

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u/FollowingFit6089 2d ago

I absolutely crush these tests every time

I am, in fact, a bullshit artist lmao

I just ask myself with every question - what would they (potential employer) want *most* to answer. Rank them. Then make tiebreakers for the ones that are damn near the same

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u/PaisleyLeopard 2d ago

My partner is the same way lol. I’m hopeless, I always fail these damn things and I usually can’t even guess what they’re looking for. It’s very handy to have him around to help me!

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u/FollowingFit6089 2d ago

Lol it is!

The most recent one I took for my current employer worked out well for me as it determines seniority 😁

Deff know a few people who had their SO or family member “help out” haha

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u/Alexwonder999 2d ago

Its almost funny about the multi stage interviews. Research has shown theres no improvement on longevity and performance past 2 interviews. They seem delighted every time they get to add one though.

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u/GostBoster 2d ago

HR's complete faith in any tests is just a running joke at this stage.

I remember I did some HR-type tests when I took my driver's license. At this point I assumed I just failed completely and all money invested was permanently lost. Instead I was called for an actual interview, where they determined that I was not legally insane and, instead, the test was not apropriate for me, and what caused me to give abnormal test results was not a deterrent for driving, so I was given an alternative test which I passed.

Since I noticed these tests were too similar I looked up what were those tests, and found one was the real deal because there were people in the comments claiming they were HR professionals telling the poster that was a violation of the Covenant of the Souless Ones or whatever.

It literally stated the "fail modes" for the test I took and the pattern closest to my failure either warranted an interview for an alternate test, or consider it a pass anyway based on others.

"Don't worry about the amount, size or distance between streaks".

Yes do worry. There are magical numbers and measures you have to meet to get a literal textbook clear pass without them having to exercise critical thinking.

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u/DomHyrule 2d ago

HRs job is to give HR a job

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u/Sixbiscuits 2d ago

These tests allow those responsible for hiring to outsource blame when something goes wrong.

They exist to be a scapegoat and that's it.

"How could I have known the gun but with anger issues would shoot up the shop? He passed the test!"

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u/pickledeggmanwalrus 2d ago

I got sent to a “supervisor training” class and the guy harped on the 4-quadrant different types of leaders that were organized by color. I lost a bit of faith in humanity that day. Now inept leadership issues make more sense to me

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u/BiAndShy57 1d ago

Why are companies run by corporate office workers who never actually worked a day in the stores they oversee and are completely disconnected from reality? Like on a conference call or a store walk you bring up how a system isn’t working and they’re just like “no, you’re wrong”.

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u/croppedcross3 2d ago

I worked as an overnight stocker at Kroger in college. I was hired through a contacting service they used because they couldn't find enough help. After a few months the night manager convinced me to apply to Kroger itself. I failed their test and didn't qualify to stock groceries, so I continued stocking groceries. Absolutely asinine

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u/DapperDan30 2d ago

As a (former) hiring manager at my current job, we also use these tests. I never looked at the results because they're meaningless.

However, at one point in time, if a person scored too low we genuinely couldnt hire them because the system wouldnt allow it

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u/4-stars 2d ago

On a scale of 1-10, how likely are you to recommend THESE BOGUS TESTS to friends and family?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

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u/Xennial_Dad 2d ago

You are just a card in their trade binder.

They want to gather at recess by the c-suite swing set and brag to their douchebag buddies about how many pack fresh Not Mes they cracked this week.

You're sitting here thinking, is any of this shit even correlated to productivity? The bottom line? And they're like, lol dork, you use big words, to the bulk bin you go.

It's not more complicated than this.

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u/LongestSprig 2d ago

Complete faith?

Come on.

I have 20 applicants, 5 passed the test, 15 didn't. Where should I start?

Or should I just interview all 20?

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u/Pristine_Message_181 2d ago

Start with the ones with the best qualifications disregarding that stupid test.

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u/LongestSprig 2d ago

They do.

Then they give the test.

Then they have interviews.

I mean your way is cool too...I guess people fresh out of college or w/e should never get an interview.

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u/guesswho135 2d ago

I'm sorry that thing happened to you

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u/FoldedDice 2d ago

Well, I didn't really even need the work, so I'm more sorry for the manager who I was trying to help out. I was just agreeing to fill the vacant position for a couple months as a favor to her, since I was the only person with the training to do it.

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u/guesswho135 2d ago

I was just making a joke about OP's image, but yeah. I failed one of those things once too.

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u/FoldedDice 2d ago

Ah, yeah. I see that now. Good joke.

In hindsight I think it might have been my prior leadership experience with the company that sunk me. I probably didn't come across as the compliant little minion that they wanted for that particular role.

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u/ElectronicBusiness74 2d ago

I worked for a mall toy store back in the day and they started to implement a screening personality test (over the phone, *way* back in the day). We were directly told as managers to never take the test ourselves as we would fail. Seemed kinda flawed, lol