x404.co.uk
http://www.x404.co.uk/forum/

'Mumbo-jumbo' personality tests for jobseekers
http://www.x404.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=18822		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Tue Apr 30, 2013 10:31 pm ]
Post subject:  'Mumbo-jumbo' personality tests for jobseekers
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22356754

Quote:
A psychometric test designed to help jobseekers identify and utilise their personality strengths has been criticised as "mumbo-jumbo" by Labour.

The voluntary questionnaire is being used by job centres in north-east England after a pilot last year.

The 48 multiple choice questions range from "do I mope a lot?" and "am I easily bored?" to asking whether people "go out of their way to visit museums".

Officials said those looking for work and their advisers found it "helpful".

The My Strengths questionnaire was devised by the Behavioural Insights Team, which is overseen by the Cabinet Office.

The team, which was formed in 2010 and has been dubbed the Nudge Unit as it is influenced by theories of behavioural economics - has been tasked with producing innovative solutions to deep-seated social problems.

It has focused on presenting information in a way which encourages people to alter their behaviour and lifestyles and make "better choices" rather than relying on new regulation or legislation to force change.

Apparently the test results have the same answer no matter what you answer. :oops:
Author:  jonbwfc [ Tue Apr 30, 2013 10:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 'Mumbo-jumbo' personality tests for jobseekers
The obvious question is does anyone from the Behavioural Insight Team actually have anything approaching a psychology qualification? And are they able to show the standard development processes any actually useful questionnaire goes through in development? Are there any available statistical analyses of the initial subject data that shows correlation between question and attribute?

Or is it something some half-witted PPE/MBA grad thought up because they're an idiot?

Jon
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Tue Apr 30, 2013 11:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 'Mumbo-jumbo' personality tests for jobseekers
It looks like the idea is to get them on the website and then search for jobs, but not everyone can afford internet access on benefits. The premise is that people can be nudged to do the right thing for very little money, such as "90% pay their taxes on time" encourages people to pay taxes on time. Though if you are in a economic blackspot there is not a lot that can be done to help some people. Most people want a job but many people fail to realise that working 40 hours for an extra £10 on their benefits does not make sense. Until politicians face that reality then we have them running round like headless chickens coming out with stupid ideas.

Today the government announced that this unit will be mutualised and sold off. :roll:
Author:  paulzolo [ Wed May 01, 2013 9:30 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 'Mumbo-jumbo' personality tests for jobseekers
Amnesia10 wrote:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22356754

Quote:
The voluntary questionnaire is being used by job centres in north-east England after a pilot last year.

Apparently the test results have the same answer no matter what you answer. :oops:


According to the Guardian, it’s not voluntary.

Quote:
An unemployed single mother, who wanted to be referred to as Maggie, said she received an official DWP letter warning her that her jobseekers' allowance of £71 a week "could be stopped for a period of time" if she did not fill out the questionnaire.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/ ... unemployed

Or if it is, people are being led to believe that it’s mandatory.

Anyway, if you want to take the test, it’s here:
http://www.behaviourlibrary.com/strengths.php
Author:  jonbwfc [ Wed May 01, 2013 1:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 'Mumbo-jumbo' personality tests for jobseekers
paulzolo wrote:
Or if it is, people are being led to believe that it’s mandatory.

Eve if it's not, this government will simply retroactively change the law to say that it was.
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Wed May 01, 2013 1:51 pm ]
Post subject:  'Mumbo-jumbo' personality tests for jobseekers
jonbwfc wrote:
paulzolo wrote:
Or if it is, people are being led to believe that it’s mandatory.

Eve if it's not, this government will simply retroactively change the law to say that it was.

Both are future tales of fail.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk.
Author:  JJW009 [ Wed May 01, 2013 3:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 'Mumbo-jumbo' personality tests for jobseekers
It doesn't seem that stupid. It's quite a good way to get people to look at themselves, even if they lie.

My results seemed good.
Author:  TheFrenchun [ Wed May 01, 2013 3:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 'Mumbo-jumbo' personality tests for jobseekers
JJW009 wrote:
It doesn't seem that stupid. It's quite a good way to get people to look at themselves, even if they lie.

My results seemed good.

I had something similar for work. If anything it prepares jobseekers to them surely?
Author:  jonbwfc [ Wed May 01, 2013 3:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 'Mumbo-jumbo' personality tests for jobseekers
JJW009 wrote:
It doesn't seem that stupid. It's quite a good way to get people to look at themselves, even if they lie.
My results seemed good.

I suspect everybody's results will seem good. Given the function of the test is to identify people's strengths, it's hardly likely to say anything that bad. In form it reminds me slightly of the 16pf test but I don't think it's doing anything sophisticated. If it's a ruse to try to boost the self-image of the long term unemployed then it has some worth as an exercise but I think any pretence it's doing anything more than saying 'Hey, you're a great person!' in a very roundabout way is pretty flimsy.

If it said 'OK, these are your strengths so therefore these jobs would be highly suited to you' and gave you a list, that would be great. if it did that then gave you a list of jobs that were unfilled in the job centre you were registered to, that would actually be useful. Course, that assumes the job centre you're registered to has any jobs..

Jon
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Wed May 01, 2013 6:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 'Mumbo-jumbo' personality tests for jobseekers
JJW009 wrote:
It doesn't seem that stupid. It's quite a good way to get people to look at themselves, even if they lie.

My results seemed good.

Yes but you work so the results would look good, as you are probably doing all the things that help in getting a job. This test is to get people to work and supposedly change the way they view work. Though a realistic career plan with a career guidance counsellor could do that just as easily.
Author:  cloaked_wolf [ Wed May 01, 2013 9:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 'Mumbo-jumbo' personality tests for jobseekers
Did we call get the same results?

I got: carefulness, originality, modesty, gratitude and critical thinking.

I wonder how many "strengths" they listed.
Author:  jonbwfc [ Wed May 01, 2013 9:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 'Mumbo-jumbo' personality tests for jobseekers
cloaked_wolf wrote:
Did we call get the same results?

Hell no :lol:
Author:  Spreadie [ Wed May 01, 2013 9:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 'Mumbo-jumbo' personality tests for jobseekers
Umm... this isn't new. Not even remotely.

I remember sitting through a bunch of psychometric profiling tests at the job centre around twenty years ago. The push then was twofold - a) identify which type of work my current experience and qualifications would be best suited to, and b) to look at which of my strengths were transferable to a different profession.
Author:  l3v1ck [ Wed May 01, 2013 9:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 'Mumbo-jumbo' personality tests for jobseekers
It gave me five strengths.

Fairness, forgiveness, modesty, optimism, curiosity.

Not sure how it got that from the huge number of neutral answers.
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Thu May 02, 2013 4:07 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 'Mumbo-jumbo' personality tests for jobseekers
l3v1ck wrote:
It gave me five strengths.

Fairness, forgiveness, modesty, optimism, curiosity.

Not sure how it got that from the huge number of neutral answers.

I wonder if you got broadly similar answers if you responded like a psychopath?
Page 1 of 2 All times are UTC
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
https://www.phpbb.com/