The 'Test' conundrum

[johndc31]

What's your approach when being asked to do tests?

I'm finding that I'm doing these things, maybe spending a couple of hours to be told the position has been taken. I know agents just fob you off with preferred supplier lists, so just asking that question alone isn't enough.

I'm thinking of boycotting any contract that asks me to do a test, or maybe tackling it differently ie. telling the agent that no tests will be completed until final stage (post interview etc).

How do you approach these things?

[LondonManc]

I wouldn't take a test with an agency without knowing who the end client was and that I had an interview slot booked.

[Malcolm Buggeridge]

I was of a similar mind.

Done a few in the past which just vanished into the ether, so to speak, but secured my most recent role off the back of having completed a fairly hefty programming test.

Depends what else you've got in your queue I guess....

[SuperZ]

Tell 'em to shove it.
I haven't come this far in m career, best part of 19 years with many satisfied clients to sit some silly test. I used to reject them, I did a few recently, now gone back to rejecting them again with an explanation.

I took up one test recently to use an open source tool for 2 hours to complete a task. Not only was it impossible, and they knew that, so it was a case of trying to get done what you can, but being an open source tool it had a bug in the latest version and took me 1 hour to figure out and how to work around it so emailed back to say "sorry, due to bug I've burned up an hour already and not willing to invest anymore time in it".

Another company wanted to leave me in a room for 30mins by myself. I told them surely they would rather get to know me more rather than leaving me alone for 30 mins so we did the test verbally. However, after all that time I knew nothing about the company or position, they just wanted to throw tests at me but it also felt a bit of willy waving exercise. They asked questions it was clear by my CV I haven't done much of and if they had bothered to ask me I would have said it was x months ago but would of course soon pick it up on-the-job but no just throw tests at me on the subject. At the end of the interview I said "okay, so we've done all this yet I know nothing about what you actually want me to do in the role, please explain it. They didn't seem too impressed but made me chuckle internally

As an recruiter I wouldn't give tests to seasoned contractors.

Must admit i can face a mental block with tests which is part of the reason I just dont do them...but why should I with a long client list?

Some looking to recruit have this fascination with finding what they think are the best people. I worked at one such org recently that took ages to find someone when we just needed a bum on the seat quickly and was not a very skilled role anyway yet they fired all sorts of tests at candidates and dismissed some for silly reasons when it was clear to me they could do the job. Idjits.

I'd rather have a zero day notice period to prove myself rather than bollocky tests

[SussexSeagull]

Wouldn't even consider doing one unless I knew specifically which end client it was for. If it is over an hour I won't do it. If it is anything that the results can be used in real life, I won't do it.

[DallasDad]

Dear agent
As the MD of my Ltd company I personally may not be the appropriate resource/do not have the time to take said test so could not entertain doing so.

If contract negotiations are proving positive I trust there would be no objection to exercising our right of substitution and would be more than happy to bring in someone who could.

HTH.

I doubt it would get you very far but it is perhaps a bit better than saying bog off!

[glippiglop]

For software developers:

Always avoid the online aptitude tests. It's lazy on the part of the client and you won't be told the correct answers, so you can't benefit by learning anything from the process.

Whiteboard tests are awful and likely to be used as a crutch by interviewers that don't know how to talk to people. They're often dropped on you like an ambush and the most likely outcome is one that lowers your opinion of the interviewer.

Little coding exercises/projects that can be completed in your own time have never been worth it in my experience. In this case the interviewer is likely to be subconsciously looking for someone that codes exactly like they do, so the outcome is a lottery for you. On occasion I might complete one if I'm on the bench and want to keep my skills sharp.

I did a pair programming exercise with an interviewer online once and we talked over a headset. That one was actually worthwhile - it gives you scope to prove yourself and show your talent.

It's possible to neutralise tests by bringing in your best (relevant) work and looking for an early opportunity to show it off and talk through how it works. Even a backend data developer can show off the pages of a website that wouldn't work if not for their contribution. Get it right and they'll ditch the thought of testing you entirely.

[VectraMan]

For software developers:

Always avoid the online aptitude tests. It's lazy on the part of the client and you won't be told the correct answers, so you can't benefit by learning anything from the process.

I did one last year; quite enjoyed it actually, but in the interview they said they didn't have access to the test or the answers.

You should get the potential client to also do a test to see if they're worthy of you. I've noticed one of the jobsites shows results from the Joel Test on some of the ads. That should give you a fair idea of what you're getting into.

[Agent]

No-one hates the tests more than the agencies, trust me. They are a pain in the backside and waste a huge amount of time.

I'd recommend offering references rather than completing a test as this would be testament to the quality of your work.... oh hold on, no one wants to give out references...

[SueEllen]

No-one hates the tests more than the agencies, trust me. They are a pain in the backside and waste a huge amount of time.

I'd recommend offering references rather than completing a test as this would be testament to the quality of your work.... oh hold on, no one wants to give out references...

I have no problem giving references directly to clients and I actually have done many times.