Hiring Criteria, Writing Tests, and Drug Tests

[Dan Emory <danemory -at- primenet -dot- com>]

1. Testing, not samples, is important.

Back in the early 1980s, I had the misfortune to hire a retired Professor 
Emritus of Computer Science at a company that developed military command 
control communications systems. His resume, including reams of published 
papers in academic journals, was most impressive, and during the job 
interview, he seemed to know his stuff. I thought I had enough, and decided 
a test wasn't appropriate, since he'd probably feel insulted If I asked him 
to take it.

On his first day of work, I gave him an assignment that required him, among 
other things, to copy some files which he was to use as source data. After 
about an hour, he came to me and asked how to copy the files. I told him to 
use the DOS copy command. He admitted he didn't know how to use it. 
Patiently, I went through the process at his computer, explaining each 
step, and showed him how to use the DOS help capability and the DOS manual 
to get all the information he needed. 15 minutes later, he was back. He 
stilll couldn't do it. Resisting temptation, I copied the files for him, 
opened one of the files in WordPerfect, and explained again what I wanted 
him to do with it. At the end of the day, I asked him to print out what he 
had done so I could review it. It was terrible. The man simply couldn't 
write. I terminated him on the spot.

Probably, most of his published papers had been written by others. When an 
interviewee shows you a portfolio, there's no way of verifying whether the 
person really wrote the stuff, and if (s)he did, how long it took and how 
much editing and massaging by others was needed to put it in the form 
you're looking at.

2. Drug tests and other invasions of privacy are a byproduct of out 
litigious times.

More and more, companies must assume a defensive posture to protect against 
lawsuits and claims of unfair labor practices. Companies frequently get 
sued for the acts of their employees. Selectively testing only employees 
whose performance might be directly affected by drugs could be viewed as 
discriminatory. Suppose, for instance, an employee under the influence 
drives a company car, or even a car rented by the company. If the employee 
has an accident, injures someone, and  tests positive for drugs, the 
company is going to be sued for failing to ascertain that the employee was 
a user. Terminate or lay off an employee, and there's a good chance the 
company will face litigation.

We as a society tolerate this excessively litigious environment, where 
corporations are regarded as deep-pocket targets even when the basis of 
liability is absurdly weak and convoluted. Then, we are shocked by the 
consequences when, to protect themselves, companies take defensive steps 
that impact us. What did you expect, that companies would just lie there 
and take it? Litigation is of control, and tort reform is essential else it 
will continue to spiral out of control, and employer-employee relationships 
will become increasingly intolerable.





====================
| Nullius in Verba |
====================
Dan Emory, Dan Emory & Associates
FrameMaker/FrameMaker+SGML Document Design & Database Publishing
Voice/Fax: 949-722-8971 E-Mail: danemory -at- primenet -dot- com
10044 Adams Ave. #208, Huntington Beach, CA 92646
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