| Every manager hired some employees they wish | | | | abusers answered statistically significantly |
| they never hired. To make light of - and also put | | | | differently then non-thieves or non-substance |
| light on - hiring losers, I now give you a special | | | | abusers. |
| gift:a. Jokes about types of employees you wish | | | | That pre-employment test includes questions that |
| you never hiredb. Solutions: Methods you can use | | | | help you differentiate (a) criminals from |
| - so you avoid hiring such creeps | | | | non-criminals and also (b) substance abusers from |
| Solutions include pre-employment tests, special | | | | non-substance abusers. |
| interview tips and more to help you stop putting | | | | Make sure you hire people who are unlikely to be |
| lousy employees on your company's payroll. | | | | thieves or substance abusers. |
| LAZY | | | | CRAZY |
| Joke #1 = Some employees are so lazy... even if | | | | Joke #5 = Some employees are so crazy... even |
| they have a work-from-home job, they still get | | | | their imaginary friends won't play with them. |
| to work late. | | | | Solution: Pre-employment tests do not predict if |
| Solution: Use a pre-employment test that | | | | an applicant is mentally ill. Fortunately, a behavior |
| measures Work Ethic. If an applicant scores low | | | | pre-employment test tells if an applicant may |
| on the test's Work Ethic scale, then you need to | | | | have work-related "personality problems" that |
| find someone with more gumption and | | | | result in the person being a difficult employee. |
| industriousness. | | | | For example, I notice people with unpleasant |
| DUMB | | | | work-related personality quirks often score the |
| Joke #2 = Some employees are so stupid... when | | | | following on a behavior pre-employment test: |
| they find out they can apply for other jobs online, | | | | * Low score on Subjective Reaction to Pressure - |
| they ask, "Where does the line start?" | | | | a whiner |
| Admit it: You hired some employees who have | | | | * Pessimistic - down-in-the-dumps and low |
| the IQ of room temperature. | | | | confidence |
| You create expensive problems when you hire | | | | * Highly Excitable - do not light a match near |
| employees who are not smart enough for the | | | | them |
| job. They find it hard or impossible to (a) learn the | | | | If the applicant also scores high on the |
| job and (2) correctly solve problems encountered | | | | pre-employment test's Aggressiveness scale, then |
| on-the-job. | | | | you should avoid that job candidate like a plague. |
| Solution: Pre-employment tests of mental or | | | | UNHEALTHY |
| cognitive abilities helps you hire people who are | | | | Joke # 6 = Some employees are so unhealthy... |
| smart enough to learn and handle a job. Mental | | | | when they go to a club they order |
| abilities tests help you measure brainpower | | | | gravy-on-the-rocks. |
| abilities, such as | | | | O.K. You're not supposed to take health matters |
| * Problem-Solving | | | | into account when hiring. Instead, you need to |
| * Vocabulary | | | | focus on hiring people who can do the job. |
| * Arithmetic | | | | But, then your company complains about |
| * Grammar | | | | healthcare costs. |
| * Handling Small Details | | | | Q = Who rings up a lot of your company's |
| Importantly, you need to determine specific | | | | healthcare costs? |
| "benchmark scores" you need for each job. You | | | | A = Employees who lead unhealthy lifestyles. |
| do this by conducting a "benchmarking study." | | | | "Wellness programs" are popping up in companies |
| Have your best employees take the mental | | | | - to help employees transform their unhealthy |
| abilities pre-employment tests. From that, you | | | | lifestyles into healthy lifestyles. If your company |
| discover the test scores they get. Then, you can | | | | might need a wellness program, ask yourself if |
| prefer hiring applicants who get pre-employment | | | | the reason is because it hired many people who |
| test scores similar to your best employees. | | | | have unhealthy lifestyles, resulting in huge |
| NASTY & MEAN | | | | healthcare costs. |
| Joke #3 = Some employees are so mean... they | | | | Solution: Of course, follow employment rules and |
| would make monks curse. | | | | guidelines. But, if you have an applicant who oozes |
| Solution: A pre-employment test that forecasts | | | | unhealthy attributes, then you might see if you |
| behavior on-the-job can help you avoid hiring | | | | can find another qualified applicant who does not |
| nasty and wicked people. Mean people may get | | | | look like death warmed over. Then, you decide |
| horribly high scores on certain pre-employment | | | | which one you hire. |
| test scales: | | | | CHEAP |
| * Aggressiveness | | | | Joke #7 = Some employees are so cheap... they |
| * Excitable | | | | chase garbage trucks with their shopping lists. |
| * Power Motivation | | | | This is a huge problem: Some managers feel |
| So, if an applicant gets high scores on those | | | | thrilled buying cheap products or services. But |
| pre-employment test scales, you may want to | | | | they do not weigh the cheap cost versus the |
| find a better, nicer applicant. | | | | product's or service's quality and actual results. As |
| CRIMINALS | | | | you know, cheap seldom equals quality. |
| Joke #4 = Some employees are such criminals... | | | | Before starting my consulting firm, I was a |
| they ask you to call them by their nickname - | | | | corporate manager at a big company. We |
| which is two letters - "JL." | | | | described such cheap managers using this |
| Solution: A pre-employment test forecasting | | | | put-down: "Some managers feel thrilled to save a |
| potential criminal behavior may help you avoid | | | | nickel - but, in the outcome, they waste a |
| hiring unsavory characters. Using a dependability | | | | quarter.' |
| pre-employment test, beware when you test an | | | | Solution: In the job interview, ask for examples of |
| applicant, and the applicant gets "high-risk" or bad | | | | purchasing decisions the manager candidate made. |
| scores on these two test scales: | | | | Probe how they made buying decisions. Did the |
| * Theft/Stealing concerns | | | | candidate (A) focus on buying the cheapest items |
| * Substance Abuse concerns | | | | or (B) analyze the quality of the product or |
| For example, one pre-employment test I | | | | service obtained for the cost involved? Avoid |
| researched and created has those two scales, | | | | hiring managers who pride themselves in doing (A) |
| along with three other scales. To research and | | | | - but show little or no regard for (B). |
| develop the Theft/Stealing scale, hundreds of | | | | RECOMMENDATION - for YOUR OPPORTUNITY |
| prisoners locked-up in jails - convicted of stealing | | | | TO HIRE THE BEST |
| crimes - filled-out my research questionnaires. For | | | | Pre-employment tests and certain job interview |
| the test's Substance Abuse scale, hundreds of | | | | methods help you avoid hiring people who are |
| people convicted of DUI and/or drug possession | | | | lazy, dumb, act wacky, or have other unwanted |
| answered my research questionnaires. Also, | | | | characteristics. Yes, I realize I made jokes about |
| hundreds of non-thieves and non-substance | | | | many types of employees you wish you did not |
| abusers answer my research questionnaires - to | | | | hire. The jokes are funny. But, you never find it |
| serve as comparison groups. | | | | humorous dealing with lousy employees. So, use |
| From that huge research project, I discovered | | | | pre-employment tests and careful job interviewing |
| specific questions convicted thieves or substance | | | | to make sure you avoid hiring clowns. |