“Mornin. I’m supposed to have a scheduled psychological testing today. Ms. _____ of _____ called me last night and told me that I could have my test anytime within the day, so here I am.”Welcome to _____, an HR outsourcing firm somewhere along the busy and congested Boni Avenue, in Mandaluyong City.
“Oh. Your name sir?”
“Michael _____
“Ahh. Please sign the logbook and follow me to the other room to take the test…”
As you may have noticed, HR firms have come a long way from small, never heard Psychometric distribution offices, to Global HR consultancy and business process outsourcing companies. From what I understand, these third-party industries cater to a wide spectrum of services including headhunting, consultancy, assessment, recruitment, placement, and to compensations and benefits. I’m even seriously thinking of setting up one of these with a couple of associates in the near future when I get the chance, heh.
It’s nice to see that companies like these are growing like wild mushroom sprouts, but (there’s always a ‘but’) I was able to notice a number of glaring issues (at least, from the point of view of a tester) in my most recent foray into testing, that seriously needs to be addressed.
And just in case you’re asking, no, I’m not going to sugar coat my thoughts and opinions just because I’m a psychology graduate.
It is with my firmest conviction to say that most third party HR firms here in the country have abysmal testing conditions (‘shitty’ and ‘terrible’ are acceptable adjectives), which could in turn, affect a tester’s performance.
Let’s take _____ as a case in point.
When you realize that you’re taking your SRA’s, RAVEN’s, SCT’s, essays, IPAT’s, or whatever, in a testing room converted from a kitchen (that’s a room away from the reception area, with no doors dividing the two whatsoever), complete with pots, pans, and the kitchen sink; in a testing room where car exhaust and ambient noise can easily seep through the glass door; in a testing room where smucks linger in the room discussing what nots (two staff members were talking about financial matters the whole time that I was taking my test. One even handed checks to the other), as if they have the room to their own; and finally, in a testing room where you have a receptionist/facilitator handing to you photocopies of the battery with no instructions explained whether written or verbatim, you’re simply screwed. These unfettered testing conditions can easily throw you off.
Ideally, applicants would come in, take their tests, and end at the same time. But understandably, it’s simply not possible since HR firms like say, _____ have lots of clients, and each needs different batteries of tests to administer, even for the same position between companies.
Also, testing rooms should be quiet, well lit, good ventilation, and staggered seating arrangements.
Yet despite everything, HR firms like ____ simply neglected these most fundamental regulations. As far as I’m concerned, testing conditions in _____ leave little to be pleased.
I do hope that the PAP, or whatever, as long as some organization with an authority over this can look and regulate these test conditions.
When you have the biggest FMCG companies like _____ or _____ relying their sourcing on third party head hunting companies like _____ for the sole reason of downsizing and cost cutting, I will seriously doubt my test score validity and their assessment.
I’m planning to write a letter to the sourcing firm, to PAP, and one to Ms. Joice.
Oh yeah, happy testing =)
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