News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on Ask HN: How do detect a crappy boss / toxic environment when interviewing?. Parent comment

Re:Ask HN: How do detect a crappy boss / toxic environment w... by talmand on Thursday April 07, 2016 @03:28PM (#11449931)
Well, I believe IQ tests during an interview process is illegal in the US.

Anyway, I would say it's not necessarily a good way to consider a candidate as the results can be subjective and doesn't indicate what to do if the best coder in the area sucks at taking tests while under pressure.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: How do detect a crappy boss / toxic environment w... by JoshTriplett on Thursday April 07, 2016 @06:11PM (#11451098)
> Well, I believe IQ tests during an interview process is illegal in the US.

Only if they can't show it's materially related to the ability to do the job.

When I first started working for the IBM LTC, IBM had an online aptitude test as part of their application. The results directly determined both whether you got hired and how much you got paid.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: How do detect a crappy boss / toxic environment w... by johansch on Thursday April 07, 2016 @05:49PM (#11450980)
> as the results can be subjective

As opposed to all the other completely objective ways of evaluating a candidate?

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: How do detect a crappy boss / toxic environment w... by talmand on Friday April 08, 2016 @03:00PM (#11456998)
Good point, I guess I should have said it's a subjective result that too many treat as if it were an objective pass/fail result.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: How do detect a crappy boss / toxic environment w... by johansch on Friday April 08, 2016 @03:07PM (#11457047)
I dunno, I think this would be self-regulating.

By the way, in Europe very few companies do IQ tests of employees. However.. the thought that it might be illegal to qualify potential employees based on IQ tests would simply not occur to us. I guess you guys in the US have a more, eh, colorful history for good and bad.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: How do detect a crappy boss / toxic environment w... by talmand on Monday April 11, 2016 @10:14AM (#11471606)
Yes indeed, many used them in the past to deny minorities jobs.
[ Parent | on HN ]