Big Business and its penchant for mindless drones

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the impact of psychological testing in hiring practices within big businesses, particularly focusing on the implications for job candidates and the evolving role of human resources. It touches on themes of competition, profitability, and the perceived shortcomings of current practices in the business sector.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express disdain for business majors, linking their education to the rise of psychological testing in hiring.
  • One participant questions the effectiveness of psych testing, suggesting it may steer individuals away from jobs they would enjoy.
  • Another participant notes that the testing market is competitive and profitable, highlighting its growth over the past two decades.
  • Concerns are raised about reverse discrimination in hiring practices, with a focus on identifying underprivileged candidates for incentives.
  • There is a reflection on the changing dynamics within human resources, with operations departments becoming more involved in hiring decisions.
  • A participant asserts that the reliance on "mindless drones" in big businesses contributes to the success of startups over larger corporations.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the value and consequences of psychological testing in hiring, with no consensus on whether it benefits or harms job candidates or the hiring process overall.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved assumptions regarding the effectiveness and ethical implications of psychological testing, as well as the evolving roles within human resources and operations departments.

kldickson
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The last lines of the first article linked above:
"I think if everyone used psych testing we would live in a better world,” Scarborough said. “When you steer someone away from a job they wouldn’t like, you’ve done them a favor."
I'd bet at least some people get steered away from jobs they would like by the testing that Scarborough does, and if everyone used such testing the world would obviously be worse for them.
 
Testing is a growing niche market. It is very competitive and very profitable. It's one more of those services that nobody ever heard of 20 years ago and is a must have now.

There are 3 basic categories of specialists entry level, mid-management, and executive/professional, plus a variety of specialists by industry.

The new products rate the prospective employees in a reverse discrimination manner - to identify underprivileged/minority candidates to hire and thus claim the greatest incentives.

With increasing unemployment, business is booming.
 
20 years ago, the writing was on the wall. Silly me, I thought it meant that human resources departments would be hiring psychology graduates rather than farming it out.
 
Phrak said:
20 years ago, the writing was on the wall. Silly me, I thought it meant that human resources departments would be hiring psychology graduates rather than farming it out.

If it's any consolation, with the development of HR dashboards and pre-screening is the norm, operations departments are getting more involved in the hiring process. Now that payroll is outsourced, pre-screening is outsourced, and operations managers are making hiring/staffing decisions again - HR managers are struggling to justify their own existence.
 
Mindless drones are the reason startups regularly clean the Big Business' clock.