Never heard of this before...

[Mark_88]

I applied for a Help Desk position a few weeks ago and sent off my resume with a cover letter. I received an invitation for testing and went last Thursday. The HR rep said it would take about three hours and was a basic math and reasoning tests that didn't need preparation.

So I get there and he explains it to me...no problem...except you have to assume some of the statements are true...but some of them go against my understanding so I have to keep re reading the statements and forcing myself to think the statements are true (can't provide examples). Not hard to do but I thought it was unusual method.

Anyway I finish in about two hours and leave thinking I probably failed miserably because I'm getting too fixed in my ways to be able to pretend things are true when they are obviously not...I get an e-mail the next day saying they now wanted references...this is the interesting part.

They asked to send a list of 15 to 20 references...and their e-mail addresses so they could send them a survey to fill out about me...wtf?

The list can include personal friends, former clients, employers and peers...the numbers are not hard to meet, but I'm wondering about the method...

Seems a bit extreme but, then again, I would guess they want to find someone that works and not have to go through the hiring process over and over...they are only offering one position but it is something I'm very familiar with...POS (no, not piece of $hit) printers...mostly but also simple end-user issues and customer relations stuff...one of my specialties...lol

Anybody else ran into this interview process before?

 

[Ranger Kip]

once, it was for a position doing work at an old person home tending and entertaining.

 

[straycat]

I applied for a Help Desk position a few weeks ago and sent off my resume with a cover letter. I received an invitation for testing and went last Thursday. The HR rep said it would take about three hours and was a basic math and reasoning tests that didn't need preparation.

So I get there and he explains it to me...no problem...except you have to assume some of the statements are true...but some of them go against my understanding so I have to keep re reading the statements and forcing myself to think the statements are true (can't provide examples). Not hard to do but I thought it was unusual method.

Anyway I finish in about two hours and leave thinking I probably failed miserably because I'm getting too fixed in my ways to be able to pretend things are true when they are obviously not...I get an e-mail the next day saying they now wanted references...this is the interesting part.

They asked to send a list of 15 to 20 references...and their e-mail addresses so they could send them a survey to fill out about me...wtf?

The list can include personal friends, former clients, employers and peers...the numbers are not hard to meet, but I'm wondering about the method...

Seems a bit extreme but, then again, I would guess they want to find someone that works and not have to go through the hiring process over and over...they are only offering one position but it is something I'm very familiar with...POS (no, not piece of $hit) printers...mostly but also simple end-user issues and customer relations stuff...one of my specialties...lol

Anybody else ran into this interview process before?

Never heard of that either. Maybe they get paid to have a bunch of interviews? Most places don't want somebody who has changed jobs too many times so they like to see where you have been of course. But those reference request is a bit peculiar to me. Most companies would do a background check on you but this is saving them money by asking you to send them the information instead. It depends on how bad you want this job...if not...move on!!

 

[doorgunner]

{ Maybe they get paid to have a bunch of interviews?}


Was the interview at a remodeled 7/11 store....and the interviewer was casually dressed & wore plaid pants....

but more seriously....never heard of more than 5 references

 

[hoosier1104]

I have had similar experiences with my current employer and my previous employer. Both had tests and asked for 10-15 references. Needless to say I got both jobs.

 

[det107]

.....and asked for 10-15 references.

Could you cite examples ?? I was asked for "3" so far-

 

[Ozwynn]

I don't know ....... but I just had to provide 20 references in order to get my Mom into a 55 plus assisted living community.

 

[88_Eddie]

i knew my boss outside of work before i got the job i'm at now. i had two 20 minute interviews and got the job. 15-20 references is crazy though

 

[doorgunner]

i knew my boss outside of work before i got the job i'm at now. i had two 20 minute interviews and got the job. 15-20 references is crazy though

I think you just nailed it....idiocity is starting to be the norm.....those people make me embarresed to call myself crazy any more....they've distorted the respect that the word crazy once commanded!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

i knew my boss outside of work before i got the job i'm at now. i had two 20 minute interviews and got the job. 15-20 references is crazy though

I don't like the giving out other people's email part.

 

[straycat]

I don't know ....... but I just had to provide 20 references in order to get my Mom into a 55 plus assisted living community.

Never heard of having to do that. My mom and dad's neighbor just got put in one and nobody had to give any references...strange.....

 

[kryptonitecb]

Sounds like a marketing scam to me. I've never had to give more than 3 references.

Sent from road while ignoring traffic

 

[02RangerXLT]

I don't like the giving out other people's email part.

Guess I don't know any of my employers' previous emails... wait... they didn't have email. Duh. i don't know of any friends who check their email either, it's either facebook or nothing.



I just applied for a summer job during college, got it, and the only thing they had me to was sign a waiver allowing them to call previous employers... I listed their phone numbers. Not some email.

 

[hoosier1104]

Could you cite examples ?? I was asked for "3" so far-

Both jobs I had/have to work on some every expensive equipment. Hell the radios I deal with on a regular basis are $15k and cards range from $2k-$20k. They just wanted to make sure the were not hiring a gun wheedling psychopath. I just have to ignore the voices inside my head. I call them 'Anger Sharks'.

 

[Mark_88]

Thanks for the replies...I just found it very strange...and suspected marketing scams...they put out an ad, get 100's of replies...select two dozen and ask for 20 references...that's 400 potential customers...a nice little spam database...do that ten times a year and...well, you can do the math...lol

But I think it's more of another test to see how well you are networked and how resourceful you are...I've only got about ten so far and may have to dig a bit deeper into my past...when I was teaching I had over 1,000 students...but that was 20 years ago and I've only kept in touch with about 20 of them...