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Writing Tests for Applicants
Recruiting & Staffing
Writing Tests for Applicants
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Do any of you use any type of tests to measure an applicant's written communication skills? If so, what do you use? I am interested in finding out whether you require any submission of a writing sampl
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Forums » Topic Forums » Recruiting & Staffing » Writing Tests for Applicants
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Writing Tests for Applicants
posted at 2/6/2007 9:12 AM EST
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Posts: 17
First: 11/1/2006 Last: 6/9/2011 |
Do any of you use any type of tests to measure an applicant's written communication skills? If so, what do you use? I am interested in finding out whether you require any submission of a writing sample, and if so, do you have applicants bring the sample to the interview or do you have them actually write a paragraph, etc., while at the interview. I teach Business Communication at Middle Tennessee State University and have already discussed writing samples of newly minted college graduates in this forum. However, I now am interested in finding out how employers measure the writing skill of prospective employees (if at all). I appreciate your taking the time to read this post and to respond. I am the faculty person who was recently "not recommended" for tenure by the College of Business Dean here at MTSU. I apparently am not seen as being a good teacher since students in my classes are required to be able to write at least one sentence correctly before the end of the semester. If they cannot write, they do not receive a free grade just so I can get an excellent on my teaching evaluation. Apparently, requiring students to adhere to certain standards is a cliche in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business. Oh, well, I still want to know what you expect of your prospective employees. Your answers strengthen my resolve to make sure my students know the importance of writing. So, tell me what you do about writing tests or samples. Thank you so much! Virginia Hemby |
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Writing Tests for Applicants
posted at 2/16/2007 3:55 AM EST
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Posts: 7
First: 2/16/2007 Last: 8/19/2011 |
Virginia,
I hire many students as research assistants. Along with their resume, I require at least one writing sample, two if the sample is less than 5 pages. I use the sample as a tool to eliminate applicants during my review phase. I cannot tell you the amount of times I have rejected a candidate based on their horrible writing skills. I was close to one of the applicants professors and told him that the applicants cover letter, mission statement and resume were wrought with errors. The applicant got wind of this, called me to ask if I would review the errors with her. Thinking it might help, I went over the samples with her. In the end, she had the audacity to tell me that she couldnt believe there were any errors because she ran it through spell check! The over-reliance of applicants on this feature is appalling. As for regular, non-student applicants, I intend to utilize two tests to measure an applicants writing and editing skills during my next recruitment. I am in the process of researching a testing method now and suspect I may go with a reading comprehension test similar to SATs. |
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Writing Tests for Applicants
posted at 2/21/2007 9:43 AM EST
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Posts: 17
First: 11/1/2006 Last: 6/9/2011 |
Thank you so much for your reply to my posting. I can believe what you said about the applicant and her inability to understand how she could have make mistakes when she "ran it through spell check." I have students who confuse simple words such as there/their, where/were, its/it's, your/you're--to name a few. I also have students who do not understand that to form a possessive of a word such as company that it becomes company's and not companies. These students are juniors or seniors at a university! They, too, believe that because spell check did not catch "their" as a mistake in spelling, that the word is used properly in the sentence--even if the word should have been "there." Spell check didn't catch it. Please keep me posted on how you are doing with your tests for applicants. I would be most appreciative to learn more. My email address is kvhemby@mtsu.edu and you may contact me directly if you would prefer not to go through this forum. Thank you again! Virginia |
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