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475 points danielstocks | 7 comments | | HN request time: 0.461s | source | bottom
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ericmay ◴[] No.27302804[source]
Does Klarna still do the IQ test as part of their hiring process?
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kukallan ◴[] No.27303428[source]
Yes, sadly a quite common part in too many recruitment processes here in Sweden.
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domano ◴[] No.27303466[source]
Wow, first time i hear that. Aren't those IQ test horribly biased?
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pvillano ◴[] No.27303502[source]
not only that, but they aren't a great predictor of actual job performance
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1. weird-eye-issue ◴[] No.27303749[source]
Depends on the job actually. (I know this will be unpopular but in my experience hiring for certain roles it is correlated)
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2. willeh ◴[] No.27304219[source]
This is exactly why these IQ-test companies make so much money. It gives out yeses and no:s confirmation bias does the rest.

Quickly why they don't work:

You create a huge chain correlational assumptions. First that visual-spatial tasks of this kind predict performance on visual tasks. 2. That performance on visual tasks predict general intelligence (whatever that is). 3. That this notion of general intelligence (which is usually and arbitrarily defined not to include social skills) actually correlates with the tasks that you think the person will be performing, and finally that your idea of what the role has an impact on the company. Of course it is completely absurd, what they are selling is snake oil, plain and simple.

The remedy I recommend is simple, talk to the person - do it and you will be able to tell within 5 minutes.

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3. ericmay ◴[] No.27304402[source]
Right - and the general intelligence thing is funny too because all of these companies want to hire specialists in some area, not generally intelligent people.
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4. ◴[] No.27309327[source]
5. weird-eye-issue ◴[] No.27309367{3}[source]
You are making assumptions here that are incorrect. I use it when hiring virtual assistants. They don't need a specific skill.
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6. weird-eye-issue ◴[] No.27310014[source]
I use it to filter out candidates when hiring assistants from the Philippines. I get so many applicants that I don't have time to talk to all of them. Have you been on the hiring end? You get hundreds of applications within a couple days when you have a good position and are paying well enough.

There is a strong correlation between IQ and professional achievement whether you want to believe it or not.

7. ericmay ◴[] No.27319816{4}[source]
I think you're just trying to justify an unjustifiable test to protect your ego.

First, if you're just hiring assistants from the Philippines they could just have someone else take the test or get around it some other way.

Second, you have no good data to support this hiring practice. You're free to use it, but it's no better than just hiring a random person from your pool of applicants. You might as well screen based on their favorite color too to just make up filtering criteria.