| Question = Do you want to hire productive and | | | | only GED or high school. So, the questions on the |
| dependable people for your company’s | | | | pre-employment test must be very easy to read. |
| “Blue-Collar” jobs? | | | | To assure this, I took my research questionnaires |
| Note: “Blue-Collar” jobs are | | | | to a fast-food restaurant in a very bad |
| - Unskilled jobs | | | | neighborhood – an area where most residents |
| - Semi-Skilled jobs | | | | have only a GED or high school education. I asked |
| - “Lower-Level” jobs | | | | customers to read my research questions, and |
| Examples of “Blue-Collar” jobs include | | | | point out words or phrases they did not easily |
| laborers, warehouse workers, shipping and | | | | grasp. For example, few of them knew the |
| receiving employees, care-givers, janitors, store | | | | words “uncertain” or “boast.” I |
| clerks, plus other “lower-level” jobs. Often, | | | | made the wording very easy to read. |
| the highest education level of employees in such | | | | B. How Can a Test Predict Theft/Stealing? |
| jobs is GED or high school. | | | | My research for the new pre-employment test |
| Hiring dependable “Blue-Collar” employees | | | | needed to create a scale to predict if a job |
| is difficult. So, I conducted in-depth research to | | | | applicant might steal. That is difficult to predict. |
| A. identify qualities managers need and want in | | | | Solution: I got hundreds of prisoners in jails to |
| “Blue-Collar” employees | | | | fill-out my research questionnaires. Those |
| B. create a test that forecasts – or predicts | | | | prisoners were locked-up for stealing crimes – |
| – those important qualities | | | | so they definitely were thieves. It is exceedingly |
| MANAGERS WANT “DEPENDABLE” | | | | hard to get permission to do research in jails, but |
| EMPLOYEES | | | | I managed to get permission. Also, prisoners |
| My research found managers want | | | | filled-out my questionnaires while the prisoners and |
| “dependable” employees for | | | | I were locked in their cells or adjacent rooms. |
| “Blue-Collar” jobs. So, what are specific | | | | They were locked-up so they could not escape. |
| qualities of “dependable” employees? | | | | The problem is I had to be locked in their cells or |
| The results identified five important | | | | rooms with them while they answered my |
| “dependability” factors that managers | | | | questionnaires. Unfortunately, no guards sat in the |
| must find out about – before hiring a | | | | locked cells with me. I must say I heard and saw |
| “Blue-Collar” job applicant: | | | | things I never knew existed. On each of dozens |
| 1. Honesty | | | | of days I did my research in jails, it took me 2 |
| 2. Work Ethic | | | | – 5 hours to calm down after I left at the end |
| 3. Impulsiveness [a cause of safety problems and | | | | of each day. Fortunately, I collected fantastic data |
| accidents] | | | | to create a theft/stealing part of the |
| 4. Theft / Stealing concerns | | | | pre-employment test that significantly |
| 5. Substance Abuse concerns | | | | differentiates non-thieves from thieves. |
| 5 DEPENDABILITY FACTORS PREDICTED BY | | | | C. How Can A Test Forecast Substance Abuse |
| NEW PRE-EMPLOYMENT TEST | | | | Concerns? |
| Let’s look at the five crucial | | | | Another thorny issue was my research to make |
| “dependability” factors. | | | | pre-employment test questions that help predict if |
| 1. HONESTY | | | | a job applicant might present substance abuse |
| Problem: Some job applicants try to fool you on a | | | | concerns. For this, I had substance abusers fill-out |
| pre-employment test. Such fakers try to answer | | | | my research questionnaires. How did I find |
| questions so they seem ‘better or | | | | substance abusers? That, too, was difficult. Finally, |
| different’ than they really are. Solution: A | | | | I made special arrangements to get my |
| good pre-employment test will “catch” | | | | questionnaires answered by hundreds of people |
| – or find out – if the applicant displays | | | | who had been convicted of substance abuse |
| honesty. | | | | crimes, specifically, DUI and/or drug possession. |
| 2. WORK ETHIC | | | | Then, I statistically determined which of my |
| Managers crave to hire applicants who will put in a | | | | research questions best predicts if a person might |
| day’s work for a day’s pay. That shows | | | | be a substance abuser. |
| a strong work ethic. Problems arise when a | | | | RESULT = NEW PRE-EMPLOYMENT TEST TO |
| company a job applicant with a lousy work ethic. | | | | HELP HIRE DEPENDABLE “BLUE-COLLAR” |
| 3. IMPULSIVENESS | | | | EMPLOYEES |
| Fact: Impulsive employees cause many costly | | | | The final pre-employment test made the difficult, |
| problems, such as | | | | in-depth research worthwhile. The final test has |
| > Accidents | | | | very good statistical validity and reliability. That |
| > Safety violations | | | | means the new pre-employment test can make |
| > Worker’s Comp claims | | | | very accurate predict if an applicant might make |
| Imagine how much more productive and profitable | | | | a dependable employee. It forecasts the five |
| your company would be if you hired employees | | | | important “dependability” factors that |
| who think before acting and are not impulsive. | | | | managers need and want to know before they |
| 4. THEFT / STEALING CONCERNS | | | | hire a job applicant for a “Blue-Collar” job: |
| Stealing is an expensive problem. Many items at | | | | 1. Honesty |
| your company probably get stolen. So, it is crucial | | | | 2. Work Ethic |
| to predict how concerned you should be that a | | | | 3. Impulsiveness [a cause of safety problems and |
| job applicant might be a thief. | | | | accidents] |
| 5. SUBSTANCE ABUSE CONCERNS | | | | 4. Theft / Stealing concerns |
| Many “Blue-Collar” employees show up at | | | | 5. Substance Abuse concern |
| work with alcohol or drugs in their systems. That | | | | Also, since many applicants for |
| may (a) violate your substance abuse policy, (b) | | | | “Blue-Collar” jobs are not very |
| reduce productivity, and (c) increase accident. As | | | | ‘verbal’ in job interviews, the new |
| such, managers must evaluate applicants to help | | | | pre-employment test even offers specific |
| predict possible substance abuse concerns. | | | | interview questions a manager can ask each |
| UNIQUE DEPENDABILITY PRE-EMPLOYMENT | | | | applicant. |
| TEST RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT | | | | Predicting these important dependability factors is |
| Creating a pre-employment test to help hire | | | | difficult. Fortunately, the new pre-employment |
| dependable “Blue-Collar” job applicants | | | | test makes it |
| presents some unique problems that require | | | | * do-able |
| unique solutions. | | | | * quicker |
| A. Easy Reading Level | | | | * easier |
| Many job applicants for “Blue-Collar” jobs | | | | COPYRIGHT 2008 MICHAEL MERCER, PH.D., |
| have limited reading skill. The highest educational | | | | All rights reserved. |
| level of many applicants for lower-level jobs is | | | | |