One of the greatest challenges for any Aspergian is landing a job that is appropriate for our level of
education and talents. In addition to online job applications and background checks that are becoming
increasingly invasive of our personal privacy, including credit checks and social network profiling,
personality pre-employment screening is quickly becoming a common feature in corporate America today.
Awaiting job applicants at many major retailers such as Costco, Pizza Hut, Sears, Best Buy, and Target
are 100 questions designed to measure personality compatibility before an interview is even scheduled. A
major roadblock in the job-hunting process for most Aspergians is the dreaded personality test that is part
of most online employment applications.
The 100 questions on the personality test range from comfort levels in crowds to an applicant’s opinion
about the legal system. Applicants are given a score- color-coded green, yellow, or red- that indicates
which applicants are worth interviewing in person, with little regard for actual work experience. I
downloaded a list of the questions on the Unicru test, along with an answer key, from the Internet and
studied each question carefully. The choice of responses for each question is "Strongly Agree”,
“Somewhat Agree”, “Somewhat Disagree”, or “Strongly Disagree.” All of the correct answers are either
of the extreme choices, “Strongly Agree,” or “Strongly Disagree”. There is no allowance for moderation
of opinion on the test. The test clearly places a strong emphasis on conformity, diplomacy, and
extroversion…which are not Aspergian traits. Those applications which score in the red zone are not
even considered fit enough to be sent to the manager’s inbox for consideration. Such hiring managers
cannot even consider interviewing, much less hiring, many very talented applicants because their test
scores do not conform to the profile sought in the screening process.
My personal experience with this testing is completely negative. I submitted dozens of online
applications and was never called for an interview. I answered every question as honestly as I could and
failed the test every time as a result of my honesty. Many people around me tell me that I should cheat on
the test in order to get a job, but money means absolutely nothing to me if I cannot maintain my own
integrity. There is no proper way to determine employment eligibility based on a system of “right” or
“wrong” answers to questions that are highly subject to opinion, without an applicant having an
opportunity to explain his or her answers. These personality tests offer no such opportunity. An even
greater flaw is the fact that there is no opportunity to discuss one’s answers with the hiring manager as the
application never reaches the manager’s desk because the test criteria screen it out. Therefore, I actively
avoid applying to companies that use personality testing as a pre-employment screening tool.
education and talents. In addition to online job applications and background checks that are becoming
increasingly invasive of our personal privacy, including credit checks and social network profiling,
personality pre-employment screening is quickly becoming a common feature in corporate America today.
Awaiting job applicants at many major retailers such as Costco, Pizza Hut, Sears, Best Buy, and Target
are 100 questions designed to measure personality compatibility before an interview is even scheduled. A
major roadblock in the job-hunting process for most Aspergians is the dreaded personality test that is part
of most online employment applications.
The 100 questions on the personality test range from comfort levels in crowds to an applicant’s opinion
about the legal system. Applicants are given a score- color-coded green, yellow, or red- that indicates
which applicants are worth interviewing in person, with little regard for actual work experience. I
downloaded a list of the questions on the Unicru test, along with an answer key, from the Internet and
studied each question carefully. The choice of responses for each question is "Strongly Agree”,
“Somewhat Agree”, “Somewhat Disagree”, or “Strongly Disagree.” All of the correct answers are either
of the extreme choices, “Strongly Agree,” or “Strongly Disagree”. There is no allowance for moderation
of opinion on the test. The test clearly places a strong emphasis on conformity, diplomacy, and
extroversion…which are not Aspergian traits. Those applications which score in the red zone are not
even considered fit enough to be sent to the manager’s inbox for consideration. Such hiring managers
cannot even consider interviewing, much less hiring, many very talented applicants because their test
scores do not conform to the profile sought in the screening process.
My personal experience with this testing is completely negative. I submitted dozens of online
applications and was never called for an interview. I answered every question as honestly as I could and
failed the test every time as a result of my honesty. Many people around me tell me that I should cheat on
the test in order to get a job, but money means absolutely nothing to me if I cannot maintain my own
integrity. There is no proper way to determine employment eligibility based on a system of “right” or
“wrong” answers to questions that are highly subject to opinion, without an applicant having an
opportunity to explain his or her answers. These personality tests offer no such opportunity. An even
greater flaw is the fact that there is no opportunity to discuss one’s answers with the hiring manager as the
application never reaches the manager’s desk because the test criteria screen it out. Therefore, I actively
avoid applying to companies that use personality testing as a pre-employment screening tool.
