(Moved To: @[email protected])Nov 14, 2023
Personality tests in job applications are a legalized form of discrimination against neurodivergent people.
Show threadNeia masks
@[email protected] To name and shame: I applied to Canonical and they had me take a test that was basically "are you dyslexic? If so, get the fuck out of here."

It was a programming job. Sure, there's a lot of text there, but I can use dyslexic friendly fonts. They made some excuse about it being a "spatial reasoning problem," but programmers don't get many problems like that in practice. If each of those took me ten times as long as normal, I'd be like 99.7% as effective at the job.
Nov 14, 2023 at 3:44amWeb
Show thread(Moved To: @[email protected])Nov 14, 2023
@neia Yeahhhh I think I tried applying for Canonical a buncha years ago and never finished the application process cuz I was really turned off by what they were asking. I don't remember the details, but... Yahhhh... Falls in line with what you're saying.
Show threadCyra WestmereNov 14, 2023
@ashten @neia Recently had a similar experience as well, they asked me to write a several page paper on my experience, history, and why it would make me a good fit there.
Show thread(Moved To: @[email protected])Nov 14, 2023
@cyra @neia smh, I could go on for ages about cover letters and how awful they are.
Show threadCyra WestmereNov 14, 2023
@ashten @neia Oh no this wasn’t a traditional cover letter. It was a no-shit paper. Like college level research paper style.
Show threadNeia masksNov 14, 2023
@cyra @[email protected] For me, it was like 35 questions where they expected a lengthy paragraph for each one.
Show threadmnl mnl mnl mnl mnlNov 14, 2023
@neia @ashten @cyra I legit wrote 8000 words for that application questionnaire lol
Show thread(Moved To: @[email protected])Nov 14, 2023
@cyra @neia WTF? They were basically trying to make you do free labor for them? But that doesn't make sense either, if it was about YOU.
Show threadCyra WestmereNov 14, 2023
@ashten @neia YEP! attached is screenshots from email.
Show thread(Moved To: @[email protected])Nov 14, 2023
@cyra @neia They gave you a goddamn homework assignment, wtf??? Literally said that they'll give you a few weeks to respond, which means they EXPECT you to put labor into it!
Show threadLisPiNov 14, 2023
@ashten @cyra @neia They seem to be pretty full of their own reputation, for some reason.

It's nasty.
Show threadellyNov 14, 2023
@cyra @ashten @neia Don't forget PsYcHoMeTrIc AsSeSmEnT 

It was the first time I nopped the hell out from "interview". It's discriminatory, long and painful - meaning that nobody will actual skillset will bother with that nonsense and go to different companies instead (I almost ended up working for SuSE instead lol).
Show threadtimorlNov 14, 2023
@neia @ashten Canonical’s hiring system is a sad joke in general. My wife applied to them at a point when she was pretty desperate for a job and quite enthusiastic about working for free software, but as soon as she saw the hoops she was supposed to jump through to even be considered she noped right out. I have no idea what they even think they are trying to screen for…
Show thread(Moved To: @[email protected])Nov 14, 2023
@timorl @neia It kinda strikes me that they're looking for someone who's willing to kiss ass, and sacrifice their time off the clock.
Show threadKayla Eilhart (cz)Nov 14, 2023

Yeah, currently it doesn't make sense to even try to apply to Canonical, their hiring process is probably even illegal in some countries because of these tests. You don't even talk to a real person until you go through writing a lengthy essay and then pass through a bunch of psychometric tests. By the way, I took these tests in my own language, and they are pretty badly translated/worded, so you get an instant penalty to start with.

@neia @ashten

Show threadShineNov 14, 2023
@kayla_eilhart @neia @ashten Yea, making tests that are quite obviously made to discriminate neurodivergent people doesn't sound exacly legal. But tbh, good riddance. I wouldn't enjoy working for company like that
Show threadAlien🍉Nov 14, 2023
@neia @ashten I spent such a long time for a Cannonical selection some time ago and I got dropped from the process (which is totally fine) but I wasn't even given a reasonable explanation longer than a couple of lines. I literally was asked to send a long PDF replying stuff.
Show threade. g.Nov 14, 2023

@neia @ashten

I've also noticed they want a lot of information about your high school experience just to get in the door, which is bizarre and smells vaguely like ageism.

And the same applications don't want to know anything about my projects in general.. only my python. Caring only about experience in the specific language they use makes me suspect an org that prioritizes interchangeability over ingenuity.

Show threadmnl mnl mnl mnl mnlNov 14, 2023

@neia @ashten I was going to post about that interview, as well as having to write about what my peers in high school thought of me and I was like wtf.

The test in question asks you to match b to q (rotated) and not d or p. I’m not dyslexic and it was really messing with my brain already.

Show threadCinnamon (moving to [email protected])Nov 14, 2023
@neia @[email protected] Ah yes you're dyslexic therefore we must be ableist