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lovelygurl · Oct 25, 2007, 04:54 PM

Hi all,

I want a job working for a department store, but many of them have these "personality" tests.

Does anyone know the "correct" way to answer these things? A friend who works for Walmart said that they basically want you to be a "snitch" and "follow the rules" of the company.

Can someone help me? I'm confused. :confused:

shygrneyzs · Oct 25, 2007, 05:05 PM

You answer honestly. When you try to beat the personality inventory tests, it comes out as you being fake. That is how the inventory works - pulls out the phonies. So be honest and concern yourself with your true answers, not something made up that you think the HR person wants to hear.

lovelygurl · Oct 25, 2007, 05:45 PM

Originally Posted by shygrneyzs

You answer honestly. When you try to beat the personality inventory tests, it comes out as you being fake. That is how the inventory works - pulls out the phonies. So be honest and concern yourself with your true answers, not something made up that you think the HR person wants to hear.

I remember answering "honestly" a couple of years ago on a two or three that I took and I never heard anything back. I know it could have been for a variety of reasons, but I figured this "test" was the reason why.

My first time coming in contact with these "tests" were in California. I don't know anybody working retail in NYC that's taken them.

I'll see if "honesty is the best policy" tomorrow. I'll be going to some high end department stores that are in need of people, so hopefully I'll be called back.

savedsinner7 · Oct 25, 2007, 05:56 PM

Hope you do well. I always try to be as honest as I can, it works well.

lovelygurl · Oct 25, 2007, 06:05 PM

Originally Posted by savedsinner7

Hope you do well. I always try to be as honest as I can, it works well.

Thanks! :D

I'll post back with my results! :)

lovelygurl · Nov 9, 2007, 01:33 PM

Just wanted to say that I passed the test for Victoria Secret and got the job! :-D

I know I'm getting excited over a barely minimum wage job (8.50 per hour), but they give evals every six months and you can move up in the company. VS is an excellent company and I really am interested in working in a customer service environment.

It's amazing with secretarial experience how I can't seem to get a decent office job, but yet after my first week out seeking retail work I get an offer in less than a week!

I had to answer 60 or so questions asking about stealing and drugs, but these four stuck out the most:

1) If you knew a family member was stealing from their job would you report them to their employer???

I was seriously like with this question, but I put YES. Of course I wouldn't, but I was like "Are you serious?"

2) Are you always truthful?

I put No. Why? Because NO ONE IS 100% truthful. I thought this question was misleading, but I told the truth.

3) If a company sent you an unordered $1.00 item would you send it back to the company?

I said YES, but in actuality I would call up first to see if they wanted it back.

About two or more questions later, they ask the same question again, but differently:

4) If you found out a cashier gave you a $1.00 over your correct change would you give the money back to the store the next day?

I said NO. Cause I wouldn't. Like who would? If I would have say YES, then they would have known that I was lying big time.

shygrneyzs · Nov 9, 2007, 01:47 PM

Congratulations! Those four questions are tough ones. Asking the personal price of honesty. Would be easy to answer if the sums were $1,000.00. Lol.

Hipe this job works out well for you. You are right, V.S. is a company that seems to promote within.

J_9 · Nov 9, 2007, 01:58 PM

Originally Posted by lovelygurl

4) If you found out a cashier gave you a $1.00 over your correct change would you give the money back to the store the next day?

I said NO. Cause I wouldn't. Like who would? If I would have say YES, then they would have known that I was lying big time.

Ummm, I would. I just did it yesterday with a simple quarter. The cashier gave me a quarter too much and I gave it back. :o

lovelygurl · Nov 9, 2007, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by J_9

Ummm, I would. I just did it yesterday with a simple quarter. The cashier gave me a quarter too much and I gave it back. :o

The question asked if I would give the money back the NEXT day. Of course, the answer is NO. If I would have said yes, they would have KNOWN that I was lying. LOL! :D

Vile · Jan 29, 2009, 02:08 PM

Wow that's the same question I was asking,
But yeah I failed that test I spend an hour with all the questions and in the end I failed. The last response from the computer was very ironic"you have successfully failed the test!
XD lol

earl237 · Mar 28, 2009, 10:27 AM

I hate to say it, but I find it is better to tell them what they want to hear rather than being too honest. Sometimes in life you have to "play the game" to get ahead.

asylumchild · Apr 21, 2009, 07:30 AM

Originally Posted by shygrneyzs

You answer honestly. When you try to beat the personality inventory tests, it comes out as you being fake. That is how the inventory works - pulls out the phonies. So be honest and concern yourself with your true answers, not something made up that you think the HR person wants to hear.

I'm sorry, sir, but this is 100% wrong wrong wrong. Just like almost everything else in the USA, these "personality tests" are designed not to make sure they get good employees for the job, but to make sure they can make more profit by not hiring people and saving payroll. It is a greed scam. "Oh yes, we're hiring...AWW you didn't pass the survey, so we can't hire you (tee hee hee ... more money for us that we don't have to spend on payroll)."
The Unemployment rate is skyrocketting in our country and they keep trying to figure out why. Things like these personailty surveys are why. The problem isn't that there aren't any jobs, the problem is that employers will not get off their lazy/greedy butts and hire you for a job. "If we're interested, we'll call you" (three months later... nothing).
The way to get around these "personality surveys" is to answer the questions with what HR wants to hear: You stick to the rules, you are a team player, you are never late or feel lazy, etc. If these hints do not help you get the job, then go apply at a job that does not profile. I have noticed that most stores that use personality surveys to do their hiring are understaffed and, most of the time in my area, end up closing.
BTW, Personality surveys do NOT help an employer find the best employees for the job. I can tell you of three instances on the news where Walmart hired three different pedophiles for the toy department after these three predators passed their "personality survey". I have worked in places that had personality surveys and they always had the same problem with internal theft, laziness, etc that any other business has even though the employees passed.
So, to make a long story short, answer the questions with what HR wants to hear and if you don't pass, no sweat, you can get a job somewhere else that actually pays attention to who they hire instead of letting some half-baked survey do it for them.

vtdads · Jul 24, 2009, 01:41 PM

I think these test should be out lawed!! Or these companies should have to tell you why you did not past the test. This would be a easy legal way for companies to legally profile employees. I can't figure out how some these morons at best buy past these tests. Its obvious that if you past the test you are not a good customer service person based on the people that I have tried to get to help me in these stores!!