Hirers try to test, not fool, IT contractors
17 April 2008
Potential IT workers are being asked to sit a series of tough aptitude tests, enabling companies to root out people who react badly to stress.
One firm, Nivid Technologies, makes candidates wait for over 30 minutes without any reason given for a delay.
Eventually they are addressed together and asked for feedback, and those who react with irritation or appear distracted are judged unsuitable for employment.
Those who remain calm throughout have passed that section of the assesment process.
Applicants are also assessed via a series of questions, including problem-solving exercises.
One question asks how they would react to being slapped in the face in a pitch-black tunnel.
Nivid's CEO, Pushpendrasinh Jhala, says he is looking for more than information technology experience in a candidate
He said: "The key qualities, which the tests need to determine in an applicant is the ability to think logically and calmly under a highly pressurised environment when our IT professionals could well be on the receiving end of some very tense and diverse scenarios."
A 2007 survey by TechWeb Network Research found that 25% of IT workers reported physical symptons they believed were the result of stress.
Half reported receiving over 20 messages about a single problem.
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