'job specs, protected characteristics, best person for the job' headache

[mountains]

Hi,

I have a problem that I can't get my head round to.

Went to an assessment centre last month for a job in a call centre and failed it. The feedback I was given was that I had sounded too nervous chitchatting to colleagues and when put on the telephone with an actor pretending to be a customer, and had failed to notice someone I was paired with was getting annoyed at me.

Now at the same time, I have been referred by my GP for Autism assessment following my DS's diagnosis and a string of struggles I had.

At feedback I was encouraged to reapply and told specifically how to pass next time. They noted I appeared to have strong analytical skills and that it should therefore be easy for me to reflect and improve on last time's performance. I can only assume they want me to pass?

However I'm thinking that there's only so much I will ever be relaxed chitchatting. I wasn't bad at the assessment - just not quite good enough, in enough areas for it to make me fail.

Is there any way at all that the company might benefit from being told about my ASD assessment? I'm thinking they might make a more informed decision about what it is exactly they value in their employees, if they knew explicitly my limits, and how I'm aware of them and compensate for them.

Part of me feel that writing to the v nice HR person who gave me the feedback would be useful for both of us, part of me thinks I should not go there, especially since I've not got the diagnosis.

I mean, with a diagnosis, the traits I exhibited become protected characteristics, and ones they have to think carefully about before they decide they rule me out. Obviously I do understand at the same time, that the best person for the job needs to be chosen, and if I'm going to be mildly nervous, it might just be I'm not the best person for the job.

I'm going round in circles, thinking I should just reapply and say nothing, and then thinking I should just drop them a line, and let them decide.

Also, do you think (since I worked there as a temp earlier in the year) that I can ask someone at this company for a personal reference, should I apply for another job concurrently? Or would that make me application for their job weaker?

Thanks v much for any input.

[RhodaBull]

I think anyone would sound nervous at a job interview, particularly talking to an actor on the phone! I'd be stammering and stuttering and making weird comments that I'd cringe about afterwards...

Otoh I can't think that in a customer-facing (or earing) role a company would be obliged to consider someone who was unable to do the fundamentals of the job - in this case, dealing with customers.

Since you have temped at this company, is there another role that would suit for which you could get a recommendation?

[lougle]

Would you really want to do a job that relies on skills that you are weak in, no matter why?

I totally see the reasonable adjustments thing, but sometimes there is such an essential part of a role that it really isn't adjustable. Someone with sight difficulties couldn't expect to get a job as a sniper.

Only you know whether it was the interview situation that put you at a disadvantage or whether the job itself would be too difficult.

[Dragonsdaughter]

If you have asd with social communication issues then with the best will in the world a call center job would be on the bottom of my career choices for you. Plus what exact adaptations would you be looking for?

[mountains]

Having done temp work there I can see that people who are weaker on the phone ended up doing a lot of email work. They seem to have been flexible, but I think they have recently changed their recruitment a bit to make sure they get more all rounders.
Why would I want to work there? Any work is going to be painful as far as I can see. I v much enjoyed working there. I do think this job might just be outside of my comfort zone, unless they are willing to be flexible with me. I'm already working in customer services.
Thanks for your replies.

[mountains]

Working on the phone - I had to do it as a temp. It's not as bad as it sounds as very scripted. It's not like I'm calling customers to network. I can learn to put it on up to a point, that's the thing...

[LittleSnaily]

I employ people in similar roles and unfortunately when there are lots of candidates it really does come down to who is the most 'natural' on the day. If you are temping there, they will know all about your skills already and with the best will in the world, if they thought you could do it, they would have offered the job.

Your written skills are excellent so perhaps look for something with less telephone work. x

[mountains]

Basically, I do have one skill that they need (a language skill) and I can learn to be good enough on the phone, but I'm wondering what kind of selling point that is. I suppose I should reapply and say nothing? I do need a job, so not forcing myself out of my comfort zone is not really an option unfortunately.

[mountains]

Thanks LittleSnaily. I thought like you, then wondered why they gave me such explicit feedback and told me to reapply straightaway?

[flowery]

"I'm thinking they might make a more informed decision about what it is exactly they value in their employees"

Do you not think they are reasonable to consider this to be important for the role then? It's a genuine question- I've never recruited to that type of role.

[mountains]

That's the thing flowery, deep down I do think that the skills they want can be faked to a very good degree, but that would come with at least a bit of experience.

[lougle]

I suppose, and this is something that I've just made an assumption about, that telephones are such a central part of every day life that I would expect applicants to have learned it already. What you're saying, essentially, is that you feel you should be paid to learn to use the phone. It's a skill that could be learned before being employed in that role, so why would they pay you to learn? What makes you think that you'd learn to use the phone well, if you've already had access to phones for years and aren't good with them now?

It just doesn't make sense (to me) to apply for a telephone role in the hope of being diverted to email work of you're not good at it. It's like me applying to a nursing role in the hope of being kept in the sluice if I don't do well with patients.

Can you look for a less telephone based role that would utilise your language skills?

[mountains]

I did work on the phone for the company for a few weeks, so I can't have been that bad. Some people were taken off the phones on their second day, some never were put on them. On the day of the assessment I failed to get excited when the customer/actor told me of his (fake) situation: I went straight to helping him.
What is becoming apparent is that I should just either reapply, or go for this library job I've seen.
I have no qualifications so my language skills are not usually useful.

[RhodaBull]

The thing is, the company diverted the workers from phones to email after they had started, and found they lacked phone skills. Clearly a company does not want to keep on employing the wrong people for the job, so perhaps their pre-employment tests have become more stringent to make sure people do in fact have a good telephone manner. So I don't think you could bank on starting in one role and then be transferred to another. Presumably there is a probationary period and you might not be made permanent.

A library job sounds much more up your street!

[mountains]

I'm close to just asking them for a personal reference for the library job, but I'm wondering why I was told explicitly how to pass the assessment next time, and encouraged to reapply? 60 temps started, they kept 8 on to go through assessment, 3 of them passed, the others they told to reapply. I did ask if not being offered the job was anything to do with my performance as a temp, and was told no, and that if it had been, I would have been kept on. Would they lie about this? I mean, they could, but it would seem a waste of time, is it was HR depts sometimes do?

[lougle]

If they've asked you to reapply and given you tips, do.

[KiwiJude]

I agree with lougle, if they've suggested you reapply and have basically told you how to get the job do it :) They obvs see something in you that makes them think you can do the job; putting the wrong person in the job costs time and money, they've already weeded out 50 temps and are encouraging you to reapply.

Worse case scenario - you don't like it and/or after some time on the job you don't/can't manage to fake the desired skill set.

[mountains]

That's what I'm trying to understand too, whether I can rely on HR feedback, or whether they would juste tell me whatever is easier.

[KiwiJude]

What do you have to lose if you reapply?