Interview Test

[Carzoon]

Hi, I've been invited for a PA interview. 30 min interview and asked to do a 15m test listening to a recording and taking minutes.

Are tests a thing now at interviews?

Yes they're common. It's just a way of assessing a person's ability to do a routine task that is common/important for the role. Ive had so many applicants claim to be able to do something that's clearly not the case when they arrive or, can't deliver to the expected standard

I've had to do tests for the last 2 jobs I've had, and another one I interviewed for. The task was based on the role I was applying for (minutes/excel/time tabling). When I had to do a test like you've been asked to do I went on YouTube for clips to have a couple of practice runs as it'd been a while since I'd had to take minutes.

Yeah I'm a PA and had to have a test at all 3 interviews I've done in the last 8 years.

I think a short 15 minute test is pretty tame. Some employers have all sorts of exaggerated hoops you need to climb through.

Perfectly standard these days to test for the key skills necessary to do the role - for a PA minute taking is key, not everyone can do it well (I, for one, cannot minute a meeting to save my life!)

Last test I put into an interview process was writing a letter for a job that involves writing customer correspondence every day. I was tired of getting people who interviewed well but couldn't write letters properly, and I didn't have time to train them to do that part of the job as I needed to spend the time quickly upskilling them on the technical material they'd be writing about.

I was doing tests at interviews 20+ years ago and more probably, they’ve always been a pretty common phenomenon imho.