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> I've never been a big fan of technical writing tests,
> at least not for positions above entry level. If
> you're hiring someone right out of school, I think a
> precursory test is a good idea. But, if hiring a
> mid-level or senior writer, asking the writer to take
> a test is, IMHO, downright insulting. This person has
> worked hard (assumingly so) to earn the experience
> he/she posesses. I think any samples that writer
> brings to the interview plus references should be more
> than adequate.
I don't know Bill. On one hand I agree with you, on another I disagree. I think
I mostly disagree.
As a technical writer, yeah I would probably hate some test that asked me to
find all the spelling errors in some sample text or describe how to make a
peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I might not consider it "humiliating" but I
would groan under my breath when I was asked to do it.
But as an employer - I can honestly say that testing is the only way I know to
separate the skilled from the big talkers. I've been employing tech writers for
a while, and I've been burned a lot. There is a lot of problems with just
taking people at their word:
1. Many references cannot tell you ANYTHING about work performance good or bad.
2. Samples can lie. People will turn in documents, claim they wrote the whole
thing. Turns out they only did minor editing or touch up work.
3. People lie. I've asked people directly if they knew software packages or
technologies, they said they did. When they got on a project it was very clear
they did not have a clue.
4. Resumes are misleading. Titles like "Senior Technical Writer" don't really
mean anything. What is considered "senior" in one company may be the same as a
"janitor" at another. There are plenty of companies who still reward people
with titles just because they stood around long enough and didn't cause any
serious catastrophes. That does not mean they are really "senior" level
writers.
Testing maybe isn't the best way to determine skill, but what else is there?
Furthermore, if you really have skill, taking a test shouldn't matter, right? I
don't like tests either. They can be hard to take and force you to confront
your own ignorance. However, I also know that turning a test down can be
certain to arise suspicion. I look at tests as a challenge.
I also think the era of the "casual" interview so common over the last 5 to 8
years might be coming to an end. I have a feeling you can start to expect more
formalized interviewing, including testing. There is a great book "Topgrading."
Its by some famous recruiter guy (sorry, forgot his name). In the book he
recommends numerous interviewing strategies. One of them is to conduct rigorous
and detailed interviews, that involve skill and personality testing. I don't
agree with personality testing, but I do agree on the skill part. You should
see some of his tests - they are grueling. But, this recruiter is very
successful at placing some of the best and brightest executives and technical
people in the industry.
Unless somebody can come up with a better way to evaluate skills, I'm afraid
testing may be the only way to go.
Andrew Plato
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