Friday, July 29, 2011

Palm Harbor, Predictive Index, and Psycho Babble ...Pfft

So I've spent the last couple of weeks
hitting the pavement, and trying to find a home and a job.

I cannot have a home without a job ...
you know, I have to prove income in order to be eligible
for consideration as a prospective tenant.

My freelance work
is not a legitimate job.

So, I've been looking for a legitimate job ...
and one job, in particular, was real promising.

Commission-based, Customer- driven, Direct sales.

If I just met the company's MINIMUM quota/requirement 
... of three sales per month ...
I'd be drawing an average of $7500-$9000 a month.

The job was so promising that I even began creating a blog
to boost exposure for my company, my customers, and my Self.

I had great contacts to propel me to the forefront of other applicants,
and my series of interviews were more than optimistic.

All I had to do to secure the position 
was take the "predictive index" test 
... a psychological test, of sorts ...
to see if I was driven enough, and to see 
if I had the right personality to fit the job and the team.

Here are my results of the official "Predictive Index" test.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Brooke will most strongly express the following behaviors
as a salesperson

* Relative persistence as she calmly pursues goals; 
keeps at it even when problems pop up; steady

* Somewhat casual with rules; more focused on the goal than how to get there; 
delegates some of the implementation details.

* Generally takes each day as it comes, greeting it with few worries
and a relaxed demeanor.

* Confident in her ideas and opinions; explains why "what she is selling"
is the best; unequivocal in her conviction.

* Probing, she will calmly ask broad questions
and suggest unconventional solutions.

* Calm and confident, she will guide the process 
in the way she perceives is best.

* Concise; she will speak calmly with a moderate pace
and with relaxed body language.

* Independent; she is confident in making decisions by herself
without a lot of input from others.

* Determined to win; she will be undeterred by rejection, 
failure, or criticism.

To maximize Brooke's effectiveness, productivity, and job satisfaction
consider providing Brooke with the following:

* Lots of room for self-expression, and for autonomy
in acting on her own ideas.

* Opportunities to solve problems, and to overcome 
challenges independently.

* An environment which is receptive to new ideas, and change,
allowing her to participate in setting goals for her work
and leaving her free to operate with freedom from
too much oversight and control.

* The opportunity to work alone,
unless she chooses otherwise.

Predicitve Summary

Brooke is independent, and individualistic in her thinking and behavior.

She has strong ideas and opinions, and expresses them 
with confidence, certainty and compassion.

Having a willingness to take risks, Brooke is likely to develop 
and act upon ideas that are distinctly new or unconventional.

This is a creative, and nonconformist, personality.

In expressing and acting upon her ideas, Brooke is determined
and persistent, and has the kind of confidence and nerve
involved in initiating innovation or change.

She is very determined and persistent, and once she sets a goal she will 
generally push hard to reach it, regardless of the goal's popularity with others.

Although sensitive, Brooke is relatively undaunted by criticisms and failures.

Dealing with people, she is frank and outspoken.

Expressing herself factually, and at times bluntly, she remains
committed to her convictions with compassion.

Patient and persevering, Brooke works at a steady, unhurried pace
at times developing new ideas which she presents 
in a self-assured and forthright manner.

She is serious and reserved; consistent and thoughtful.

Being more conceptual than detail-oriented, Brooke is fairly casual
in working with details. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

So the above results from the "Predictive Index" was sent
to the company's human resource psychologist.

And this company psychologist looked over the above results, and came to 
her own professional assessment
... which is as follows:

"Brooke has a pattern that typically doesn't do well in sales.
Her strengths are that she is a good listener, and builds strong
relationships with people.  The concerns are that she
is more of a follower than a leader 
so she doesn't appear to be assertive enough
to persuade people to take action.
She is very patient, and focused on the details.
So most people with this pattern
do better with inside sales
or a more stable role than commissioned sales."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And with her prestigious, professional opinion
I was denied the job.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

I share all of this with you to see
if you see what I see.

How in the hell can/did she come up with
those private interpretations
based upon the results provided? 

She seems to contradict everything the
"predictive index" provided her.

What are your objective opinions
... based solely upon the above reports, 
not upon your personal "reading" of me 
through this blog's history.

Love you all.

18 comments:

  1. I'm thinking she has a friend lined up for the job.

    Unreal. I hate companies that waste your time like this.

    Rose

    ReplyDelete
  2. A follower more than a leader? Not assertive enough? Did she even read the report?

    The last thing mentioned was that I was casual with details ... being more conceptual than detail-oriented .... and she said I was focused upon details!?

    Yes, it is unreal.

    Palm Harbor just flat-ass missed out, methinks.

    I was going to personalize my dealings with their customers by blogging about their purchases and moves ... personally going out to visit them once they got settled, and creating an online photo album of their happy customers.

    Yes, Palm Harbor missed out.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am... uh... scratching my head... I can't give an opinion because I'm still trying to figure out how she got 1+1=3.....

    ReplyDelete
  4. She is paid to come up with BS Brooke. Sounds like she did just that, but the way the company sounds you may be much better off looking somewhere else.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Palm Harbor definitely missed out! Although, you know that means something MUCH better is just around the corner!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Melissa via FacebookAugust 2, 2011 at 1:39 AM

    Unbelievable...did anyone else at the company see the discrepancies?! I'm thinking that first comment on the blog may be right about having a friend lined up for the job. *smh* They definitely are the ones losing out, as I have no doubt the Lord has something even better in store for you!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I agree Melissa. This kind of thing makes my blood boil.

    Rose

    ReplyDelete
  8. Angie via FacebookAugust 2, 2011 at 1:41 AM

    Sorry Brookey that sucks!! :(. You have such fabulous ideas!!! Keep looking for the same type job. You would be amazing!!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Yep, it's pretty darn strange that an "expert" in career psychology could read the results of a personality test which repeatedly pegs you as an independent, risk-taking self-starter who is passionate about her opinions ("confident, determined & persistent") and comes up "more a follower than a leader". Bizarre, in fact.

    But you know what I'm thinking? When they draw a conclusion that is so obviously off-base from their own personality profile, maybe they wouldn't mind one bit if you decided to show that confident persistence by not taking no for an answer and demonstrating the independent self-initiative by going over this lady's head and selling yourself to her bosses?

    What better way to show you have what it takes to work in outside sales by making an outside sales job on yourself?

    And they can't very well get irritated at you for doing so. After all, their own test predicted you'd have the gumption to do just that!

    You mentioned you have ideas for marketing this company's products by exploiting social media opportunities to target specific demographics in an innovative way.

    Well, how about putting together a proposal for those ideas, making an appointment with the marketing director to sell it to him/her - armed in addition with the results of your personality profile and the bizarrely incongruous conclusion their nutty expert plucked out of thin air that you weren't suited for outside sales - and proving that idiot wrong?

    Think of it this way: when they gave you the results of their own personality profile so clearly at odds with the psychologist's illogical conclusion, they actually provided you with the perfect sales pitch to go right back in there, show the very mettle their test determined that you have & sell yourself to that company.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hugs for all who've responded (emails, FB and here) ... and a KISS for leilani's response above.

    leilani has somehow managed to put into words my own gritty thoughts ... amazing.

    But there is a personal twist to the above-mentioned moxie.

    I have been chewing on this gristle:

    Arming myself with the Predictive Index analysis, the company psychologist's assessment of that analysis, and marching straight to the head honcho's office of Palm Harbor's leading competitor.

    Whatcha think!?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hmmm, mc. Well, nothing's stopping you from doing both (going back to Palm Harbor AND taking your talents to their competitor), is there?

    See, I'm just thinking that because they predicated their rejection on a judgment which is just so wildly - and so blatantly- out of sync with their own predictive assessment, it's almost impossible NOT to suspect that this might be some sort of a test: will she passively accept that ridiculously unfounded refusal and slink away like "a follower rather than a leader" or will she stand up & assertively challenge it?

    Do you think it's at all possible that they just want to make doubly sure that their predictive assessment test was correct, that you are in fact an independent self-starter who takes risks & acts confidently on her own initiative, and that you do indeed have the "determination & persistence" and strong belief in your own opinions to be truly effective in outside sales?

    I mean, how better to determine if a prospective outside sales associate has what it takes to confidently & aggressively sell their products to others out in the field than by demanding that she overcome an obstacle they themselves deliberately put in her path in order to confidently & aggressively sell herself to them?

    Honestly, I've gotta say, if this IS a test, it's a pretty darn clever one. Because if prospective sales employees are not inclined to stand up for their belief in themselves and their abilities when challenged erroneously on their merits, how can they be trusted by the company to stand up for their belief in the company's product when challenged erroneously by prospective customers on its merits?

    And hey, if it's not a test and they're genuinely not interested in hiring you, what will you really have lost responding to their challenge, other than the time it took to stand up and reaffirm your sincerely held belief in your own talents?

    I dunno, I'm just thinking that if you don't respond to that stupid company psychologist's challenge to your leadership abilities by going right back in there and vigorously refuting her with the proof that they themselves gave you, maybe you'll be unwittingly proving her right by default in a way.

    And no matter whether you end up with a job with this company or their competitor or neither of them, you have the obligation to yourself as well as to the truth to prove - if only to yourself - that you know for a fact that Palm Harbor's nutty shrink is wrong about you and your talents.

    Does that make any sense?

    [On the other hand, I wouldn't blame you one bit if you no longer even WANT to work for a company stupid enough to keep a ridiculously incompetent psychologist on their payroll, lol! ]

    ReplyDelete
  12. Yikes! Nope, mc, not brilliant.

    For example, I doubt I'd have been able to pass that predictive assessment with quite so many flying colors as you did and I KNOW if I were in your shoes, I'd not have been able to make sense of even a little what I perceive here.

    Sometimes it's a whole lot easier to see with clarity from a distance.

    That's why it's always a good idea to solicit perspective about your own dilemmas from others & to get their take looking at a situation from the outside in.

    Which is also why you had the good sense to, ahem, "probe while calmly asking broad questions" in pursuit of "unconventional solutions".

    (Hey, even the wacky shrink said you were a good listener!)

    ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  13. ((( I like you, leilani, really really like you )))

    You're alright!

    ReplyDelete
  14. They might be able to test who you are, but they aren’t testing what motivates a person. They aren’t testing a person’s will.

    real job is not in the form of a multiple choice test.real job is 90 % talking to other people.

    if all they do is choose people trhough test then is better to hire robots. not a good company to work for anyway.

    I am not sure what test results the phycologist read.

    ReplyDelete
  15. The problem with ALL personality tests are...Psychologists are not educated enough to make any judgements, Psychiatrists, renowned in the field, will tell you they have no scientific basis. I just took the Wunderlich Personality Test, took the results to my Psych Profs who have known me for years, they laughed. When posting to friends for decades they laughed. My family said must be mistake, not me at all. I got the job, I lied through whole thing, the company assured this impossible, my index of accuracy was 10, the most accurate rating for honesty. Just lie, but be consistent with your lies.

    ReplyDelete
  16. As an analyst in Predictive Index, I can tell you two important facts. One, the report you included is not the full analysis of your profile. It is a very simplified version. Second, any assessment should only be used as part of the decision making process. You can learn more at http://www.predictiveresults.com. I hope you have better luck in the future.

    ReplyDelete

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