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I think an assertion that large (that IQ test scores correlate strongly with better job performance) needs some sources to back it up. I'm not saying they're no

I think an assertion that large (that IQ test scores correlate strongly with better job performance) needs some sources to back it up. I'm not saying they're not there, but I'd like to see them. There's a lot more to overall job performance than ability to reason about complex programming problems. As a counterpoint, a Google HR SVP says in an article referenced elsewhere in the comments [0] that they don't ask for G.P.A's and test scores anymore because they're "worthless — no correlation at all except for brand-new college grads, where there’s a slight correlation". [0] http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/20/business/in-head-hunting-big-data-may-not-be-such-a-big-deal.html http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/20/business/in-head-hunting-b...

thaumasiotes 11y ago
That was a famous result Google published. The finding is based on their study of their existing employees. Similarly, the correlation between height and basketball ability is attenuated for people who are currently NBA players. But it's quite strong for people overall.
ThrustVectoring 11y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_quotient#Job_performance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_quotient#Job_perf... I don't have access to the works that Wikipedia cites, but the correlation is positive and between 0.2 and 0.6 for every job studied. And I agree, there are a lot more things that influence job performance. IQ probably isn't the most important thing - a malicious programmer can cause millions of dollars worth of damage, so probably the most important thing is trustworthiness. That said, learning about someone's IQ helps you predict their future job performance, basically regardless of what job you are talking about.
- el_benhameen 11y ago
  Very interesting, thanks for the cite. I think it's important to note that those figures are for "hiring employees without previous experience in the job" because "It is largely through the quicker acquisition of job-relevant knowledge that higher IQ mediates job performance." So you'll acquire new skills more quickly if you have a higher IQ, which makes sense, but if you have two people at the same apparent skill level applying for a non-entry-level position, IQ may well not be (or may well be) a valid means of deciding between the two. This jives fairly well with the quote from Google.

thaumasiotes 11y ago

That was a famous result Google published. The finding is based on their study of their existing employees. Similarly, the correlation between height and basketball ability is attenuated for people who are currently NBA players. But it's quite strong for people overall.

ThrustVectoring 11y ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_quotient#Job_performance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_quotient#Job_perf... I don't have access to the works that Wikipedia cites, but the correlation is positive and between 0.2 and 0.6 for every job studied. And I agree, there are a lot more things that influence job performance. IQ probably isn't the most important thing - a malicious programmer can cause millions of dollars worth of damage, so probably the most important thing is trustworthiness. That said, learning about someone's IQ helps you predict their future job performance, basically regardless of what job you are talking about.

el_benhameen 11y ago
Very interesting, thanks for the cite. I think it's important to note that those figures are for "hiring employees without previous experience in the job" because "It is largely through the quicker acquisition of job-relevant knowledge that higher IQ mediates job performance." So you'll acquire new skills more quickly if you have a higher IQ, which makes sense, but if you have two people at the same apparent skill level applying for a non-entry-level position, IQ may well not be (or may well be) a valid means of deciding between the two. This jives fairly well with the quote from Google.