8 ms·

> For those who are unaware, these tests are considered a violation of the Civil Rights Act because they result in hiring blacks at a much lower rate than white

by jefftk 6y ago

> For those who are unaware, these tests are considered a violation of the Civil Rights Act because they result in hiring blacks at a much lower rate than whites. Work sample tests are legal; otherwise we wouldn't see tech companies giving whiteboard interviews. More general tests are not legal (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griggs_v._Duke_Power_Co. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griggs_v._Duke_Power_Co.) unless you can demonstrate that they "bear a demonstrable relationship to successful performance of the jobs for which it was used". On the other hand, they held that "neither the high school completion requirement nor the general intelligence test is shown to bear a demonstrable relationship to successful performance of the jobs for which it was used" so I think there's a decent chance that the widespread use of college degrees as a filter is also already illegal. (Not a lawyer)

philwelch 6y ago
IQ tests aren’t blanket-banned; they just have additional hurdles. For instance, the Wonderlic test is routinely used in hiring contexts and is even part of the NFL scouting combine.
- Wohlf 6y ago
  Even the SATs and ACTs (and most definitely the ASVAB) have significant overlap with IQ tests.
- jldugger 6y ago
  While the Wonderlic published, is it even used as a factor? Does a coach say "no linebackers who scored less than 18?"
  - etempleton 6y ago
    Often it is used as a red flag when a prospect scores particularly low on the test. NFL playbooks are complex and there is a lot to learn and then apply in real time on the field compared to in college. Players who cannot process all of this added complexity rapidly and then apply it are at risk of not being able to keep up on the field, even if they are incredible athletes. This holds the most weight with quarterbacks who have the most to juggle mentally throughout a game, so you most often hear conversations about the wonderlic when talking about the quarterback position.
  - philwelch 6y ago
    There’s actually rumors of upper limits because smart guys are perceived as harder to coach. For playbook memorization and decision-making though, high Wonderlic scores are usually expected for offensive line and QB’s.

by jefftk 6y ago

philwelch 6y ago

IQ tests aren’t blanket-banned; they just have additional hurdles. For instance, the Wonderlic test is routinely used in hiring contexts and is even part of the NFL scouting combine.

Wohlf 6y ago
Even the SATs and ACTs (and most definitely the ASVAB) have significant overlap with IQ tests.
jldugger 6y ago
While the Wonderlic published, is it even used as a factor? Does a coach say "no linebackers who scored less than 18?"
- etempleton 6y ago
  Often it is used as a red flag when a prospect scores particularly low on the test. NFL playbooks are complex and there is a lot to learn and then apply in real time on the field compared to in college. Players who cannot process all of this added complexity rapidly and then apply it are at risk of not being able to keep up on the field, even if they are incredible athletes. This holds the most weight with quarterbacks who have the most to juggle mentally throughout a game, so you most often hear conversations about the wonderlic when talking about the quarterback position.
- philwelch 6y ago
  There’s actually rumors of upper limits because smart guys are perceived as harder to coach. For playbook memorization and decision-making though, high Wonderlic scores are usually expected for offensive line and QB’s.