“The Test”. It’s a well-known term within HCSS, with dozens of stories attached. As part of the hiring process, everyone must take a math/logic assessment. We do get different perspectives on it, but it’s embedded within our current process at this time.
While working out at our onsite gym, Michael, one of our Android developers, made a comment that he could again successfully complete the 14-question assessment within the 50 minutes allotted. In fact, he stated boldly that he could complete it within 10 minutes. We decided to make a friendly wager that if he did, I’d have to buy him lunch. If he didn’t, he owes me lunch.
Fun fact: Originally, it was supposed to be a $100 bet, but Michael felt bad that he was going to take money from me so easily. What a nice guy!
I sent Michael the assessment link and then went over to the next building to observe. I watched as he scribbled away on a scratch piece of paper and listened for the click-click sounds as he input numbers on the calculator.
He was right. He did pass in under 10 minutes. I’m thankful it was just lunch and not $100…whew!
Word spread. Vincent, another developer on the team, wanted a free lunch too. He passed as well, but within 15 minutes. No free lunch for Vincent, however, it did lead to bragging rights for Michael.
Now, to be fair, our current employees successfully passed the assessment in the past in order to get hired, so they had an idea of what to expect. But we also include a practice version (seven questions within 20 minutes) so that prospective applicants can get an idea of what questions will be asked.
What’s the takeaway from all this? You CAN pass the assessment. Here are some friendly tips:
- Block up to 50 minutes with no distractions whatsoever so that you can focus.
- Have a calculator ready and some scratch paper/pencil by your side.
- Read the guidelines at the beginning regarding decimal points, percentages, etc.
- Utilize the practice version to prepare.
- Don’t spend too much time on one question if you get stuck. Budget your time wisely by moving on to the next question and coming back to the ones you skipped initially at a later point.
Unfortunately, I’m not able to buy you lunch if you pass the assessment within 10 minutes. But if you request a virtual high-five, I’ll be sure to give one.
Upon passing our assessment, your résumé will be reviewed more in-depth by a member of our team. Rest assured that you have a set of human eyes evaluating you. No robots here!
May the odds be ever in your favor.
Got a question or comment? Reach out anytime to the team at recruiting@hcss.com or to me personally at Allan.Leung@hcss.com, on LinkedIn here, or on Twitter here.