Should You Look at SAT Scores When Hiring an Intern?
- Author Cari Sommer
- Published June 12, 2011
- Word count 513
Remember when you took your SAT’s? Studying and stressing through standardized tests is a right of passage for most college-bounds students, as is the huge sigh of relief once they’re behind us. But now, fast forward many years later – you’re sitting behind your desk of your hot, growing company and you need to find an intern. And fast! Not just any intern will do, you need to find an intern that’s quick on their feet, can dive right in and quickly become a star on your team. Top-notch social media skills wouldn’t hurt either.
What can you ask in an interview to help you find that star intern? Thinking back again to those crazy SAT’s – should you ask to see a candidate scores as part of the interview? Are they even relevant anymore?
Here are a few pros and cons of each:
See the Scores:
SAT’s Measure An Aptitude for Learning: When you hire an intern, you need to find someone who can quickly learn about your business and your industry. Chances are someone who performed well on a standardized test has some experience with jumping into a new subject matter and quickly making heads or tails of it.
SAT’s Are Heavily Rooted in Quantitative Analysis: Remember those obscure math problems? If you’re looking for someone who has strong quantitative skills, than taking a look at SAT’s scores may be helpful to your when evaluating candidates.
SAT’S Are Hard Work: Prepping for the SAT’s is hard work. Staying cool and calm, not to mention bringing your a-game is even harder. Putting aside the subject matter, a high SAT score says a lot about a candidate’s ability to perform under pressure.
Don’t See the Scores
Yesterday’s News: The intern you’re looking at hiring is probably in college or a few years out. Are scores from one test taken on one day several years ago as relevant as what a candidate has learned and accomplished in the years since then?
Not the Full Picture: SAT scores are just one piece of data. Just ask college admission officers, who require high school students to fill out lengthy applications when applying for college. Will you take the time to get the full picture once you have one piece of "hard" data in front of you? Or will you perhaps wrongly assume that a high SAT scorer is an automatic right fit for your company?
One Size Fits All: The words "standardized tests" say it all. The tests are designed to measure a very specific (and yes standard) body of information. Knowledge, talent and skills that falls outside of the scope of the test will not be measured – which just further supports the points above. A SAT score is not the full picture.
So should SAT scores determine whether or not you should hire a particular intern? Employers will have to make that decision for themselves, but knowing the pros and cons will help you make the right decision for your business.
Urban Interns is an online job marketplace that connects high-growth companies with talented candidates looking for internships, part-time jobs, freelance work and contract positions.
Article source: https://articlebiz.comRate article
Article comments
There are no posted comments.
Related articles
- How to Resolve Differences in the Workplace Without Argument
- 5 Proven Ways to Motivate and Retain your Technology Employees
- 10 Reasons to Start Benchmarking Your Business Today
- Fostering Collaboration in a Technologically Evolving Workplace
- 20 Best Employee Time Tracking Software to Streamline Your Workflow
- Healthcare Project Management: Ultimate Guide
- Leadership Advisory: Embracing Output and Results-Driven Management for High-Performing Teams by Dr. TA Malapane
- How to Shield Your Contracting Business from Common Risks
- "The Future of Money: How Digital Currencies are Transforming Global Finance"
- Advanced Analytics in Supply Chain Management: Driving Efficiency through Data
- Zodot — An end to end free Saas Platform to Automate Your Daily Business Activities
- Guide to Workforce Planning: Process and Strategies
- Effective Business Mentorship Strategies for Startups
- Next-Generation Seismic Techniques for Efficient Permian Basin Exploration
- The Major Challenges In Government Payment Processes – Survey Reveals Critical Inefficiencies
- The Psychology of Online Bargain Hunting: What Small Business Owners Need to Know
- Cultivating a High-Performance Culture in Bangladesh: The Strategic Imperative of Employee Engagement
- Improving Coding Efficiency: Streamlined Workflows with Medical Coding Audit Services
- Ensuring Coding Accuracy: How Medical Coding Audit Services Identify and Correct Errors
- Streamlining Insurance Verification: How Healthcare Automation Services Simplify Eligibility Checks
- Managing Administrative Overload: Streamlining Processes with Healthcare Automation Services
- Navigating State Licensing Variations: Expert Guidance from Medical Licensing Services
- Ensuring Accurate Documentation: The Role of Medical Licensing Services in Error Prevention
- Navigating State Licensing Variations: Expert Guidance from Medical Credentialing Services
- Handling Multiple Credentialing Applications: Streamlined Management by Credentialing Services
- Handling Complex Medical Histories: Efficient Record Management by Patient Access Services
- Improving Overall Patient Experience: Enhanced Satisfaction with Patient Access Services
- Finding the Perfect Partner: A Comprehensive Guide to Choosing the Best Virtual Assistant Agency
- The Transformative Potential of Medical Virtual Assistants in Healthcare
- Maximizing Profitability: The Economics Behind Customizable Design Assets