At Abby Kelley Foster Charter School in Worcester, Massachusetts, even the candidates for IT jobs have to take a test. Gabriel Beltran, the school’s IT director, was looking for a data manager. Following interview calls, he gave candidates two files: one with names and email addresses, another with grades and homeroom assignments. Then he presented them with a merged report that he wanted them to recreate. Beltran looked on as they went to work. “I decided to include the test, because I don’t want to hire somebody and then find out a month or two months later that they didn’t really have the skill,” Beltran told IT Brew, adding that he let interviewees use whatever tools they prefer to create that merged document. Get creative.—BH |