With Fewer Retail Jobs, More Cheating on Hiring Test

Cheat on the personality test many retailers make job applicants take as part of the hiring process and you’ve got one foot in the door—and a lot of company, reports the Wall Street Journal. The computer-administered tests are feeding a growing culture of savvy applicants who share answers, take tests for each other, and even post answer keys online.

A tightening job market and slow economy has retailers inundated with job seekers and, as one way to save managers’ time and reduce human-resource expenses, many turn to a multiple-choice online test, Unicru, from the firm Kronos, to pre-screen applicants. But with answers and test-taking strategy posted on websites like Facebook, some critics say the tests have become worthless.