Our company wants me to participate in a -what I call- think tank survey program.
It involves me filling out a long electronic list that asks quite a few questions which are similar in context and format to that which you find on an IQ test (minus the pictures).
If further delves into moral/ethical queries and to the point where in one scenario it may give you four answers/options, yet next page it asks a rephrased version of the question with only two answers - neither of which I would pick.
This pops up a lot throughout the course of it.
I do not feel comfortable participating in this, due to not being able to give appropriate answers.
They say it’s mandatory because they already paid for the licenses.
Do I have any legal recourse if I should deny involving myself and they threaten termination?
Unless the choices are completely offensive (e.g., ‘What weekend activity would you find more rewarding? A) Going on a mass murder spree B) Raping babies’), I don’t think you have any recourse if you are in the U.S. They generally have the right to fire you or promote you based on a soft drink taste test if they want to.
I would just fill it out to the best of your ability and give the answers closest to what you think they are looking for. It is an management fad, not a virtue test.
I think part of this is if the answers are available to your employer or not. If so, do any of the questions identify you as a protected class that they were not aware of already. So for example (IANAL so the example may not be 100% correct) we assume your employer knows you’re female and have a child. One of the questions is “Have you ever had a child out of wedlock?” to which you answer yes. Two days later you are fired. Assuming
*having a child out of wedlock is protected
*the employer had access to the answers
*there is nothing to warrant a sudden dismissal
then there may be grounds for a suit.
I think it’s testing something other than what management is telling you it is. It sounds like one of those klever employee evaluation programs that come and go in popularity.
Do you believe this “survey” is anonymous, or do you believe that your employer will have access to all the employees’ answers AND know the identity of each participant?
Yes, the company does have access to all the answers and the participants/employees whom gave them.
We had a quick session with this company before hand, where they introduced themselves.
What I can gather is that they’re about promoting sales and sales mentality (even in non sales environments), and it sounds like Tony Roberts meets New Age meets liberalism run amok in the office.
Feels like they’re trying to squeeze every last ounce of productivity out of their current employee base rather than do something logical like replace the failing employees.
And the rest of us have to be subjected to a quite personal oriented ‘test’ of which is full of entrapment questions without fair answers.
Can you answer them with your best guess as to how a person with a sales mentality would answer? Give the answers your company wants you to give. You’re taking this on company time, so do what your company would want you to do by giving them the answers they want to receive.
I could, as others have suggested - tow the line - though what you recommend sounds like I’m doing it for their benefit, as if the results are going back to this Genome company and will reward my company in the process based on my answers.
I’m against it for various reasons, however am more focused on having legal recourse should they terminate my contract for refusing to engage in something I feel is (I suppose the dirty word here) discriminatory, as it puts words in my mouth so to speak.
A sales mentality in engineering? Dilbert would have a blast with that one. Actually an early Dilbert comic strip had him transferred to Marketing. The punch line was “Two Drink Minimum”.
Sounds like your company may have issues. I’d take the test and answer what they are looking for as others have wisely suggested.
Then start looking for another job. Remember: The best time to look for a job is when you currently have one.
