
The Selection of Talent: Evidence from Ethiopia [pdf] - blopeur
https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/e9b89f_bd4ea11c3aef45d1a76f49309fc740e1.pdf
======
bjourne
Anyone know what font is used in that article? It's beautiful.

> Further, we measure the quality of the individuals who apply for the job
> through a battery of personnel selection tests that capture cognitive
> ability, non-cognitive ability and relevant work experience. These tests are
> reliable predictors of work performance and are used by firms worldwide
> (Heckman et al., 2006; Autor and Scarborough, 2008; Hoffman et al., 2015).2

> We use the Raven and Stroop tests for cognitive ability (Schmidt and Hunter,
> 1998). For non-cognitive skills we administer the Big-5 personality test and
> the Grit scale (John and Srivastava, 1999; Duckworth et al., 2007).

Does evidence really exists that these tests are predictive?

~~~
Cyph0n
To answer your question about the font, I think it's the same font used by the
current ACM LaTeX template. The font is called Linux Libertine[1].

[1] [https://www.dafont.com/linux-
libertine.font](https://www.dafont.com/linux-libertine.font)

~~~
jacobolus
This is very obviously wrong. Just look at the letters.

~~~
Cyph0n
Again, it was just a quick guess. I have a terrible eye for these kinds of
things :P

------
readams
I have a suspicion that if this were a widespread practice the effect would
disappear.

~~~
averagewall
It sort of is widespread. Some of my engineering classmates were flown to
other countries for job interviews at the employer's expense. It's probably
most significant for poor people like students and Ethiopian clerical job
applicants for whom application costs are high compared to their income.

------
raiderdan11
The article was beautiful and I would really like to know myself if the tests
have been found to be predictive.

------
nnfy
I'm not sure I follow; the authors claim that paying job applicants for
applying attracts better talent? And they further claim that Ethiopians cannot
afford the cost of generating an application?

Somehow I doubt that these results would translate to white collar jobs in the
first world.

~~~
Terretta
I'd be willing to try this for white collar jobs in the first world.

As a developer, your time is valuable. We'll compensate you for helping
discover if we'd be a mutual fit.

1\. I'd offer NYC-based K8s-savvy developers a $100 Amazon gift card for a CV
and passing a phone screen, no obligation to interview on site.

2\. I'd offer NYC-based K8s-savvy developers a $500 Amazon gift card for
getting to an offer after an on-site interview day (more like half day), no
obligation to accept offer.

Types of folks I'm looking for is listed in my profile.

~~~
nnfy
In theory it sounds like a good idea, but I just wonder, what stops people
from gaming such a system if it becomes commonplace?

$500 for a couple hours of trouble, assuming I'm local, isn't a bad deal.

~~~
allannienhuis
They'd have to be qualified enough to get an actual offer. He didn't say
anyone interviewing would get the $500. Not sure what sort of gaming could be
done with that criteria. And with that carrot for qualified people, he's
likely to get more applicants than otherwise, which is the point.

~~~
CM30
Well, not every developer is making a ton of cash, and a fair few qualified
ones may be quite happy to do an interview every day or so for a bit of extra
cash.

Heck, if enough companies offered $500 for a successful interview, some people
would probably end up making more from going to interviews than they would
accepting the offer.

