After Missing Some Red Flags, McKenna Long Uses 30-Minute Test to Find Team Players
Lawyers who would like to work at McKenna Long & Aldridge will have to devote about 30 minutes of their time to an online psychological test.
Recruiting director Jennifer Queen tells the Careerist that the firm decided to require the test after missing some “red flags” in individuals hired over the years. The firm now includes the test, provided by Talent Quest, as part of the callback process.
Queen gave an example of the type of questions on the test. “Team player is one of our assessments,” she tells the blog. “If someone says, ‘It’s all about me,’ that’s a red flag. And if someone says, ‘I play tennis but hate playing doubles,’ that’s a sign.’”
The Careerist wondered whether job hunters will be penalized for being honest. Not necessarily, Queen says. “Even though the assessment might say you are not a team player, you can still show that you are self-aware [of that trait] and that you are willing to learn,” Queen said.
Queen confessed to fears that McKenna would be “labeled as the weird firm,” but so far only one student has questioned the assessment. Managers from other law firms, however, haven’t been knocking down Queen’s door to learn about the test. “I think they are concerned with stigma—what will [candidates] think of us?” she said. “They don’t want to be different.”
Previous coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Why Law Firm Interviewers Are Asking ‘Tell Me About a Time’ Questions”
