What does America mean to you? When was the last time you cried and why?
You better be ready to answer these questions if you want to work at The Silent Partner Marketing, a boutique marketing firm located in Manchester, Conn. The company’s CEO Kyle Reyes recently told FOX Business Network that he likes to use a “snowflake test” to screen job applicants.
“A snowflake is somebody who is going to whine and complain and come to the table with nothing but an entitled attitude and an inability to back their perspective,” Reyes said, adding that he uses the test “to sort of weed out the people who were inundating us with résumés and didn’t even know what we do for work.” In other words, Silent Partner is doing what many companies do as part of their recruiting process—submit candidates through a personality assessment.
Such tests, of course, are supposed to help ensure that companies hire people who will not just be able to do the work but also fit well into the culture. And sure enough, Reyes claims that his assessment has helped to disqualify 60 percent of interviewees.
Here are some more questions from the snowflake test:
- What are your feelings about safe spaces in challenging work environments?
- You see someone stepping on an American Flag. What happens next?
- What does “faith” mean to you?
- How do you feel about police?
- What are your feelings about employees or clients carrying guns?
You’ve got to wonder, though, whether a job-seeker’s stance on police and guns should be part of a marketing firm’s hiring process. Here’s how Reyes explained his position on the conservative site NewBostonPost:
“Companies across the country do their best to make you feel all warm and fuzzy about them. They want EVERYONE to want to work for them. They want to create this grand illusion that they’re more magical than Disney. They sell the experience that they do things like donate socks to kittens and give each other foot rubs and all of that weird crap to make people happy. Their oxygen is your desire to work for them. Then, of course, you get there and realize it’s miserable actually working for the company.”
“But here’s the thing,” he continued. “I don’t want most people to work for my company. No, seriously. Most people suck…Not just professionally. Just as people. They are whiny, needy, entitled little brats.”
No, most people do not suck. But you know who does suck? People who think that most people suck. But that’s for another post, another time. For now, my concern is whether Reyes’ company’s unique assessment is an effective way to keep out…you know…sucky people.
Sucky people clearly includes people who voted for Hillary Clinton and anyone who disagrees with Reyes’ conservative views. In that sense, the company’s assessment is effective. I wouldn’t want to work for this employer, nor would I probably be welcomed there.
So, mission accomplished, Reyes! You’ve implemented a hiring system to crack down on diversity and inclusion in your workplace. Any sane candidate should run from your company, not because they may not agree with your implied views but because such views shouldn’t be a condition of employment to begin with.
Granted, Reyes explains that Silent Partner works “very, very closely with a lot of police departments and so you need to be comfortable and willing to support the men and women who serve and protect.” But who doesn’t support police? I suspect that Reyes is probably conflating the questioning of some police practices with supporting cops.
Regardless, while Reyes is likely right when he insists, “There’s no discrimination here,” he is wrong to claim, “This is nothing more than a glorified personality test.” Because there’s nothing glorified about it.
