The Snowflake Test serves as a culture and personality exam utilized by some firms to vet job seekers.
The examination includes questions crafted to evaluate an applicant’s perspectives, convictions, and political leanings.
Its objective is to pinpoint candidates viewed as “snowflakes”, a pejorative label for individuals perceived as extremely sensitive, prone to taking offense and expecting unique consideration.
Critics have targeted the Snowflake Test for discriminatory tendencies and potential breaches of anti-discrimination laws.
Its reliability has also come under fire, along with its lack of correlation with job performance.
Numerous alternatives exist for screening job applicants, including:
- Cognitive capability examinations
- Situational judgment exams
- Personality assessments
- Work sample examinations
- These options tend to be more reliable and accurate than the Snowflake Test, and they carry a lower risk of discriminatory practices.
Job seekers need to be cognizant of the Snowflake Test and ready to decline it if proposed. Awareness of rights under anti-discrimination legislation is also crucial.
Hiring managers should steer clear of the Snowflake Test. Superior alternatives are accessible, aiding in pinpointing the most suitable candidates for open roles.
Can I Use The “Snowflake Test” To Evaluate Others?
You can use the Snowflake Test to evaluate others, but you should be aware of the risks and limitations of doing so.
The Snowflake Test is not a reliable or valid measure of personality or compatibility. It is a subjective and biased assessment that reflects your own opinions and preferences.
It may also offend or alienate others who have different views or beliefs than you.
Using the Snowflake Test to evaluate others may result in:
- Missing out on valuable perspectives and insights from people who are different from you.
- Creating a hostile or intolerant environment for people who feel judged or excluded by you.
- Damaging your relationships and reputation with people who find your test disrespectful or inappropriate.
- Violating ethical or legal principles if you use the test for hiring, education, or other professional purposes.
Instead of using the Snowflake Test to evaluate others, you should try to:
- Respect and appreciate diversity and individuality in others.
- Seek to understand and empathize with others’ experiences and feelings.
- Communicate openly and constructively with others about your opinions and expectations.
- Learn from and collaborate with others who have different skills and abilities than you.
- Use objective and relevant criteria to assess others’ performance and suitability for a role or task.
What Topics Do The Snowflake Test Questions Cover?
The Snowflake Test questions cover various topics that are intended to challenge the candidates’ views on different issues, such as:
- Politics: The test may ask questions about the candidates’ opinions on gun rights, police, immigration, abortion, taxes, etc.
- Religion: The test may ask questions about the candidates’ beliefs in God, faith, morality, etc.
- Culture: The test may ask questions about the candidates’ attitudes toward diversity, inclusion, social justice, etc.
- Morality: The test may ask questions about the candidates’ values, ethics, principles, etc.
- Personality: The test may ask questions about the candidates’ emotions, feelings, preferences, etc.
Original snowflake-test questions, taken directly from the original Facebook post:
- How many sick days should be given to employees?
- How do you feel about guns?
- What are your feelings about employees or clients carrying guns?
- Should “trigger warnings” be issued before we release content for clients or the company that might be considered “controversial”?
- How do you feel about the police?
- When was the last time you cried and why?
- What are your thoughts on the current college environment as it pertains to a future workforce?
- What’s your typical breakfast?
- What do you do if a coworker comes to the table with an idea and it sucks?
- What does the First Amendment mean to you?
- What does faith mean to you?
- You’re in Starbucks with two friends. Someone runs in and says someone is coming in with a gun in 15 seconds to shoot patrons. They offer you a gun. Do you take it? What do you do next?
- What does America mean to you?
- You see someone stepping on an American flag. What do you do?
- What does “privilege” mean to you?
- You arrive at an event for work and there’s a major celebrity you’ve always wanted to meet. What happens next?
- How do you handle bullies?
- What are your feelings about safe spaces in challenging work environments?
- Outside of standard benefits, what benefits should a company offer employees?
- What should the national minimum wage be?
The Dangers Of Using The Snowflake Test In The Recruiting And Hiring Processes
- The test may violate discrimination laws.
- The test is not scientifically validated.
- The test is riddled with bias.
- The test prioritizes groupthink and workplace homogeneity.
Snowflake Test Alternatives
Some possible alternatives to the Snowflake Test for hiring are12:
- Personality and culture-add tests
- Cognitive ability tests
- Situational judgment tests
- Role-specific skills tests
- Language skills tests
Snowflake Test Top 3 Traits by Country
| Overall / Top Traits | Self-obsessed | Bossy | Self-centered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇦 Canada | Self-obsessed | Miser | Bossy |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Self-obsessed | Bossy | Self-centered |
| 🇺🇸 United States | Self-obsessed | Bossy | Self-centered |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | Bossy | Self-centered | Easily Irritated |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | Bossy | Self-centered | Easily Irritated |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | Miser | Bossy | Self-obsessed |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | Self-obsessed | Bossy | Self-centered |
| 🇷🇴 Romania | Self-obsessed | Easily Irritated | Bossy |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | Self-abased | Bossy | Miser |
| 🇫🇮 Finland | Miser | Self-obsessed | Self-abased |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | Bossy | Miser | Self-abased |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | Self-centered | Self-obsessed | Miser |
| 🇳🇴 Norway | Self-abased | Miser | Self-obsessed |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | Self-centered | Self-obsessed | Easily Irritated |
| 🇫🇷 France | Self-obsessed | Miser | Bossy |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | Bossy | Miser | Easily Irritated |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | Miser | Self-centered | Self-obsessed |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | Self-abased | Bossy | Easily Irritated |
| 🇩🇰 Denmark | Miser | Easily Irritated | Bossy |
| 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | Self-abased | Easily Irritated | Self-obsessed |
| 🇨🇿 Czechia | Self-obsessed | Miser | Bossy |
| 🇪🇬 Egypt | Bossy | Miser | Self-abased |
| 🇹🇷 Turkey | Self-abased | Easily Irritated | Self-centered |
| 🇸🇮 Slovenia | Bossy | Easily Irritated | Self-obsessed |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | Self-abased | Self-centered | Self-obsessed |
| 🇬🇷 Greece | Bossy | Miser | Easily Irritated |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | Self-abased | Self-obsessed | Easily Irritated |
| 🇮🇳 India | Self-abased | Bossy | Self-obsessed |
| 🇦🇷 Argentina | Self-abased | Bossy | Miser |
| 🇵🇹 Portugal | Self-centered | Self-obsessed | Self-abased |
| 🇷🇸 Serbia | Self-centered | Bossy | Self-obsessed |
| 🇭🇷 Croatia | Bossy | Self-centered | Self-obsessed |
| 🇪🇪 Estonia | Easily Irritated | Miser | Self-abased |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | Bossy | Self-obsessed | Easily Irritated |
