I love "news" articles that are transparent free advertisements pitched by PR departments. The most recent case in point: yesterday's article in The New York Times about employers' use of personality tests for job candidates.

These tests are incredible! Nowhere do we find any evidence that one of these tests, maybe just once, misguided a hiring decision. And who would wonder otherwise, after assurance by the Association of Test Publishers? (Looks like their PR people came to work happy this morning.)

Is it possible that the tests results are simply confirming attributes present in an already self-selecting candidate pool of people who actually choose to apply for a position? No.

Is it possible that Human Resources departments are at least partly responsible for delinquent due diligence regarding a candidate's background? Absolutely not--at least when you ask the Society for Human Resource Management.

But the most laughable part of this "news" story comes at the end. A newly hired data analyst is thankful for the opportunity to have taken the test. "I'm glad they actually care enough to determine if I am a good match," the analyst says. It turns out that making you fill out Scan-tron bubbles is the way a company shows it really values your future.

Now that's some kind of spin. Coming next from the same PR agency: traffic jams increase employee productivity, because the frequent stalling permits more time to use mobile communications tools -- pitched on behalf of the AAA.