On my very first Tech job, I was hired along with a big pool of temps to support tax-related software (for CPAs and Tax Attorneys, not TurboTax or other consumer products) during "Tax Season".  The "training" was horrific and most of the other temps were even worse.  I was kept on and was a Sr. Tech before the next Tax Season rolled around.  Again, we had a few decent temps and a bunch of lousy ones, but I had put myself in charge of training, so at least the new folks had *some* chance at knowing what they were doing before taking customer phone calls.

By the third year, I was ready, and we were able to do a much better job.  Worked like this:

- Temp agencies gave candidates a written test that I wrote.  They faxed in completed tests to be graded by us.  Note: the temp agencies HATED this, because they knew most people couldn't pass these tests.  The test was of basic DOS commands and some basic Windows info.

- Candidates that passed the written test would be interviewed, and given verbal and hands-on computer testing.  Again, basic DOS and Windows commands.  "Make a directory called 'test' on the root of the C: drive."  Stuff like that.

- Those that passed would be assigned a to the next training class, which was every other week.  The training class included two written tests on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, and a hands-on on Friday afternoon.

Ultimately, we saved money this way, because we eliminated the "non-hackers" very early in the process.  But we would have to grade 400+ tests, interview 200+ candidates, and send 100+ to training in order to end up with 40 people that could do the job.

At least 2/3 of those 40 were people who had no formal training on computers; they were self-taught, which were the people most likely to be eliminated by most corporate screening.  People that had gone to Heald, DeVry, or other "career re-training" schools were the least likely to pass, because they usually had no hands-on, practical experience to back up their book knowledge.

-Troy