Important things to know about becoming a tester

 

What our program does:
Arizona Fair Housing Center is charged with investigating housing discrimination complaints across in the State of Arizona. It is against federal law for housing providers to discriminate against people based on race, national origin, color, religion, sex, familial status and disability. We serve ALL protected classes.

 

What testing is:
Testing is one of the most important tools fair housing agencies like ours use to uncover discrimination. It is much like “secret shopper”, but with apartments and discrimination. We send two testers out to talk to a landlord about an apartment, and then monitor those interactions for signs of discrimination. A test might consist of sending one tester who is white and one who is black, or one with an accent and one without an accent, to ask about the same apartment.

 

Testers are as-needed, temporary part-time employees:
Zero hours/test assignments are guaranteed, and testers may not be called upon at all to provide any services. Work is assigned as-needed. Testers are not eligible for employee benefits. Testers are paid a flat fee of $50.00 per completed phone test, and $100.00 (+ mileage) per completed in-person test.

 

What testers do:
We use testers for two types of testing—telephone and in-person. Typically, when we schedule someone for a test, the tester comes to our office to pick up their test assignment. The testing coordinator goes over the assignment with the tester, and then the tester proceeds to conduct their test.

 

For an in-person test, this means driving to an apartment complex, getting information about available units, and viewing open units.

 

For a telephone test, this means placing phone calls to a housing provider. Due to the nature of making calls and leaving messages, phone tests may be carried out across several days, and you should keep this in mind when scheduling with us.

 

After a tester has made contact with a leasing agent and inquired about openings, they then complete test report forms. These report forms gather information about the tester’s experience and must be returned to the test coordinator as soon as possible.

 

You must attend a tester training before you can be considered for testing:
Tester trainings are conducted periodically to teach someone the proper way to conduct a test. These trainings cover fair housing laws, elements of fair housing testing, confidentiality, and procedures for performing a fair housing test. As part of the interview process, you will be asked to complete a practice test following the training. Hiring decisions will be based upon your performance throughout the training and subsequent practice test, along with criminal background screen results. Tester training sessions and practice tests are unpaid.

 

Testing isn’t for everybody.
We ask alot of our testers and are particular about who we use for testing. We use test results to file complaints against landlords who have violated the law. Tests you conduct will potentially be used as evidence in these cases. We need to ensure the integrity of our test results, and need people who understand the commitment and can be thorough in their assignments. If you think you have what it takes to make a good tester, please continue to our application by clicking below.