So every job I've ever applied for required tests, and all of them looked more like general intelligence tests than specific (the standard brain teasers about buckets of water, geometry questions,etc all for statistical programming jobs).

So, a handful of brain teasers issued and interpreted by non-experts is surely inferior to an IQ test. So why don't we have nationally recognized agencies that administer IQ tests, that they then report to potential employers at your request, like the SAT and colleges?

(And it is unfortunate about that hire- organizations should make the most of local knowledge like that, but often fail to. Hiring people as consultants might be more efficient, though, especially if you know the person has the skills for the job you need done now but might not have the skills for the next job you need.)