Selection

Selection and PerformanceHiring manager has ultimate responsibility for selection of

employeesPerformance of company is directly correlated to

employees hired and the competencies they bring to the job

Employees who are not a good fit tend to make mistakes and/or leave often resulting in lost customers and money

SelectionSystematic process of deciding which applicants to hire, promote or move to other jobs

Prediction—selecting an applicant that can do the job or learn to do it well

Internal selection is moving current employees into vacant positions

Person-Job FitA good match between applicant’s KSAs and interests with

those of the job

Satisfied employees tend to be more productive

A strong fit maximizes the benefits for employees and the organizations for which they work

Standards for Effective Selection Process

Reliability—how well a selection measure yields consistent results over time and raters

High inter-rater reliability—if raters use same questions and same scoring they should evaluate the interviewee similarly

Validity—extent with which a selection method measures what it is supposed to measure (job-relatedness of the measure)

Rating ErrorsBias—one’s personal views affect the decision making Candidate’s personal characteristics (attractiveness, age,

and gender) affect the decisionContrast effect—evaluation is artificially inflated or

deflated compared to another applicantHalo effect/devil’s horns effect—positive or negative

characteristic of a job candidate affects the other attributes

Impression management—applicant engages in behavior to falsely impress interviewer (self promotion, ingratiation)

Selection MethodsInitial screening involves reviewing the information provided

by applicants to decide which applicants are worthy of consideration

Final screening is taking a more in-depth look at applicants, reviewing references, conducting background checks

Applications and resumes reviewed to determine which applicants meet minimum job requirements (education, previous experience, etc.)

Guidelines for Application Questions

Keep questions job related Ask questions about relevant past work experience, skills, abilities, education, goals and interests Don’t ask personal questions (Are you married? What year did you graduate from high school?)

Screening InterviewsCalling applicant and conducting a

short telephone interviewConfirms person is still looking for a

jobProvides clues about person’s oral

communication skillsFinal screening narrows down

number of candidates to enable final selection

Employment Tests

Aptitude tests measure basic talents or abilitiesCognitive ability tests measure general intelligence like numeric

fluency, general reasoning or verbal comprehensionPhysical ability tests measure endurance, strength or general

fitnessAchievement tests or competency tests measure applicant’s

current knowledge or skill level

Employment Tests (cont’d)Work sample test requires applicant perform a sample of

work representative of the jobKnowledge tests measure applicant’s mastery of subject

matter to do the jobPersonality inventories identify extent to which applicant

possesses certain characteristics needed to be successful in job

When to Use Employment TestsCurrent selection process does not result in quality of

employees desiredTurnover or absenteeism is highCurrent selection methods do not meet professional or legal

standardsProductivity is lowErrors made by employees could have safety, health, or

financial consequences

InterviewsPanel interview—several people interviewing applicant at the same

timeUnstructured interviews—interviewer will ask job-related questions

but without defined format and uses different questions with different applicants

Structured interview—more accurate means of comparing responses across applicants, same questions asked to all applicants

Situational interview—interviewer poses hypothetical situations and asks how candidate would respond

Behavioral interview—interviewer asks how candidate has handled a situation in the past

Other Screening TechniquesReference checks—potential employer can contact applicant’s

references to verify information (applicants should sign release form granting permission)

Background checks—verifying information provided during the application process or to obtain additional information (education, criminal check, credit reports)

Negligent HiringOccurs when employer does not conduct a background

check and employee commits a crime at work similar to one committed in the past

Polygraph Protection Act made polygraphs illegal—replaced by honesty tests or integrity tests

Fair Credit Reporting Act permits employers to collect credit information if applicant provides written authorization

Assessment CentersPut candidates through a series of simulations designed to assess their ability to perform aspects of job they are seeking (example: communication, decisiveness, delegation, planning, etc.)

In-basket—candidates sort through and respond to letters, memos, reports within a specified time frame

Leaderless group discussion—candidates are given a problem to solve

Role plays—candidates play out job-related situations

BiodataBiographical data from applicants (hobbies, experiences in

school, preferred supervisor) learned through questionnaireInformation is compared to information from firm’s successful

employeesMust ensure questions are job related and attempt to verify

information provided

Drug and Medical Tests Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 requires federal

contractors to develop policies to ensure workers are drug free

Drug testing has decreased in recent years due to costMedical exams can only be required after an offer of

employment has been made

Compensatory Approach to Selection

Candidate could score low on one measure (written test) but do well on another (interview)

One measure could offset another depending on how scores are “weighted” (measures that correlate with job success have more value)

Scores are summed to come up with total score for applicant

Multiple-Hurdle and Multiple-Cutoff Approach

Multiple-hurdle—applicants have to successfully pass each step (hurdle) to continue on in the selection process

Multiple-cutoff—applicants have to reach a minimum score on each measure to remain in the running for a particular job

Factors Affecting Selection Practices

Company’s strategy and core competencies required of all employees

Low-cost strategy might focus on efficiency and productivity using simple application, short interview

Differentiation might focus on customer service using role plays, situational interviews, etc.

Larger companies use more formal and extensive selection process, smaller companies very informal, simplified process

Factors Affecting Selection Practices (cont’d)

Person-Organization fit—how well a person fits within the broader organizational culture (values)

Promotion-from-within policy—extent to which a company tends to promote current employees rather than look outside the organization

Efforts to reduce bias and treat applicants in fair and consistent manner

Labor market including skills of applicants and willingness of applicants to accept jobs

Globalization and need to modify selection process for language differences

Technology and SelectionApplications are completed at a computer kioskComputer based personality or situational judgment

questionnaire used for screening interviewApplicants call in to respond to questionsReference and background checking may now be done by

companies online

Globalization and SelectionHiring increasingly large numbers of international

employees to work domesticallySelecting internal candidates to send to other countriesHiring host-country nationals to work in host countriesHiring international employees to work for company abroad

Labor Market AbroadParent-country nationals (PCNs)—sent from home office on

international assignments to control how business is run abroad

Host-country nationals (HCNs)—know the local culture, resources, less costly to employ

Third-country nationals (TCNs)—foreign nationals who work in countries other than their home or parent company’s home countries

Privacy ConcernsSelection methods like background checks, credit reports,

drug tests should be used only when job related and less invasive alternatives are not available

Rationale should be explained to applicantsReliability and validity should be establishedThink through what information is ethical and responsible

to divulge to applicants

Procedures for Using Selection Measures

Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures describe legal use of tests, recordkeeping procedures, etc.

Definition of an Applicant

Employer is acting to fill a specific positionIndividual has followed the procedures described by the

employer for applying for a jobIndividual has actually indicated interest in a specific

position