Managing Human Resources Chapter 6 Employee Selection

behavioral interviews

The interviewer asks the participant a series of questions about what he or she would do in particular work circumstances. Sometimes combined with videos showing work simulations, and participants are asked at intervals to make choices about what they would do in the situations shown.

construct validity

Typical constructs are intelligence, mechanical comprehension, and anxiety. They are in effect broad, general categories of human functions that are based on the measurement of many discrete behaviors.

compensatory model

With a strictly statistical approach, a candidate's high score on one predictor (such as a cognitive ability test) will make up for a low score on another predictor (such as the interview).

values-based hiring

hire individuals who match their values and cultures. drawback is it can result in a lack of diversity, so firms need to be cautious about hiring too many of the same types people

interview

(1) it is especially practical when there are only a small number of applicants; (2) it serves other purposes, such as public relations; and (3) interviewers maintain great faith and confidence in their judgments. Nevertheless, the interview can be plagued by problems of subjectivity and personal bias.

the big five factors

1. extroversion —the degree to which someone is talkative, sociable, active, aggressive, and excitable 2. agreeableness - —the degree to which someone is trusting, amiable, generous, tolerant, honest, cooperative, and flexible 3. conscientiousness - —the degree to which someone is dependable and organized and perseveres in tasks 4. neuroticism - —the degree to which someone is secure, calm, independent, and autonomous 5. openness to experience - —the degree to which someone is intellectual, philosophical, insightful, creative, artistic, and curious

steps in selection process

1. submission of resume 2. completion of application 3. interviews 4. reference and background checks 5. pre-employment tests 6. medical exam/drug test 7. hiring decision

interviewer training

1. understand the job 2. establish an interview plan 3. establish and maintain rapport and listen actively 4. pay attention to non-verbal cues 5. provide information as freely and honestly as possible 6. use questions effectively 7. separate facts from inferences 8. recognize stereotypes and biases 9. avoid halo error 10. control the course of the interview 11. standardized questions asked

Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003

2003 (which was designed, among other things, to make identity theft more difficult), along with the Consumer Reporting Employment Clarification Act of 1998, and the Consumer Credit Reporting Re-form Act of 1996 now restrict the sharing of some credit information.

Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988

Act generally prohibits using lie detectors for prehire screening and random testing of a firm's current employees and applies to all private employers except pharmaceutical companies and companies that supply security guards for health and safety operations as well as government agencies.

structured interview

An interview in which a set of standardized questions having an established set of answers is used. provides info needed to make sound decisions

correlation

Combining two or more procedures such as an interview or a test can improve the validity of a firm's selection process. The higher the overall validity is, the greater the chances are of hiring individuals who will be the better performers.

reference checks

Generally, telephone checks are preferable because they save time and provide for greater candor. faxes, emails and mail are used as well.

validity

The degree to which a test or selection procedure measures a person's attributes. Directly related to increases employee productivity

reliability

The degree to which interviews, tests, and other selection procedures yield comparable data over time and alternative measures

role-playing

The exercise might involve preparing for and engaging in a customer meeting or a team leader meeting with one's subordinates. A trained assessor then assesses the participant using a structured rating scale.

criterion-related validity

The extent to which a test significantly correlates with important elements of work behavior. two types: concurrent and predictive

negligent hiring

The failure of an organization to discover, via due diligence, that an employee it hired had the propensity to do harm to others

cross-validation

a process in which a test or battery of tests is administered to a different sample of people (drawn from the same population) for the purpose of verifying the results obtained from the original validation study.

preemployment tests

an objective and standardized measure of a sample of behavior that is used to gauge a person's knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) relative to other individuals

content validity

assumed to exist when a test adequately samples the knowledge and skills a person needs to do a particular job.

desperation ratio

bias"—choosing someone because you are in a pinch. It is a common problem among managers because of the many time and operating constraints they face.

sequential interview

candidate is interviewed by multiple people, one right after another. Allows different interviewers who have a vested interest in the candidate's success to meet and evaluate the person one-on-one. The interviewers later get together and compare their assessments of the candidates.

biodata tests

collect biographical information about candidates that has shown to correlate with on-the-job success. Candidates are questioned about events and behaviors that reflect attitudes, experiences, interests, skills, and abilities. The idea is that past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior. For example, a question might ask, "How many books have you read in the last 6 months?" or "How often have you put aside tasks to complete another, more difficult assignment?"

initial screening

cover letters, resume and resume scanning softwares

online applications

downside: large volume of applicants not meeting minimum requirements

behavioral description interview

focuses on actual work incidents in the interviewee's past. Asks the job applicant what he or she actually did in a given situation

drug tests

given to candidates only after they have been extended job offers.

credit checks

have been widely used by employers to screen applicants. They are conducted more often and are cheaper in the United States today than in other coun-tries because the United States has a national credit reporting system.

virtual interviews

have several potential advantages related to flexibility, speed, and cost. Employers can also use them as a prescreening tool to make preliminary assessments about applicants before incurring the costs of a face-to-face meeting. The goal is to enable faster, higher-quality decisions at lower cost.

job specifications

help identify the individual competencies employees need for success—the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other factors (KSAOs) that lead to superior performance.

background checks

include Social Security verification, past employment, education, and certification and license verification. A number of other checks can be conducted if they pertain to the job for which one is being hired. They include a driving-record check (for jobs involving driving), a credit check (for money-handling jobs), and a military records check. Checks for criminal convictions have become a standard part of background checks.

Privacy act of 1974

individuals have a legal right to examine letters of reference about them (unless they waive the right to do so). Although the Privacy Act applies only to the records maintained by federal government agencies, other forms of privacy legislation in most states have influenced employers to "clean up" their personnel files and open them up to review and challenge by the employees concerned.

concurrent validity

involves obtaining criterion data from current employees at about the same time that test scores (or other predictor information) are obtained.

predictive validity

involves testing applicants and obtaining criterion data after those applicants have been hired and have been on the job for a certain period of time.

multiple cutoff model

it is frequently important that applicants achieve some minimum level of proficiency on all selection dimensions. Only those candidates who score above the minimum cutoff on all dimensions are considered.

polygraph tests

lie detector, a device that measures the changes in breathing, blood pressure, and pulse of a person who is being questioned.

in-basket exercises

method is used to simulate a problem situation. The participants are given several documents, each describing some problem or situation requiring an immediate response. They are thus forced to make decisions under the pressure of time and also to determine what priority to give each problem.

medical examinations

one of the later steps in the selection process because the law prohibits it being administered to an applicant before he or she has been made a conditional employment offer. Given to ensure that the health of an applicant is adequate to meet the job requirements. It also provides a baseline - important in determinations of work-caused disabilities under workers' compensation laws.

selection

process of choosing individuals who have relevant qualifications to fill existing or projected job openings.

assessment center tests

process used to evaluate candidates as they participate in a series of situations that resemble what they might be called on to handle on the job.

application forms

provide a fairly quick and systematic means of obtaining a variety of information about the applicant, such as whether the applicant meets the minimum requirements for experience, education, and so on.

video resumes

short video clips that high-light applicants' qualifications beyond what they can communicate via their résumés and cover letters.

panel interview

the candidate meets with three to five interviewers who take turns asking questions. After the interview, the interviewers pool their observations and their rating scores if the interview is structured to reach a consensus about the suitability of the candidate.

clinical approach

those making the selection decision review all the data on the applicants. Then, on the basis of their understanding of the job and the individuals who have been successful in that job, they make a decision.

nondirective interview

An interview in which the applicant is allowed the maximum amount of freedom in determining the course of the discussion, while the interviewer carefully refrains from influencing the applicant's remarks. reliability and validity of these interviews are not likely to be as great. This method is most likely to be used in interviewing candidates for high-level positions and in counseling,

situational interview

Applicant is given a hypothetical incident and asked how he or she would respond to it. The applicant's response is then evaluated relative to established benchmark standards.

physical ability tests

Particularly for demanding and potentially dangerous jobs such as those held by firefighters and police officers, physical abilities such as strength and endurance tend to be good predictors not only of performance, but also of accidents and injuries.

statistical approach

Quantified data such as scores or ratings from interviews, tests, and other procedures are then combined according to their weighted value. Individuals with the highest combined scores are selected.

work sample test

Requires the applicant to perform tasks that are actually a part of the work required on the job.

leaderless group discussion

With this activity, trainees are gathered in a conference setting to discuss an assigned topic, either with or without designated group roles. The participants are given little or no instruction in how to approach the topic, nor are they told what decision to reach. Trainees are evaluated on their initiative, leadership skills, and ability to work effectively in a group setting.

cognitive ability tests

measure mental capabilities such as general intelligence, verbal fluency, numerical ability, and reasoning ability. A host of paper-and-pencil tests measure cognitive abilities, including the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB), Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT), and Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Test.

job knowledge test

tests, a type of achievement test designed to measure a person's level of understanding about a particular job. may allow placement on a job without further training.

computer interviews

used as a screening device to help filter out unqualified applicants applying online who do not merit a personal interview. Depending on the vendor and the software used, can be conducted in conjunction with online tests that can measure everything from contradictory responses and latent responses (time delays related to answering a question) to the applicant's typing speed and ability to use different kinds of software

honesty and integrity tests

valid for predicting job performance as well as a wide range of disruptive behaviors such as theft, disciplinary problems, and absenteeism.