Recruitment & Selection Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, theories, and methodologies from the Recruitment & Selection lecture.

Recruitment

The process of attracting applicants qualified to occupy vacant positions in a company (Zarate, 2014).

Internal Recruitment

The practice of recruiting employees who are already employed by the organization.

External Recruitment

The practice of recruiting job applicants from outside the organization.

Realistic Job Previews (RJP)

A recruitment method in which job applicants are informed about both the positive and negative aspects of the job to reduce cognitive dissonance and reality shock.

Expectation-Lowering Procedure (ELP)

A form of Realistic Job Preview (RJP) designed specifically to lower an applicant’s expectations regarding various job aspects.

Employment Interview

A selection method in which an interviewer asks an applicant questions and makes a hiring decision based on the responses and manner of answering.

Structured Interview

An interview format where questions are derived from a job analysis, all applicants face the same questions, and standardized scoring keys are used to evaluate answers.

Unstructured Interview

An interview format where interviewers have the freedom to ask any questions without requiring consistency across applicants, scoring answers at their own discretion.

Clarifier Question

An interview question type used to clarify information provided on an applicant's résumé or application, such as employment gaps or job titles.

Disqualifier Question

An interview question type designed to check if an applicant fails to meet minimum mandatory job requirements, such as driver's license possession or overtime availability.

Skill-Level Determiner Question

An interview question type meant to assess an applicant's specific job-related knowledge or technical expertise.

Past-Focused (Behavioral) Question

An interview question type that prompts applicants to describe past actions and experiences in specific situations.

Future-Focused (Situational) Question

An interview question type presenting a hypothetical job scenario to ask how the applicant would handle the situation.

Organizational Fit Question

An interview question type designed to measure how well an applicant's personality, work style, and values match the company culture.

Right/Wrong Approach

A structured interview scoring method where responses are scored as objectively correct or incorrect based on an established correct answer.

Typical Answer Approach

A structured interview scoring method where subject-matter experts (SMEs) rate a range of potential answers to create benchmark ratings on a scale.

Key Issues Approach

A structured interview scoring method where subject-matter experts (SMEs) identify essential points or themes that must be addressed, awarding points for each key issue mentioned.

Reference Check

The process of verifying the accuracy of information submitted on an applicant's résumé and job application.

Reference

An oral or written opinion regarding an applicant's ability, previous work performance, habits, character, or potential for success.

Letter of Recommendation

A written document expressing an evaluation of an applicant's skills, past performance, character, and potential for success.

Negligent Hiring

A legal situation where an employer is held liable for hiring an unfit employee with a criminal record or history of severe discipline problems who commits a crime or harm during employment.

Reliability

The degree to which scores from a test or evaluation method are consistent and free from measurement error.

Job Knowledge Test

A test measuring the amount of specific job-related knowledge an applicant possesses, commonly structured in multiple-choice, essay, or oral format.

Ability Tests

Assessments evaluating an applicant's capacity to learn or perform job-related skills, commonly used when applicants are not expected to know the job prior to hiring.

Cognitive Ability Tests

Assessments designed to measure general intelligence, information processing, and overall learning capability.

Wonderlic Personnel Test

A widely used 12-minute cognitive ability test administered individually or in group settings to evaluate general intelligence.

Perceptual Ability

A measure of facility with visual and sensory processes, including spatial relations, vision, color discrimination, depth perception, and hearing.

Psychomotor Ability

A measure of facility with motor skills, fine-finger dexterity, and bodily coordination.

Physical Ability Tests

Evaluations measuring basic physical capabilities like dynamic strength, explosive strength, flexibility, balance, and stamina required for job duties.

Work Samples

A high-validity selection technique where applicants perform actual tasks required by the position.

Assessment Centers

A comprehensive selection method utilizing multiple evaluation techniques and assessors to observe candidates performing simulated job exercises.

Biodata

A selection technique using biographical data from detailed application blanks that empirical research has linked to job performance.

Personality Inventories

Psychological measures designed to evaluate aspects of personality, divided into tests of normal personality traits, tests of psychopathology, projective tests, and objective tests.

Overt Integrity Test

A direct honesty test measuring explicit attitudes toward theft, honesty, and self-admissions of prior misconduct.

Personality-Based Integrity Test

An indirect honesty test assessing general underlying traits linked to counterproductive work behavior, such as conscientiousness and agreeableness.

Polygraph

An electronic device used to evaluate truthfulness by monitoring physiological responses when questions are asked.

Need Achievement Theory

McClelland's motivation framework asserting that individuals are driven by three fundamental needs: Need for Achievement ($nACH$), Need for Power ($nPOW$), and Need for Affiliation ($nAFF$).

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

A motivational theory structuring human needs into a five-tier pyramid: physiological, safety, love and belongingness, esteem, and self-actualization.

ERG Theory

Clayton Alderfer's motivation theory condensing Maslow's model into three core categories: Existence, Relatedness, and Growth, which can be pursued simultaneously.

Two-Factor Theory

Herzberg's theory proposing that job motivation depends on Motivators (e.g., achievement, recognition) that generate satisfaction, and Hygiene Factors (e.g., salary, conditions) that prevent dissatisfaction.

Expectancy Theory

Vroom's motivation theory positing that effort depends on three core beliefs: Expectancy (effort leads to performance), Instrumentality (performance leads to outcome), and Valence (desirability of the outcome).

Goal-Setting Theory

Locke and Latham's framework stating that specific, challenging goals maximize motivation, guided by 5 core principles: Clarity, Challenge, Commitment, Feedback, and Task Complexity.