Staffing - Exam 2

Measures

Methods or techniques for assessing attributes that are of concern to us

Examples of measures

Tests of applicant KSAOs, job performance ratings

Goals of Measures

Obtain a score for a person on a given attribute and differentiate individuals to make decisions

Nominal Measurement

A given attribute is categorized, numbers are assigned to categories, and there is no order or level implied among categories

Ordinal Measurement

Objects are ranked according to how much of the attribute they possess

Interval Measurement

Objects are rank ordered and differences between adjacent points on measurement scale are equal in terms of attribute, no absolute zero point

Ratio Measure

Equal differences between scale points for attribute being measured, has a logical or absolute zero point

Scores

Numerical indicator of attribute

Central Tendency

Describes the center of the data

Variableity

Describes the spread of the data around the midpoint

Percentile

Percentage of people scoring below an individual in a distribution of scores

Correlations

Strength and direction of relationship between two sets of scores

Regression

Predicts outcome using one or more predictor variables

Reliability

Refers to how consistently a measure assesses a particular characteristic

Deficiency Error

When you fail to measure important aspects of the attributes

Contamination Error

When other factors unrelated to what is being assessed affect the score

Internal Consistency Reliability

Indicates the extent to which items on a given measure assess the same construct

Inter-rater reliability

Measures the consistency of scores given by different raters using the same scale or instrument

Test-retest reliability

Reflects the repeatability of scores over time

Intra-rater reliablity

Measures how consistent one rater when scoring the same item in two different time periods 

Standard Error of Measrument

Margin of error that you should expect in an individual score because of the imperfect reliability of the measure

Validity

Refers to the extent to which a measure accurately assesses the specific attribute it is intended to measure

Criterion Related Validation

Process of demonstrating that there is a statistical relationship between scores from the predictor and the outcome 

Concurrent Validity

The criterion data is collected at the same time as the predictor measure

Predictive Valdity

The criterion data is collected after the predictor measure 

Content Validation

Process of demonstrating that the content of a measure assesses important job-related behaviors 

Validity Generalization

The degree to which validity can be extended to other contexts

Standardization

Consistent administration and use of a measure

Properties of a standardized measure

Content is identical for all objects measures, administration of measure is identical for all objects, rules for assigning numbers are clearly specified and agreed on in advance

Selection

Process of assessing and evaluating people for purposes of determining the likely fit between the person and job

Selection Plan

Develop a list of KSAOs required for a job and decided if they need to be assessed in the selection process

Initial Assessment Methods

Minimize the costs associated with substantive assessment methods by reducing the number of people assessed 

Resumes/Cover Letters

Applicants provide a resume summarizing their relevant education and experiences and express their interest in the position through a cover letter

Major issues of resumes/cover letters

Large number received by org., falsification and misrepresentation of information, difficult to compare applicants

Application Blanks

Forms that require applicants to provide written information about their skills and job relevant information

Weighted Application Blanks

Job applications on which different information receives different weights

Benefits of weighted application blanks

Well received by applicants, easy to use, relatively inexpensive

Biographical Information

Personal history information of applicant's background and interests

Cons of Biographical Information

Falsification can be a problem, managers and applicants do not like biodata problems 

Letters of Recommendation Cons

Lack of standardization, cannot discern more qualified candidates from less qualified

Reference Checks

Verifying applicant’s background via contact with individual’s familiar with applicant

Initial Interview

Focus on an assessment of KSAOs that are absolute requirements for the applicant

Cons of initial interview

Most expensive method of initial assessment

Substantive Assessment Methods

Used to make more precise decisions about candidates and narrow the candidate pool down to finalists

Performance Tests

Assesses actual performance of preforming the job (fixing a car)

Performance test cons

Costs of realism, lack of generalization for future roles, assumption that candidates have KSAOs prior to hiring

Situational Judgment Tests

Places applicants in hypothetical, job related situations and then asked to choose the most appropriate course of action from several alternatives

Interviews

Most common and used to assess a variety of skills, abilities, and styles

Unstructured Interviews

Ask questions that vary from candidate to candidate and that differ across interviewers

Structured Interviews

Ask candidates a series of standardized, job-related questions with predetermined scores for different answers

Ability tests

Examines whether individuals have the necessary aptitude to learn and perform well on the job

Cognitive Ability Tests

Computerized or paper and pencil tests that assess candidate’s general mental abilities

Psychomotor Tests

Measures a person’s capacity to manipulate and control objects

Physical Ability Tests

Assess a person’s strength, endurance, and movement quality

Sensory/Perceptual Tests

Evaluate candidates’ visual, auditory, and speech perception

Job knowledge tests

Measure a candidates knowledge required by a job

Emotional intelligence tests

Ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions in oneself and others

Personality tests

Big 5 are commonly measured by self-report surveys

Integrity Tests

Designed to assess a candidate’s likelihood of engaging in unethical behavior

Medical Exams

Used to identify potential health risks in candidates but most focus on job related factors essential to business needs

Internal Selection

Refers to the assessment and evaluation of employees from within the organization as they move between jobs via transfer and promotion system

Internal Selection pros

Greater depth and relevance of data available on internal candidates

Internal selection cons

Problems of impression management, favoritism, and gut instinct

Talent Management systems

Maintain ongoing records of employees’ skills, talents, and capabilities to support internal selection decisions

Peer Assessment

Ratings, nominations, and rankings, can be used in internal selection decisions

Peer assessment pros

More likely to view decisions as fair due to their input, are knowledgeable of applicants’ KSAOs

Peer Assessment cons

May encourage friendship bias, assessments not always clear

Seniority

Length of service with organization, department, or job

Experience

Not only length of service but kinds of activities an employee has undertaken

Why is seniority used?

Promoting senior employees is viewed as regarding loyalty, information is easily and cheaply obtained, has the KSAOs necessary to perform job

Why is experience superior?

More valid method, likely to be content valid when past or present jobs are similar to the future job

Job Knowledge Tests

Used for roles requiring technical or specialized knowledge that can’t be quickly learned

Performance Appraisal

Helps predict future performance

Performance Appraisal pros

Readily available, reflects ability and motivation

Performance appraisal cons

May not align with the requirements of the new role

Choice of assessment method

Select measures that assess KSAOs linked to different types of performance success

Incremental prediction

A selection method must add to the prediction of performance success above and beyond the forecasting powers of current methods

Hiring success

The proportion of new hires who turn out to be successful on the job

Selection ratio

Number hired divided by number of applicants

Base rate

Proportion of current employees who are successful

Taylor-Russel Tables

Selection tools are most valuable when the selection ratio is low, the base rate is low, and validity coefficient is high

Economic Gains

Contribution of different characteristics of the workforce to performance outcomes

Compensatory Model

Allows high scores on some assessments to compensate for low scores on other assessments

Multiple hurdles model

Candidates must receive a passing score on an assessment before being allowed to continue on in the selection process

Combined model

The process starts with the multiple hurdles model and ends with the compensatory model

Cut scores

Separates those who advance in the process from those who are rejected

Angoff method

Judgement of subject matter experts

Compensatory

Single aggregate scores across predictors 

Conjuntive

Must pass standards for each predictor

Maximum competency

Screen for overqualified canddiates

Methods of final choice

Random selection, ranking, grouping and banding, differential weighting

Random selection

Each finalist has equal chance of being selected

Ranking

Finalists are ordered from most to least desirable based on results of discreitonary assesments

Grouping and banding

Finalists are banded together into rank ordered categories

Differential weighting

Incorporating weights on scores for determining final candidate eligibility

Length in inches is an example of a(n)

Ratio scale

Research has indicated that job applicants generally have a ___________ view of biodata

Negative

T/F: Personality tests and ability tests are examples of substantive assessment methods?

True