Staffing Exam 2

Standard measurement

consistent, uniform process of assessing job candidates

Nominal (least useful level of measurement)

puts people into mutually exclusive categories (Ex: Asking an applicant to disclose their race in a follow up survey)

• Can be helpful when looking at demographics and fulfilling legal complaince but is NOT useful when making the hiring decision 

Ordinal

puts people in order 

Ex: Olivia is #1 and Jack is #2 but we do not know if Jack scored close to Olivia or if he scored a lot lower than her in the ranking of candidates. 

Interval 

ranks candidates with equal distances and equal points between them

Ex: “Strongly agree, agree, disgaree, strongly disagree”

Ratio

puts people in order with consistent distance between candidates

• Someone can score 0

Ex: typing test - words per minute

Percentile (most useful 1/2)

gives insight into how an applicant performed compared to others

Ex: Lynn is in the 95th percentile - means that she performed better than 95% of applicants

Percentage (most uself 2/2) 

personal score 

Reliability

how much a selection measure yields consistent results over time or across raters

Types:

1. Time/test retest- scores should be similar if a test is retaken at a different time (experts say the best time is between 6 wks to 6 mos)

2. Across raters - raters should rate the applicant similarly

Reliability coefficient 

Cutoff for reliability is 0.8 or above for selection (ranges from 0-1)

Inter rater reliability

% of rater agreement between 2 or more raters at different times (r > 75%)

Intra rater agreement

correlation between scores given by the same rater at 2 different times (r > 75%)

Parallel or Equivalent forms (measure of reliability)

2 different versions given to the same group of people and calculate the coefficient of equivalence

• Developing 2 similar versions is a challenge

Internal consistency (measure of reliability)

measure of similarity of content between items 

• Split-half reliability 

• Kuder-Richardson reliability 

• Cronbach’s coefficient alpha reliability 

Validity 

extent to which a selection method measures what it is supposed to measure and how well it does so 

• Noted by a series of “**” - the more * the more validity.

• A measure is valid if there is a significant correlation between the predictor and job performance

* A test can be reliable but not valid. 

* A test CANNOT be valid if it is not reliable. 

Criterion related validity

1. Concurrent: test existing employees and simultaneously their job performance

• More convenient BUT want to make sure that the group reflects the applicant pool.

2. Predictive: test applicants and then measure the job performance of those hired

• Has a large gap in time and amount of people might affect validity.

Content validity

The extent to which a test or assessment measures a representative sample of the subject matter it is intended to assess (quantitative measure)

• Get a SME to review the measure and provide feedback on whether it is or is not relevant to the job.

Construct validity

make sure the measure is measuring something unique 

Ex: Collect data on a measure and see if its similar to or a duplicate and then collect data on the variables that might be related to those measures

Recruiting

goal is to reach as many qualified applicants as possible and entice them to apply 

Selection

collect info from applicants to determine who is/is not qualified

Organizational issues

1. In-house v external recruiting agency

• In-house - less expensive

• External (when to use):

  • For positions that are critical to the organization.

  • If retention levels are high

  • Org doesn’t have someone in-house for recruiting

  • Note: recruiting agencies might be informed of candidates who are qualified for the position and might not even be in the job market

2. Centralized v decentralized

• Centralized (for medium/large orgs) - one location does the recruiting for the entire org

  • Pros:

    • Minimizes duplication of effort

    • Less costly

    • More consistent 

  • Cons: each location can’t cater their individual needs 

• Decentralized - each location does its own recruiting

  • Pros:

    • Tailor to each location

    • Less timely

  • Cons: 

    • Duplication of effort 

    • More costly 

Administrative Issues

1. Requisition (used by medium to large orgs) 

2. # and type of contacts 

3. Budget

4. Recruitment guide

• KSAOs → Timeline → People who may work with → etc

5. Process flow and record keeping Recruiter characteristics and training

Open recruitment strategy 

not identifying a target market

• Appropriate for positions with a basic skill set

Targeted recruitment strategy

good for positions that are more specialized or complex

• Target to reach a certain market but other candidates can still apply.

Structured interviews 

interview questions are based on job analysis 

• Same questions are asked to each candidate 

• Responses are numerically scored for each question

• Pre-determined rating scale for each question 

• Detailed notes focusing on behaviors 

Constructing a Structured Interview

1. Identify KSAOs necessary for selection

2. Check scenarios for each KSAO and ask candidates how they would respond or provide an example.

3. Create benchmark responses and ratings

4. Weight responses

EEOC Pre-Employment Regulations

Employers should follow the EEOC guidelines when asking questions about the following on an application: 

1. Name - no Ms, Mr, Dr, etc 

2. Maritial/family status 

3. Ethnicity - must be a BFOQ 

4. Age - do not want to reveal if an applicant is 40+

5. Height and weight - unless it is a BFOQ

6. Military experience - Certain racial groups have a higher % of dishonorable discharge 

7. Work availability on holidays and weekends - Could reveal religion 

8. CANNOT ask about arrest records 

9. Conviction records - Can ask “When? What type of conviction?” then decide if it applies to the position. 

10. Friends/relatives working for the company 

11. Physical and mental health - protected by the ADA

12. Citizenship 

13. Off the job conduct - differs from state to state 

14. Organizational membership - should ask to ommit any information that may reveal sex, ethnicity, religion, etc 

Background checks

an indicator of behavioral reliability - useful for positions where integrity and emotional adjustment are required

• Can be conducted in or out of house

Substantive assessment methods

1. Personality test

2. Ability tests

3. Performance test and work samples

4. Integrity test

Personality test 

measure behavior → try to predict behavior on the job 

• When deciding which traits to focus on: 

  • Test w current employees

  • Rely on existing personality theory

Behavior

function of persoanlity and environment (powerful or weak)

B = f (P,E)

Powerful situation

not have a lot of decision making 

• Personality test not as relevant 

Weak situation

the person will have a lot of decision making

*DO consider a personality test since they will have more impact on their enviornment.

Types of personality tests

1. Self-report techniques (Myer-Briggs/Big 5)

• Concerns - applicants may not answer truthfully

2. Projective technqiues (Ex: ink blot test)

3. Behavioral assessment (Ex: Role play a potential job sitauation)

Ability tests 

method for evaluating an individual's potential and capacity to perform job-related tasks

• Tend to have a high validity for complex jobs and can be subject to adverse impact 

• Used by the NFL

Performance test

Ex: typing test

Work sample test

Ex: Ask to provide a portfolio of their art work for a graphic design position

Integrity tests

research supports this test has NO adverse impact on women or minorities

• Issue = faking responses

*DO consider integrity tests if

• They have access to sensitive information

• Access to valuable items (money)

Discretionary assessment methods

Focuses on fit with organization, culture, and ability to be a team player

• Use when # of remaining applicants > # of positions

• Demographics can be a rule if they are equalliy qualified (Ex: Hiring someone from a group that is underrepresented)

Contingent assessment methods

1. Drug testing

• Is it relevant to the job? Will they be operating machinery?

• Test retest for those who test positive

• Rejected applicants need a means to appeal

• Protect right to privacy

2. Medical testing - only when job-related!

3. Conviction record