2BC3 F24 - Selection - Student's Slides (Asynchronous)

DeGroote McMaster School of Business

  • Institution: University Human Resources Management & Labour Relations

  • Instructor: Lucy Djelalian

  • Course: Commerce 2BC3

Lecture Agenda

  • Overview of Selection

  • Selection Methods

  • Standards for Evaluating a Selection System

What is Selection?

  • Definition:

    • "Process by which an organization attempts to identify applicants with necessary KSAOs that will help it to achieve its goals" (Noe et al., pg. 201)

  • Key Steps Involved:

    • Identification of necessary Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other characteristics (KSAOs)

Steps in the Selection Process

  1. Decision to Hire or Reject

  2. Assessment of Applicant KSAOs

    • Screening & Selection

  3. Recruitment

  4. Selection Plan:

    • How attributes will be assessed

  5. Job Analysis:

    • Identification of required job attributes

Screening and Selection

  • Relationship:

    • Screening: Initial stage of the selection process

    • Selection: Focuses on identifying most qualified candidates

  • Purpose: Screen out unqualified candidates and select those most suitable for the position

Screening Methods

  • Applications & Resumes

  • Screening Interviews

  • References

  • Background Checks

    • Including criminal background checks

Selection Methods

  • Types of Tests:

    • Ability/Aptitude Tests:

      • Cognitive Ability

      • Physical Ability

      • Psychomotor Ability

      • Emotional Intelligence

    • Personality Tests

    • Honesty/Integrity Tests

    • Values/Interest Inventories

    • Other Assessments:

      • Interviews

      • Performance Tests

      • Work Samples

      • Simulations

      • Situational Judgment Tests

      • Assessment Centres

      • Drug and Alcohol Testing

      • Medical Exams

Selection as Prediction

  • Nature of Selection:

    • Selection is fundamentally about predicting future performance

    • Based on samples of behavior through various assessments

  • Prediction:

    • Probabilistic; cannot guarantee accuracy

    • Aim to maximize correct predictions (hits) and minimize incorrect ones (misses)

Outcomes of Test Decisions

  • Performance on Selection Assessments

  • Applicant Pool:

    • Low to High performance outcomes

Outcomes of Selection Assessments

  • Cut-off Line:

    • Separates selected vs. not selected candidates

  • Good vs. Poor Performance Outcomes:

    • Good performance leads to selection

    • Poor performance results in non-selection

False Positives & Negatives

  • False Negatives:

    • Occurs when qualified candidates are not selected

    • Critical in situations requiring rare skills or diverse candidates

  • False Positives:

    • Occurs when unqualified candidates are selected

    • Significant consequences in terms of performance failures, training costs, and turnover costs

Standards for Evaluating a Selection System

  1. Reliability

  2. Validity (includes Generalizability)

  3. Practicality / Utility

  4. Legality / Fairness

Reliability

  • Definition:

    • The degree to which a measurement generates consistent results (Steen et al., pg. 113)

  • Aspects of Reliability:

    • Stability: Test-retest reliability

    • Equivalence: Inter-rater reliability for multiple raters

Validity

  • Definition:

    • Relationship between the measure and its intended assessment (Steen et al., pg. 114)

  • Types of Validity Focus:

    • Content Validity

    • Criterion-related Validity

Content Validity

  • Evaluation of whether selection methods assess key KSAOs

  • Job analysis helps to define these KSAOs for effective measurement

Criterion-Related Validity

  • Examines correlation between test score and job performance indicators

  • Generalizability extends validity across contexts

Standards for Evaluating a Selection System (continued)

  • Practicality / Utility:

    • Considerations of cost, time, ease of use

  • Fairness/Legality:

    • Standardization and human rights considerations

Multiple Hurdle Approach to Selection

  • When to Consider:

    • Applicable based on applicant pool size and importance of KSAOs

  • Advantages: Effective with large pools needing specific attributes

  • Disadvantages: More time-consuming process

Application in Job Recruitment

  • Canadian Space Agency Recruitment:

    • Phased selection process from preliminary screening to rigorous testing, resulting in selection of two new astronauts

Conclusion

  • Importance of Selection Systems:

    • Reflect values of hiring organizations

    • Quality selection systems may be costly but lead to high-quality hires and better organizational performance

    • Legal defensibility and increased commitment from new hires are additional benefits.