Employee Selection Notes
Overview of the Selection Process
Selection: Process of choosing individuals with relevant qualifications for job openings.
Key Decision Makers: Usually HR managers make the final hiring decision in their units.
Costs of Selection Errors:
False Positives: Cost of hiring someone who fails in the job.
False Negatives: Missed opportunity to hire a potentially successful candidate.
Goals of Selection
Figure 6.1: Maximize "Hits" (accurate predictions of success) and avoid "Misses" (inaccurate predictions).
True Positives: Successful predictions of candidates who will succeed.
False Negatives: Candidates who were qualified but not hired.
True Negatives: Candidates identified as unqualified who indeed would not succeed.
False Positives: Candidates incorrectly identified as qualified who fail in the job.
Job Analysis (JA)
Cornerstone of creating job descriptions and focused recruiting efforts.
Outcomes of JA:
Development of job descriptions.
Creation of job specifications identifying KSAOs (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Other Characteristics) necessary for success.
Key Steps in the Selection Process
Steps can vary widely by organization and job type; are assessed based on contribution to overall selection.
Typical Steps:
Submission of résumé
Completion of application
Initial interview in HR department
Employment testing (aptitude and achievement)
Supervisor/team interview
Reference checking
Background investigation
Hiring decision
An applicant can be eliminated at any step based on established criteria.
Obtaining Reliable and Valid Information
Reliability: Consistency of selection measures over time (repeatability).
Validity: Accuracy of the selection procedure in measuring the desired attributes.
Types of Selection Tests and Their Validity
Figure 6.3: Selection Method Validity Table shows correlations with job performance for various selection methods like interviews, tests, etc.
Tests include:
Job knowledge tests
Work sample tests
Cognitive ability tests
Personality inventories
Initial Screening
Applicant Information Sources:
Résumés and cover letters, application forms, online applications, social media checks.
Increasing use of software to scan résumés (ATS - Applicant Tracking Systems).
Employment Interviews
Types of interviews:
Nondirective: Open discussion allowing freedom to the applicant.
Structured: Standardized questions and answers; highly reliable.
Situational: Hypothetical situations given to assess responses.
Behavioral: Past behavior assessed through scenario-based questions.
Interview Variability and Administering Methods
Methods: Panel interviews, sequential interviews, video/phone interviews, computer-administered interviews.
Importance of consistency and legality in questioning (interviewer training).
Post-Interview Screening
Reference Checks: Most reliable from supervisors who provide insights into work habits.
Background Checks: Commonly conducted including previous employment and education verification.
Preemployment Tests
Types of tests:
Standardized measures of KSAOs.
Simulated job tasks using software.
Validity of Tests
Criterion-Related Validity: Predictive ability of tests versus actual job performance.
Concurrent: Tests correlating with data from current employees.
Predictive: Tests correlating with future performance.
Content Validity: Adequate sampling of job skills needed for performance.
Construct Validity: Measuring theories or traits accurately.
Making a Selection Decision
Approaches:
Clinical (judgment-based) vs. Statistical (objective, data-driven).
Multiple Cutoff Model: Minimum acceptable scores.
Compensatory Model: Balancing strengths and weaknesses.
Multiple Hurdle Model: Sequential assessment criteria.
Final Hiring Decision
Managers finalize decisions and inform HR, who makes job offers.
Written offers ensure clarity and prevent misunderstandings.
Key Considerations in Hiring
Balancing potential versus organizational needs.
Impact on diversity and equal opportunity guidelines.