1. MANA 4328 Dr. Jeanne Michalski michalski@uta.edu
Selection 1
MANA 4328
Dr. Jeanne Michalski 1

2. Selection Mechanisms Applications Resumes Biographical information
Background investigations
Checking references
Credit reports
Polygraph tests
Honesty tests
Graphology
Drug testing
Cognitive ability tests
Personality tests
Physical ability tests
Job knowledge tests
Work sample tests
Simulators
Situational interviews
Unstructured interviews
Assessment centers
Recommendations
Many others…..

3. Why Use Selection Mechanisms?

4. Choosing Selection Methods
Multiple factors need to be considered.
Specificity of skills required
Risk of bad hire or mistakes made by employees
Employee reactions
Level of adverse impact
Cost
Administration time
“Screening-in” vs. “Screening out” methods

5. Developing A Selection Plan
List each of the KSA’s required for the job
Does it need to be assessed?
What are the minimum qualifications?
List potential selection mechanisms for those KSA’s that need to be assessed along with costs and benefits.
Validity and reliability
$$$ Costs
Level of adverse impact
Detail the selection sequence
Data to be collected at each point
Criteria to be used to move applicants through the sequence

6. Most Common Methods Application Interview Education level
Training and experience
Reference checks
Resumes
Licensing and certification
Biodata

7. Required for Every Selection Tool…
Equal opportunity (non-discriminatory)
Reliability
Validity
(a) Test reflects the content of the job.
(b) Test predicts job performance.

8. Test Reliability Reliability – consistency of the measure
If the same person takes the test again will he/she earn the same score?
Potential contaminations:
Test takers physical or mental state
Environmental factors
Test forms
Multiple raters
How to determine reliability: Statistical techniques
Test – retest reliability
Inter-rater reliability
Others

9. Relative Reliability of Measures
Visual acuity High
Hearing
Dexterity
Mathematical ability
Verbal ability
Intelligence
Clerical skills
Mechanical aptitudes
Sociability
Cooperativeness
Tolerance
Emotional stability Low

10. Test Validity Validity – accuracy of the measure
Are you measuring what you intend to measure? (CONTENT) OR
Does the test measure a characteristic related to job performance? (CRITERION)
Testing criterion validity:
Criterion – test predicts job performance in general
Predictive – test predicts job future performance
Concurrent – test predicts performance at time of test
How to determine validity:
Conduct a job analysis
Collect statistics
Use outside evidence

11. The Goal of Selection: Maximize “Hits”
MISS
Inaccurate prediction (Person would have succeeded on the job)
HIT
Accurate prediction (Person succeeds on the job)
Accurate prediction (Person would not have succeeded on the job)
Inaccurate prediction (Person fails on the job)
Predicted Success
Job Performance
Low
High
“Earns a Bonus”
“Is a Bonehead”

12. Correlation Scatterplots
Figure 5.3

13. Reliability vs. Validity

14. Principles of Assessment
Don’t rely on a single method.
Use only fair and unbiased instruments.
Use only reliable instruments.
Use only valid instruments for a specific purpose.
Use only tools designed for a specific group.
Use instruments with understandable instructions.
Ensure test administration staff are properly trained.
Ensure test conditions are suitable for all test takers.
Provide reasonable accommodation.
Maintain confidentiality of results.
Ensure proper interpretation of results.

15. Effectiveness of Selection Methods
A survey of 201 HR executives rated selection methods on the effectiveness producing the best employees.
Work samples 3.68
References/recommendations 3.49
Structured interviews 3.42
Assessment centers 3.42
Specific aptitude tests 3.08
Personality tests 2.93
General cognitive ability tests 2.89
Biographical information blanks 2.84

16. Steps in Pre-Employment Screening
1. Screen based on competency
Written or simulation tests generally reliable and valid
Benefits need to be balanced with costs
2. Use structured interviews
Question objectivity and job relatedness
Standardized administration
Multiple raters
Verify applicants employment history/background check
Consider “screening-out” tool

17. Methods and Applicant Flow
Applicants
Candidates
Offers
Hires
Initial
Substantive
Contingent

18. Initial Selection
Initial Selection
Resumes
Application Forms

19. Application Forms Only ask info related to job KSA’s
Link to job performance
Use thorough job analysis and validation techniques
Consider potential adverse impact
Consider “knockout” questions
Careful collecting personal characteristics
Race, National Origin, Gender, Age etc.
Law assumes all questions are used in hiring
More is not necessarily better
Different applications for different jobs
Instructions and Disclaimers
Not particularly valid

20. Application Forms How to ask non-discriminatory questions?
You are always permitted to ask if applicant is qualified and able to perform primary job duties.
You should never ask questions that indicate protected class status.
Allow people to “self-select” as much as possible.
What if you need to collect demographic information for EEO purposes?
Race, National Origin, Gender, Age etc

21. How to ask… Do you have child-care for your children?
Do you own a car?
How old are you?
Do you have a physical or mental disability?
Height? Weight?
What is your maiden name?
Are you a U.S. citizen?
Have you every been arrested?
Do you smoke or use tobacco?

22. Resumes Applicant controls the information
Many examples of fraud or omission
Up to 50% contain some inaccuracy
What are possible indicators of resume fraud?
Jobs and education should be verified
One question honesty test
Requirements for education and experiences should be job-related.

23. Potential Problems NY Times Sept 12, 2005
Ronald L. Zarrella, the chief executive of Bausch & Lomb, claimed to have had a master's in business administration from New York University. Shares in the company dropped 3 percent the day the company divulged Mr. Zarrella's resume-fudging.
David J. Edmondson, the chief executive of RadioShack, was fired after a newspaper investigation showed that his resume was padded with two degrees in psychology and theology, degrees he never got from a university that was not even accredited.
Brad Fredericks, a co-founder of ResumeDoctor.com had his employees pull about a thousand of them that had been uploaded to the company Web site and check them for easily identifiable facts like job titles, education and dates of employment. ''What we found was shocking,'' Mr. Fredericks said. ''We discovered that 42.7 percent of them had significant inaccuracies.”
The Rutgers University Career Services office did an audit last year and found that 20 percent of students submitting resumes had inflated their grade-point averages.