SELECTION

Matching People and Jobs  Selection  The process of choosing individuals who have relevant qualifications to fill existing or projected job openings.  Selection Considerations  Person-job fit: job analysis identifies required individual competencies (KSAs) for job success.  Person-organization fit: the degree to which individuals are matched to the culture and values of the organization.

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

Steps in the Selection Process Note: Steps may vary. An applicant may be rejected after any step in the process. Completion of application Initial interview in HR department Employment testing (aptitude, achievement) Background investigation Preliminary selection in HR department Supervisor/team interview Medical exam/drug test Hiring decision

The Selection Process  Obtaining Reliable and Valid Information  Reliability  The degree to which interviews, tests, and other selection procedures yield comparable data over time and alternative measures.  Validity  Degree to which a test or selection procedure measures a person’s attributes.

Valid and Invalid Tests

Steps in Validating a Test (Criterion-Related Validity) Examination of the job Job analysis/specifications Selection of criteria Relate test scores to criterion data, then cross validate Plan research for test (continuing cross validation) Collect criterion data (concurrent method) Selection of tests for tryout Administer tests Analyze follow-up data Interpret results for operational use of tests Include test(s) in selection process (operational) Revise operational program Collect criterion data (predictive method) OR Alternative/ optional

Sources of Information about Job Candidates  Application Forms  Online Applications  Biographical Information Blanks (BIB)  Background Investigations  Polygraph Tests  Integrity and Honesty Tests  Graphology  Medical Examinations  Employment Tests  Interviews

That’s My Story and I’m Sticking to It

How HR Uses Background Investigations Percentage of respondents conducting the following checks: Contact references provided by candidate75% Verify schools attended and degrees earned62% Contact people suggested by references42% Check driving records41% Verify reference letters provided by candidate30% Run credit checks25%

Application Forms  Application date  Educational background  Experience  Arrests and convictions  Country of citizenship  References  Disabilities

Biographical Information Blanks  Sample Questions:  At what age did you leave home?  How large was the town/city in which you lived as a child?  Did you ever build a model airplane that flew?  Were sports a big part of your childhood?  Do you play any musical instruments?

Background Investigations  Checking References  Letters of reference  Mail and telephone checks  Specific job-related information  Failure to Check References  Negligent hiring liabilities

Integrity Test Question Examples Note: The number of items in each category was 2, 8, 13, and 9 respectively. Source: Stephen Dwight and George Alliger, “Reactions to Overt Integrity Test Items,” Educational and Psychological Measurement 57, no. 6 (December 1977): 937–48, copyright © 1997 by Sage Publications, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Sage Publications, Inc.

Background Investigations (cont’d)  Graphology  The use of a sample of an applicant’s handwriting to make an employment decision.  Medical Examinations  Given last as they can be costly.  Ensure that the health of an applicant is adequate to meet the job requirements.  Provides a baseline for subsequent examinations

Drug Testing  Effects of Testing  Questions about the accuracy of results.  Applicants testing positive are generally not hired.  Current employees testing positive are referred to employee assistance programs for rehabilitation.

Employment Tests  Employment Test  An objective and standardized measure of a sample of behavior that is used to gauge a person’s knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) in relation to other individuals.

Percentage of Job Skills Testing in Selected Industries TEST ALL JOB ONLY SELECT INDUSTRYAPPLICANTSJOB CATEGORIES Manufacturing7%49% Financial Services4%68% Wholesale and Retail0%53% Business and Professional Services2%57% Other Services6%63% Source: American Management Association: “Job Skills Testing Questionnaire,” 1998.

Classification of Employment Tests  Cognitive Ability Tests  Aptitude tests  Measures of a person’s capacity to learn or acquire skills.  Achievement tests  Measures of what a person knows or can do right now.  Personality and Interest Inventories  “Big Five” personality factors:  Extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness to experience.

Is That Your Final Answer? Verbal 1. What is the meaning of the word “surreptitious”? a. covertc. lively b. windingd. sweet 2. How is the noun clause used in the following sentence? “I hope that I can learn this game.” a. subjectc. direct object b. predicate nominative d. object of the preposition Quantitative 3. Divide 50 by 0.5 and add 5. What is the result? a. 25c. 95 b. 30d What is the value of 1442? a. 12c. 288 b. 72d Answers: 1a, 2c, 3d, 4d

Is That Your Final Answer? (cont’d) Reasoning 5.______ is to boat as snow is to ______. a. Sail, skic. Water, ski b. Water, winterd. Engine, water 6.Two women played 5 games of chess. Each woman won the same number of games, yet there were no ties. How can this be? a. There was a forfeit.c. They played different people. b. One player cheated.d. One game is still in progress. Mechanical 7.If gear A and gear C are both turning counterclockwise, what is happening to gear B? a. It is turning counterclockwise. b. It is turning clockwise. c. It remains stationary. d. The whole system will jam. Answers: 5c, 6c, 7b

California Psychology Inventory Personality Facets and Sample Items  Agreeableness  Trust—I believe people who are usually honest with me.  Conscientiousness  Attention to detail—I like to complete every detail of tasks according to the work plans.  Extroversion  Adaptability—For me, change is exciting.  Neuroticism  Self-confidence—I am confident about my skills and abilities.  Openness to Experience  Independence—I tend to work on projects alone, even if others volunteer to help me. Source: Mark J. Schmit, Jenifer A. Kihm, and Chet Robie, “Development of a Global Measure of Personality,” Personnel Psychology 53, no. 1 (Spring 2000): 153–93.

Classification of Employment Tests (cont’d)  Physical Ability Tests  Must be related to the essential functions of the the job.  Job Knowledge Tests  An achievement test that measures a person’s level of understanding about a particular job.  Work Sample Tests  Require the applicant to perform tasks that are actually a part of the work required on the job.

Interviewing Methods  Nondirective Interview  The applicant determines the course of the discussion, while the interviewer refrains from influencing the applicant’s remarks.  Structured Interview  An interview in which a set of standardized questions having an established set of answers is used.

Interviewing Methods (cont’d)  Situational Interview  An interview in which an applicant is given a hypothetical incident and asked how he or she would respond to it.  Behavioral Description Interview (BDI)  An interview in which an applicant is asked questions about what he or she actually did in a given situation.  Panel Interview  An interview in which a board of interviewers questions and observes a single candidate.

Interviewing Methods (cont’d)  Computer Interview  Using a computer program that requires candidates to answer a series of questions tailored to the job. Answers are compared either with an ideal profile or with profiles developed on the basis of other candidates’ responses.  Video interviews  Using video conference technologies to evaluate job candidates’ technical abilities, energy level, appearance, and the like before incurring the costs of a face-to-face meeting.

Sample Situational Interview Question QUESTION: It is the night before your scheduled vacation. You are all packed and ready to go. Just before you get into bed, you receive a phone call from the plant. A problem has arisen that only you can handle. You are asked to come in to take care of things. What would you do in this situation? RECORD ANSWER: SCORING GUIDE: Good:“I would go in to work and make certain that everything is O.K. Then I would go on vacation.” Good:“There are no problems that only I can handle. I would make certain that someone qualified was there to handle things.” Fair:“I would try to find someone else to deal with the problem.” Fair:“I would go on vacation.”

Variables in the Employment Interview Applicant KSAOs KSAOs Education Education Experience Experience Interests Interests Perceptions Perceptions Nonverbal cues Nonverbal cues Age, sex, race, etc. Age, sex, race, etc.Applicant KSAOs KSAOs Education Education Experience Experience Interests Interests Perceptions Perceptions Nonverbal cues Nonverbal cues Age, sex, race, etc. Age, sex, race, etc. Context Purpose of the interview Purpose of the interview Law and regulations Law and regulations Economic issues Economic issues Physical settings Physical settings Interview structure Interview structureContext Purpose of the interview Purpose of the interview Law and regulations Law and regulations Economic issues Economic issues Physical settings Physical settings Interview structure Interview structure Interviewer(s) Experience/training Experience/training Age, sex, race, etc. Age, sex, race, etc. Perceptions Perceptions Nonverbal cues Nonverbal cues Goals GoalsInterviewer(s) Experience/training Experience/training Age, sex, race, etc. Age, sex, race, etc. Perceptions Perceptions Nonverbal cues Nonverbal cues Goals Goals INTERVIEW __________________ Process Process_____________________ Outcome (Hiring Decision) INTERVIEW __________________ Process Process_____________________ Outcome (Hiring Decision)

Ground Rules for Employment Interviews  Establish an interview plan  Establish and maintain rapport  Be an active listener  Pay attention to nonverbal cues  Provide information freely  Use questions effectively  Separate facts from inferences  Recognize biases and stereotypes  Control the course of the interview  Standardize the questions asked

Reaching a Selection Decision  Selection Considerations:  Are individuals to be hired according to their highest potential or according to the needs of the organization?  At what grade or wage level to start the individual?  Should selection be for employee- job match, or should advancement potential be considered?  Should those not qualified but qualifiable be considered?  Should overqualified individuals be considered?  What effect will a decision have on meeting affirmative action plans and diversity considerations?

“Can-Do”and “Will-Do”Factors in Selection Decisions “Can Do” ______________________________ Knowledge Knowledge Skills Skills Abilities Abilities “Can Do” ______________________________ Knowledge Knowledge Skills Skills Abilities Abilities “Will Do” ______________________________ Personality Personality Values Values Motivation Motivation “Will Do” ______________________________ Personality Personality Values Values Motivation Motivation Job Performance

Selection Decision Strategies Objectivity Multiple Cutoff Model - Minimum Statistical Approach Compensatory Model - Average Multiple Hurdle Model- Sequential Subjectivity Clinical Approach

Selection Decision Models  Compensatory Model  Permits a high score in one area to make up for a low score in another area.  Multiple Cutoff Model  Requires an applicant to achieve a minimum level of proficiency on all selection dimensions.  Multiple Hurdle Model  Only applicants with sufficiently high scores at each selection stage go on to subsequent stages in the selection process.

Selection Process (cont’d)  Selection Ratio  The number of applicants compared with the number of people to be hired.  Cutoff Score  The point in a distribution of scores above which a person is considered and below which a person is rejected.

Selection Process (cont’d)  Final Decision  Selection of applicant by departmental or immediate supervisor to fill vacancy.  Notification of selection and job offer by the human resources department.