Employee Selection

Question 1

Employee Screening

Answer 1

• The process of
  choosing applicants
  for employment.

Question 2

Employee Screening

Criteria & Predictors

Answer 2

• The model for recruiting and hiring employees involves two main variables: criteria and predictors.
• Criteria are measures of success on the job, often related to performance metrics like units installed or sales figures.
• Success on the job encompasses various factors beyond performance, such as loyalty, commitment, interpersonal skills, and adaptability.
• Predictors are measurable pieces of information about job applicants that are related to the criteria.
• In employee selection, predictors include job-related knowledge, education, and skills.
• Evaluation of applicants involves assessing them on various predictors through resumes, interviews, and employment tests.
• The effectiveness of the selection process is determined by how well the predictors predict success on the job.

Question 3

Types of Employee Screening Tests

Test Formats

Individual VS Group Tests

Answer 3

• Individual tests are administered to one person at a time, with the administrator heavily involved.
• Group tests are given simultaneously to multiple people, with the administrator mainly serving as a monitor.
• Increasingly, tests are administered online, blurring the distinction between individual and group testing.

Question 4

Types of Employee Screening Tests

Test Formats

Speed Versus Power Tests

Answer 4

• Speed tests have a fixed time limit, focusing on the number of items completed within the time frame.
• Power tests allow sufficient time to complete all items, focusing on the percentage of correct answers.

Question 5

Types of Employee Screening Tests

Test Formats

Paper-and-Pencil Versus Performance Tests

Answer 5

• Paper-and-pencil tests include both paper and online formats, requiring written responses.
• Performance tests involve physical manipulation or tasks, such as typing or manual dexterity tests.
• Written tests are increasingly administered online, offering more flexibility.

Question 6

Types of Employee Screening Tests

Biodata

Answer 6

• Biodata refers to background information and personal characteristics used for employee selection.
• They include items on education, work history, personal interests, attitudes, values, likes, and dislikes.
• Unlike other test instruments, there are no standardized biodata instruments; they require extensive research and validation.
• They are effective as they provide detailed descriptions and classifications of an applicant’s behavioral history, predicting future behavior well.
• Potential issues include the personal nature of questions and the risk of unintentional discrimination against minority groups.

Question 7

Types of Employee Screening Tests

Cognitive Ability Tests

Answer 7

• Tests of cognitive ability range from general intellectual ability to specific cognitive skills.
• Examples include the Otis Self-Administering Test of Mental Ability (OSATMA) and the Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test (WCAT).
• These tests assess basic verbal and numerical abilities, learning potential, and problem-solving skills.
• General intelligence tests have faced criticism for potentially being too broad to predict specific job-related skills effectively.
• Meta-analyses have shown that cognitive ability tests predict job performance and training success.
• Concerns exist regarding potential discrimination against certain ethnic minorities in test outcomes.

Question 8

Types of Employee Screening Tests

Job Skills & Knowledge Tests

Answer 8

• Standardized tests assess specific job skills or domains of job knowledge.
• Examples for clerical workers include typing tests, proofreading, alphabetical filing, and software proficiency tests like the Judd Tests.
• Work sample tests involve brief examples of critical job tasks, administered under standard conditions and scored on a predetermined scale.
• They provide a realistic job preview and are job-related but can be costly and time-consuming to develop and administer.
• Work sample tests are effective screening tools and predictors of job performance.

Question 9

Hiring Interviews

Traditional Interviews

Answer 9

• Widely used and the most common type of interview.
• Often lack structure, leading to haphazard assessments of applicants.
• Typically involve open-ended questions and may resemble casual conversations.
• Little concern is given to reliability, validity, and predictability.
• Provides limited information about applicants and may yield invalid assessments of qualifications.
• Subject to interviewer biases, including factors like gender, race, and physical appearance.
• May fail to predict job success accurately due to a mismatch between selection instruments and job requirements.

Question 10

Hiring Interviews

Structured Behavioral Interviews

Answer 10

• Designed to improve interview effectiveness by providing structure and focusing on past behaviors.
• Ask interviewees to draw on past job incidents and behaviors to deal with hypothetical future work situations.
• More reliable and valid than traditional interviews.
• Asking about past behaviors is preferred over hypothetical situations.
• Effective in improving the success of hiring interviews as selection devices.
• Offer better predictability of job performance compared to traditional interviews.

Question 11

Hiring Interviews

Video Conference Interviews

Answer 11

• Conducted either via live videoconference or computer-video interface.
• Interviewers tend to make more favorable evaluations compared to face-to-face interviews due to the absence of some nonverbal cues.
• Provide opportunities for face-to-face interaction without physical presence.
• Offer convenience and cost-saving benefits for both employers and applicants.

Question 12

Making Employee Selection Decisions

Multiple Regression Models

Answer 12

• Uses several predictors to predict job performance.
• Combines predictors in an additive, linear fashion.
• Equations generated from this model utilize various screening information to predict job performance.
• Can be problematic in situations where certain predictors are essential for job success and cannot be compensated for by others.
• Provides a comprehensive assessment of applicants’ potential based on multiple factors.

Question 13

Making Employee Selection Decisions

Multiple Cutoff Models

Answer 13

• Requires applicants to obtain a minimum cutoff score on each predictor.
• Non-compensatory model where scoring below the cutoff on any predictor disqualifies the applicant.
• Ensures that all eligible applicants have a minimal level of ability on all dimensions believed to be predictive of job success.
• Commonly used in public-sector organizations for large-scale applicant screening.
• Setting cutoff scores involves careful consideration to avoid discrimination against specific demographic groups.

Question 14

Making Employee Selection Decisions

Multiple Hurdle Models

Answer 14

• Utilizes an ordered sequence of screening devices.
• At each stage, a decision is made to either reject an applicant or allow them to proceed to the next stage.
• Unqualified applicants are rejected early in the process, saving time and resources.
• Provides confidence that selected applicants have the potential to succeed on the job.
• Typically used for central jobs within an organization due to its expense and time-consuming nature.