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Human Resources Management

Foundations of Selection

The Selection Process


The selection process typically consists of eight steps:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. initial screening interview completion of the application form employment tests comprehensive interview background investigation conditional job offer medical/physical exam permanent job offer

The Selection Process

Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins

The Selection Process


Initial Screening
Involves screening of inquiries and screening interviews. Job description information is shared along with a salary range.

The Selection Process


Completing the Application Form: Key Issues
Gives a job-performance-related synopsis of what applicants have been doing, their skills and accomplishments.

The Selection Process


Completing the Application Form: Key Issues Legal considerations
Omit items which are not job-related; e.g., sex, religion, age, national origin, race, color, and disability. Includes statement giving employer the right to dismiss an employee for falsifying information. Asks for permission to check work references. Typically includes employment-at-will statement.

The Selection Process


Weighted application forms
Individual items of information are validated against performance and turnover measures and given appropriate weights. Data must be collected for each job to determine how well a particular item (e.g., years of schooling, tenure on last job) predicts success on target job.

The Selection Process


Completing the Application Form: Key Issues Successful applications
Information collected on application forms can be highly predictive of successful job performance. Forms must be validated and continuously reviewed and updated. Data should be verified through background investigations.

The Selection Process


Employment Tests Estimates say 60% of all organizations use some type of employment tests.
Performance simulation tests: requires the applicant to engage in specific job behaviors necessary for doing the job successfully. Work sampling: Job analysis is used to develop a miniature replica of the job on which an applicant demonstrates his/her skills.

The Selection Process


Employment Tests
Assessment centers: A series of tests and exercises, including individual and group simulation tests, is used to assess managerial potential or other complex sets of skills. Testing in a global arena: Selection practices must be adapted to cultures and regulations of host country.

The Selection Process


Comprehensive Interviews: Interviews involve a face-to-face meeting with the candidate to probe areas not addressed by the application form or tests. They are a universal selection tool.

The Selection Process


Comprehensive Interviews: Interview Effectiveness
Interviews are the most widely used selection tool. Often are expensive, inefficient, and not jobrelated. Possible biases with decisions based on interviews include prior knowledge about the applicant, stereotypes, interviewee order.

The Selection Process


Comprehensive Interviews: Interview Effectiveness
Impression management, or the applicants desire to project the right image, may skew the interview results. Interviewers have short and inaccurate memories: note-taking and videotaping may help.

The Selection Process


Comprehensive Interviews: Interview Effectiveness
Structured interviews use fixed questions designed to assess specific job-related attributes More reliable and valid than unstructured ones. Best for determining organizational fit, motivation and interpersonal skills. Especially useful for high-turnover jobs and less routine ones.

The Selection Process


Comprehensive Interviews: Behavioral Interviews
Candidates are observed not only for what they say, but how they behave. Role playing is often used.

The Selection Process


Comprehensive Interviews: Realistic Job Preview
RJPs present unfavorable as well as favorable information about the job to applicants. May include brochures, films, tours, work sampling, or verbal statements that realistically portray the job. RJPs reduce turnover without lowering acceptance rates.

The Selection Process


Background Investigation: Verify information from the application form Typical information verified includes:
former employers previous job performance education legal status to work credit references criminal records

The Selection Process


Background Investigation Qualified privilege
employers may discuss employees with prospective employers without fear of reprisal as long as the discussion is about job-related documented facts.

One-third of all applicants exaggerate their backgrounds or experiences. A good predictor of future behavior is an individuals past behavior.

The Selection Process


Background Investigation Methods: Internal investigation: checks former employers, personal references and possibly credit sources. External investigation: Uses a referencechecking firm which may obtain more information, while complying with privacy rights.

The Selection Process


Background Investigation Documentation, including whom called, questions asked, information obtained/not obtained, is important in case an employers hiring decision is later challenged.

The Selection Process


Conditional Job Offers: Offers of employment made contingent upon successful completion of background check, physical/medical exam, drug test, etc. May only use job-related information to make a hiring decision.

The Selection Process


Medical/Physical Examination Should be used only to determine if the individual can comply with the essential functions of the job. Americans with Disabilities Act requires that exams be given only after conditional job offer is made.

The Selection Process


Job Offers Actual hiring decision generally made by the department manager. Candidates not hired deserve the courtesy of prompt notification.

The Selection Process


The Comprehensive Approach Comprehensive selection approach puts applicants through all the steps in the selection process before making a decision. Assesses both strengths and weaknesses and is considered more realistic.

The Selection Process


Now Its Up to the Candidate The candidate now has to decide whether this is the job for him or her. Applicants who are not hired this time will still form an impression about the company. Management should assure the selection process leaves them with a favorable impression of the company.

Selection for Self-Managed Teams


If teams are given management responsibilities, it makes sense for them to select their own members. Team members bring to the selection process varied experiences and backgrounds. Team members need training in selection and interviewing techniques.

Key Elements for Successful Predictors


Reliability, validity, and cut scores can all help predict which applicants will be successful on the job. Reliability: The ability of the selection tool to measure an attribute consistently.

Key Elements for Successful Predictors


Validity: The relationship between scores on a selection tool and a relevant criterion, such as job performance. Indicates how well a selection tool predicts job performance.
Content Construct Criterion-related

Key Elements for Successful Predictors


Content validity: The degree to which the content of the test, as a sample, represents situations on the job. Construct validity: The degree to which a particular trait is related to successful performance on the job.

Key Elements for Successful Predictors


Criterion-related validity: The degree to which a particular selection device accurately predicts the important elements of work behavior.
Predictive validity uses selection test scores of applicants to compare with their future job performance. Concurrent validity correlates the test scores of current employees with measures of their job performance.

Key Elements for Successful Predictors

Fundamentals of Human Resource

Key Elements for Successful Predictors


Validity Analysis: Correlation coefficients (validity coefficients) ranging from +1 to 1 summarize the statistical relationship between an individuals test score and his/her job performance.

Key Elements for Successful Predictors


Cut Scores and Their Impact on Hiring: Cut scores on a selection device can be determined by validity studies. Applicants scoring below the cut score are predicted to be unsuccessful on the job and are rejected.

Key Elements for Successful Predictors


Validity Generalization: This is a situation where a test may be valid for screening applicants for a variety of jobs and performance factors across many occupations.

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Selection From a Global Perspective


Selection criteria for international assignments includes
interest in working overseas ability to relate to different cultures and environments supportiveness of the candidates family

Women executives have done well abroad in Asia and Latin America, despite past reluctance to assign them to these countries.

Final Thoughts: Excelling at the Interview


Suggestions for making your interviews as an applicant successful are:
Do some homework on the company. Get a good nights rest the night before. Dress appropriately. Arrive for the interview a few minutes early. Use a firm handshake. Maintain good eye contact. Take the opportunity to have practice interviews. Thank the interviewer at the end of the interview and follow up with a thank you note.

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