Capitulo 4 - Selection

Question 1

What is personnel selection?

Answer 1

The process through which organizations make decisions about who will or not be allowed to join the organization.
- Selection begins with the candidates identified through recruitment.
- It attempts to reduce their number to the individuals best qualifies to perform available jobs.
- It ends with the selected individuals placed in jobs with the organisation.

Question 2

What are the steps in the selection process?

Answer 2

1. Screening applications and resumes
2. Testing and reviewing work samples
3. Interviewing candidates
4. Checking references and background
5. Making a selection

Question 3

What is the criteria for measuring the effectiveness of selection tools and methods?

Answer 3

The method provides (1)reliable information and (2)valid information
The information can be (3)generalized to apply to the candidates
The method offers (4)high utility
The selection criteria are (5)legal.

Question 4

What is reliability? (1)

Answer 4

The extent to which a measure is free from random error. A reliable measurement generates consistent results.
Organizations use statistical tests to compare results over time -> correlation coefficients -> a higher correlation coefficient means a greater degree of reliability.

Question 5

What is validity? (2)

Answer 5

The extent to which the performance on a measure is related to what the measure is designed to assess.

Question 6

What are the three ways to measure validity?

Answer 6

(2.1) Criterion-related
(2.2) Content
(2.3) Construct.

Question 7

Validity (2.1)
What is criterion-related validity? What are the two kinds of research related?

Answer 7

A measure of validity based on showing a substantial correlation between test scores and job performance scores.
Two kinds of research that are possible for arriving at criterion-related validity:
- Predictive validation: Research that uses the test scores of all applicants and looks for a relationship between the scores and future performance of the applicants who were hired.
- Concurrent validation: Research that consist of administering a test to people who currently hold a job, and then comparing their scores to existing measures of job performance.

Question 8

Validity (2.2)
What is content validity?

Answer 8

Consistency between the test items or problems and the kinds of situations or problems that occur on the job.

Question 9

Validity (2.3)
What is construct validity?

Answer 9

Consistency between a high score on a test and high level of a construct as well as between mastery of this construct and successful performance of the job.

Question 10

What is ability to generalize? (3)

Answer 10

A generalizable selection method applies not only to the conditions in which the method was originally developed.
It also applies to other organisations, jobs, applicants, etc.

Question 11

What is the practical value and utility of the selection method? (4)

Answer 11

Being valid, reliable, and generalizable adds value to a selection method.
Another consideration is the cost of using the selection method.
Selection method should cost significantly less than the benefits of hiring new employees.
Methods that provide economic value greater than the cost of using them are said to have utility.

Question 12

What are the Legal standards for selection? (5)
Give examples of impermissible questions for applications and interviews

Answer 12

Adherence to applicants’ legally guaranteed rights and interests.
- Captures only characteristics relevant for the job.
Examples:
What is your religion?
Are you pregnant?

Question 13

List employment tests and work samples.

Answer 13

(1) Application forms
(2) Personnel interview
(3) Personality inventories
(4) Cognitive Ability tests
(5) Assessment centers
- Physical Ability Tests
- Job Performance Tests
- Work Sample
- Honesty Tests
- Drug Tests
- Medical Examinations

Question 14

(1)
What are application forms?

Answer 14

A low-cost way to gather basic data from many applicants.
It ensures that the organization has certain standard categories of information such as contact information, work experience, educational background, technical experience, memberships in professional or trade groups

Question 15

(2)
Personnel selection
What are interview panels?
Forms of implementation?
Goals of interview?

Answer 15

Very frequently used tool in personnel selection.
Different forms of implementation:
- Structured/standardized interviews
- Unstructured interviews
- Semi-standardized interviews
Goals:
Allows for getting to know each other personally
Social validity (applicants think that the tool is suitable)
Allows for realistic job preview (Applicant obtains information on positive and negative aspects of the position)
Possibly negotiation of job condition.
Not all types of questions allowed (pregnancy, religion, etc)

Question 16

(2)
What are the components of the multimodal interview?

Answer 16

1. Start of the conversation: informal, small talk, clarify upcoming course of events.
2. Applicant’s self-introduction: brief description of professional background, expectations.
3. Free part: open questions regarding self-introduction and application documents.
4. Professional interests, vocational and organizational choice.
5. Questions concerning biography: related to the vacant position.
6. Realistic job preview.
7. Situational questions: explanation of incidents critical for success; applicant describes own behavior in this situation.
8. End of the conversation.

Question 17

(2)
Give an example of interview: multimodal interview by scholar

Answer 17

Standardized interview process: applicant is rated on behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS)
3 Approaches:
- Trait approach - capturing traits (intelligence, conscientiousness, etc)
- Biographical approach - capturing past behavior and experiences, past behavior is a good predictor of future behavior.
- Behavioral approach - captures applicant’s behavior in hypothetical situations

Question 18

(3)
What are the big five personality tests?

Answer 18

1. Neuroticism: sensitive/nervous vs secure/confident.
   A tendency to experience unpleasant
   emotions easily, such as anger, anxiety, depression, or vulnerability.
2. Extraversion: outgoing/energetic vs solitary/reserved.
   Energy, positive emotions, and the tendency to seek stimulation in the company of others.
3. Opens for experiences: inventive/curious vs consistent/cautious.
   Appreciation for art, emotion, adventure, unusual ideas, curiosity, and variety of experience.
4. Conscientiousness: efficient/organized vs easy-going/careless.
   A tendency to show self- discipline, act dutifully, aim for achievement; planned rather than spontaneous behavior.
5. Agreeableness: friendly/compassionate vs cold/unkind.
   A tendency to be compassionate and cooperative rather than suspicious and antagonistic towards others.

Question 19

(4)
What are the cognitive performance tests? (intelligence tests/ tests of general mental abilities)

Answer 19

Measurement of general mental abilities (GMA)
Intelligence tests are performance tests:
- Further performance tests: Concentration tests, memory tests, learning tests, language test
- Assumption: Differences in cognitive abilities have an influence on work performance.
Direct effect: People with higher cognitive abilities perform better.
Indirect effect: People with higher cognitive abilities acquire task-relevant skills faster; acquire more task-relevant skills.

Question 20

(5)
What is an Assessment Center? (AC)

Answer 20

An assessment center is (usually) a seminar with over 1-3 days with 8-12 applicants or employees who are observed and evaluated by executives and HR professionals in role-plays and case studies.

Question 21

(5)
What is the objective of an assessment centre?

Answer 21

Evaluation of strengths and weaknesses in terms of certain job requirements.

Question 22

(5)
What are the assessment centre exercises?

Answer 22

Presentations, role-plays, in-basket exercise, groups discussions.
Frequently, Acs are supplemented by further practices: Interview method; Personality test and ability test; Performance test (intelligence test); Case studies

Question 23

Validity of selection instruments

(Discuss how to conduct effective interviews)
Which selection tools are best suited for personnel selection?

Answer 23

Assumption: Predictive validity is the most important criterion to determine most suitable selection instruments.
Approach:
- Summary of numerous studies on the validity of single selection tools
- Determination of average predictive validity of selection instruments by a meta analysis.

Question 24

What are the Personnel Measures for the validity of selection instruments?

Answer 24

+ GMA tests (general mental ability; intelligence)
Integrity tests
Conscientiousness tests
Employment interviews (structured)
Employment interviews (unstructured)
Assessment centers
Job experience (years)
Graphology
- Age

This is ordered from most to least valid.