Chapter 5 Flashcards
What is selection?
The process by which recruited
applicants are screened,
evaluated, and assessed until a
final hire decision is made out
of the applicant pool secured
in the recruitment phase.
Why is the selection process important for an organization?
The selection process is crucial because the quality of a company’s human resources significantly influences its ability to survive and achieve its strategic objectives. The individuals selected will implement and sometimes create strategic plans, making their fit with the organization’s direction essential.
How does the strategic direction of an organization influence the selection criteria for candidates?
The strategic direction of an organization directly impacts the selection criteria. For instance, if a company plans to expand internationally, it may prioritize candidates with language skills and international experience to align with its goals.
What begins the selection process for hiring new employees?
The selection process begins when a pool of applicants submits their résumés or completes application forms as part of the recruiting process.
What is negligent hiring?
Hiring workers with
questionable backgrounds,
ignoring concerns that indicate
a higher likelihood for issues
or workplace accidents.
Why is selecting the right employee crucial for an organization?
Selecting the right employee is vital because individuals with the appropriate skills perform better, contributing positively to the company’s success. Conversely, mismatched employees can hinder performance and negatively impact workplace morale and engagement.
What are the financial implications of hiring the wrong employee?
The cost of hiring an employee who does not work out can be significant, with estimates averaging around $50,000 per failed hire. Implementing effective selection processes, such as testing, can greatly reduce employee attrition and associated costs.
What legal consequences can arise from ineffective hiring practices?
Inept hiring can lead to legal issues, particularly if an organization fails to follow non-discriminatory selection procedures. For example, a company was held liable for negligent hiring after failing to investigate a candidate’s problematic background, resulting in financial loss for a client.
What are the consequences of making a poor selection decision for a job?
Poor selection can lead to unmet strategic objectives, necessitating the termination of the unsuccessful employee. This triggers a costly cycle of re-recruitment and re-training, alongside “hidden” costs like internal disruption and potential customer alienation.
Why is a clear selection process important in recruitment?
A clear selection process is crucial for minimizing hiring mistakes. When organizations fail to adopt an appropriate selection process, they may encounter issues that result in poor hiring decisions, leading to the cycle of costs associated with terminations and re-hiring.
What are some hidden costs associated with poor hiring decisions?
Hidden costs can include internal disorganization, disruption of team dynamics, and damage to customer relationships, all of which can arise from the fallout of hiring an unsuitable candidate.
What is a multi-hurdle strategy?
An approach to selection
involving a series of successive
steps or hurdles. Only
candidates clearing the hurdle
are permitted to move on to
the next step.
What are the six typical hurdles in the selection process?
- Preliminary applicant screening
- Selection testing
- Selection interview
- Background investigation/reference checking
- Supervisory interview and realistic job preview
- Hiring decision and candidate notification
What is a sequential selection system in recruitment?
A sequential selection system is a hiring process involving multiple steps, known as a multiple-hurdle strategy. Candidates must clear each hurdle—such as pre-screening, testing, interviewing, and background checks—to progress to the next step. Only those who meet or exceed the minimum requirements at each stage remain in contention for the job.
Why is it important to use carefully chosen selection criteria in the hiring process?
Carefully chosen selection criteria, based on job analysis, ensure that candidates are assessed against the specific duties and responsibilities of the position. This approach creates a legally defensible hiring system and helps organizations identify candidates who are more likely to succeed in the role.
How does a multiple-hurdle strategy benefit the hiring process?
The multiple-hurdle strategy streamlines the selection process by allowing organizations to systematically eliminate candidates who do not meet the necessary qualifications at each stage. This increases the likelihood of hiring individuals who are well-suited for the job, leading to higher productivity and smoother job adjustments.
What factors can influence the number and sequence of steps in the selection process?
The number and sequence of selection steps can vary by organization and may depend on the type and level of the job being filled, as well as the source and method of recruitment. Different positions may require different assessment approaches.
What are the initial steps involved in designing an effective selection process?
Decide who will be involved in the selection process and develop selection criteria: This includes clarifying and weighting the job description and specifications, and discussing with the interview team, particularly those familiar with the role.
Specify must and want criteria: Classify the selection criteria into ‘musts’ (essential qualifications) and ‘wants’ (desirable but not critical skills), ensuring they are clear and measurable.
How should must and want criteria be differentiated in the selection process?
Must criteria are essential qualifications that include measurable standards (e.g., education level, specific experience, or certifications). Want criteria encompass skills that cannot be easily assessed on paper (like verbal skills) or desirable qualifications that enhance job performance but are not critical.
What is the purpose of developing assessment strategies in the selection process?
Developing assessment strategies helps determine how to evaluate each must and want criterion effectively. For critical qualifications, multiple strategies may be used, such as behavioural and situational questions, tests, and assessment centres, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of candidates.
Why is it important to create standardized interview questions for all candidates?
Standardized interview questions ensure a consistent evaluation process across all candidates, allowing for fair comparison based on the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) required for the position. This helps to reduce bias and improves the reliability of the assessment.
What role do candidate-specific questions play in the selection process?
Candidate-specific questions are tailored to each individual based on their résumé and application form. These open-ended, job-related questions provide deeper insights into the candidate’s experiences and fit for the role, enhancing the overall assessment.
What is the role of selection testing in the employee recruitment process?
Selection testing is used by approximately two-thirds of Canadian organizations to assess job-related skills, general intelligence, personality traits, mental abilities, interests, and preferences. It provides a standardized and efficient method for screening large numbers of applicants.
What types of tests are commonly used in selection processes?
Common types of tests include:
- Cognitive ability tests (intelligence tests, emotional intelligence tests, and specific cognitive skills).
- Job-specific tests (motor/physical abilities, work sampling, achievement tests, and micro-assessments).
- Personality and interest tests.
- Physical examination tests (substance abuse tests and polygraph tests).
How do cognitive ability tests contribute to the selection process?
Cognitive ability tests measure an applicant’s general intelligence, problem-solving skills, and specific cognitive abilities relevant to the job. This helps employers identify candidates with the mental capacity to perform effectively in various roles.
What are job-specific tests, and why are they important?
Job-specific tests assess skills and abilities directly related to the job, such as physical abilities, work sampling, or achievement in relevant tasks. They ensure that candidates possess the necessary competencies to perform the job successfully from the start.
What is the purpose of personality and interest tests in selection?
Personality and interest tests help assess a candidate’s fit with the company culture and the specific job role. Understanding an applicant’s personality traits and interests can provide insights into their potential performance and compatibility with the team.
How do assessment centers enhance the selection testing process?
Assessment centers utilize expert appraisers to evaluate candidates using various selection tests and activities. This comprehensive approach allows for a more nuanced assessment of candidates’ skills, behaviors, and potential in a real-world context.
What is reliability?
The degree to which
interviews, tests, and other
selection procedures yield
comparable data over time;
in other words, the degree of
dependability, consistency, or
stability of the measures used.
What is inter-rater reliability?
The extent to which there is
agreement between two or
more raters.
Why are reliability and validity important in selection testing?
Reliability and validity are crucial because they ensure that tests and selection techniques provide consistent and accurate measures. Reliable tests yield comparable results over time, while valid tests accurately assess what they are intended to measure, helping employers make informed hiring decisions.
What is reliability in the context of selection tests?
Reliability refers to the degree of dependability, consistency, or stability of a test’s measures. It indicates how well a test produces consistent results over time or across different evaluators. For instance, if a candidate receives significantly different scores on the same test over multiple attempts, the test is deemed unreliable.
How is inter-rater reliability relevant to selection processes?
Inter-rater reliability assesses the agreement between two or more raters when evaluating candidates. It’s important in selection decisions to ensure that different evaluators arrive at similar conclusions about a candidate’s qualifications, which helps reduce bias and improve the selection process.
What is internal consistency, and how does it relate to reliability?
Internal consistency measures how well the items on a test correlate with each other to assess the same construct. For example, in a vocational interest test designed to measure interest in outdoor work, all items should reflect that theme. High internal consistency indicates that the test items are reliably measuring the same underlying trait.
What factors can diminish the reliability of selection tests?
Reliability can be affected by several factors, including random answering of questions, a noisy or uncomfortable testing environment, and the applicant’s state (e.g., fatigue or illness) during the assessment. Ensuring a conducive testing environment can help improve reliability.
What is the difference between reliability and validity in selection testing?
Reliability refers to the consistency of a test’s results over time or across different raters, while validity assesses whether a test accurately measures what it is intended to measure. A test can be reliable without being valid, but a valid test must also be reliable.
What is validity?
The accuracy with which a
predictor measures what it is
intended to measure
What is differential validity?
Confirmation that the
selection tool accurately
predicts the performance of all
possible employee subgroups,
including women, visible
minorities, persons with
disabilities, and Indigenous
Peoples
What is validity in the context of selection processes?
Validity refers to the extent to which data from a selection technique, such as a test or interview, accurately predict job performance. It indicates whether the selection method is effective in identifying candidates who will succeed in their roles.
Why is it important to conduct validation studies for different subgroups?
Conducting validation studies for different subgroups, such as visible minorities and women, is essential to ensure that selection techniques do not favor one group over another. This helps identify any potential biases and prevents systemic discrimination, ensuring fairness in the hiring process.
What are the three different types of validity relevant to selection?
Criterion-related, content, and construct validity
What is criterion-related validity?
The extent to which a selection
tool predicts or significantly
correlates with important
elements of work behaviour.
What is content validity?
The extent to which a selection
instrument, such as a test,
adequately samples the
knowledge and skills needed
to perform the job.
What is construct validity?
The extent to which a selection
tool accurately measures a
theoretical construct or trait
deemed necessary to perform
the job successfully.
How is criterion-related validity demonstrated in a selection process?
Criterion-related validity is demonstrated by showing a strong correlation between candidates’ performance on a selection test (e.g., sales ability) and their actual job performance (e.g., high sales results). If those who perform well on the test also excel in their job, this supports the validity of the selection method.
What factors contribute to high content validity in a selection instrument?
High content validity is achieved when the selection instrument closely reflects the actual work tasks and behaviors required for the job. For example, requiring a secretarial candidate to demonstrate word processing skills directly related to job responsibilities indicates strong content validity.
What is construct validity, and why is it important in selection processes?
Construct validity involves translating abstract concepts (like intelligence or leadership skills) into measurable terms and evaluating how well a test measures those constructs. It is important because it ensures that the selection method accurately assesses the traits necessary for job performance.
How can organizations ensure that their selection tests are valid?
Organizations can ensure validity by using tests as supplements to other selection techniques (like interviews and background checks), validating tests within the specific organizational context, employing certified psychologists for test administration, and providing suitable testing environments for applicants.
Why are professional standards important when using selection tests?
Professional standards are crucial because they ensure that selection tests are used appropriately and effectively. This includes validating tests for the specific organization, ensuring proper administration and interpretation, and providing conducive testing conditions, which all contribute to fair and accurate assessment.
What is an intelligence (IQ) test?
Tests that measure general
intellectual abilities, such
as verbal comprehension,
inductive reasoning,
memory, numerical ability,
speed of perception, spatial
visualization, and word fluency.
What is an emotional intelligence test?
Tests that measure a person’s
ability to monitor their own
emotions and the emotions
of others and to use that
knowledge to guide thoughts
and actions
How can organizations ensure the validity of selection tools for candidates with disabilities?
To ensure validity for candidates with disabilities, organizations may need to provide accommodations tailored to the individual’s disability. This might include adjustments in testing environments or formats to allow fair assessment of their abilities without discrimination.
What are intelligence tests, and why are they significant in the selection process?
Intelligence tests, often referred to as IQ tests, assess general mental abilities, including memory, vocabulary, verbal fluency, and numerical skills. They are significant because research shows that general mental ability is a strong predictor of job performance across various occupations.
What are some common types of intelligence tests used in assessments?
Common intelligence tests include the Stanford-Binet test, the Wechsler test, and the Wonderlic Personnel Test. These can be administered individually or to groups, with some tests available online or as pen-and-paper formats for ease of access.
What is emotional intelligence (EQ), and how does it differ from IQ?
Emotional intelligence (EQ) refers to the ability to understand and manage one’s emotions and the emotions of others. Unlike IQ, which measures cognitive abilities, EQ is thought to play a crucial role in personal and professional success, emphasizing social awareness and self-regulation.
What tools are used to assess emotional intelligence, and how do they work?
Tools for assessing emotional intelligence include the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i), the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test, and 360-degree assessments like the Emotional Competence Inventory. These tests often involve self-assessments or evaluations by peers and supervisors to provide a comprehensive view of an individual’s emotional competencies.
