Employment Testing

Question 1

Which are better selection tools, structured interviews, or unstructured interviews, or it depends?

Answer 1

Structured- always

Question 2

What is the difference between a work sample and a simulation-
based assessment (i.e., simulation exercise)?
A. A work sample is scored by trained raters, simulation exercises are objectively scored
B. A work sample asks a participant to complete a task, a simulation exercise does not
C. A simulation exercise relies on high-tech (i.e., altered reality), a work sample relies only on low-tech tools (i.e., paper and pencil)
D. A simulation exercise puts applicants in a work-style situation to perform a task, a work sample simply asks applicants to create a product

Answer 2

D: A simulation exercise puts applicants in a work-style situation to perform a
task, a work sample simply asks applicants to create a product

Question 3

Purpose of Performance Appraisal

Answer 3

give feedback, improve performance, and document evidence for organizational decisions (Decisions about compensation, determining if you will be sued, Etc.)

Question 4

What should performance appraisals test do/ be?

Answer 4

• (hopefully) systematic and based on behavior.
• Evaluating attributes of people.
• Assigning numbers.
• Making inferences

like any test, should be reliable and valid

Question 5

Graphic rating Scale

Answer 5

Kind of like a Likert but not exactly

Raters are asked to rate whatever they are asked to rate 1-5

1= completely unsatisfactory
5= completely satisfactory

Question 6

Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale

Answer 6

Just like Graphic rating scales but this time there are descriptions to what deserved a 1, 3, 5

For the example of the house drawingcompetition, 5 = Completely satisfactory (the house has many features- windows, doors, etc. )

Question 7

Behavior Checklist

Answer 7

Set of behaviors listed, and rater checks behaviors that are present and count up how many checks

Question 8

Forced Ranking

Answer 8

The rater is forced into ranking

House example: Rank each drawer. One person has to be 1 (best), one person has to
be 2, and one person has to be 3 (worst)

Question 9

Forced distribution

Answer 9

Rater is forced to pick one best, and the rest, therefore, are the worst

Question 10

Approaches to performance appraisal- and which the best?

Answer 10

Rating (Graphic rating scale, Behaviorally Anchored rating scale, Behavioral checklist), Forced ranking, forced distribution

No best approach. Forced distribution and forced
rankings are unpopular, but not any less accurate.

Question 11

Distributional error in raters

Answer 11

Using only part of the rating scale – leniency (just the high end), severity (just the low end), central tendency (just the middle)

Question 12

Halo Error in ratings

Answer 12

Making ratings on different dimensions based on one general impression

Question 13

360 feedback

Answer 13

Ratings come from multiple perspectives instead of just the
supervisor (peers, customers, subordinates, etc.)

The problem, however, this was created to be used for employee development, not performance appraisal

Question 14

Popular job attitudes measured in work

Answer 14

Satisfaction – positive emotional appraisal of one’s job.
Commitment – identification with & desire to stay in the organization.
Employee engagement – absorption in work.

Question 15

Multilevel Measurement

Answer 15

Take variance in scores and split it up into parts accounted for by different “levels”
* Level = a group of all observed units of the same “type” (e.g., days, people, org. units)
* Nested = all of the “observed units” from the level below are contained within one “observed unit” in this level (Day is nested in person, People are nested in org. units, Org. units are nested in companies)

Question 16

ICCs

Answer 16

What percent of the variance in lowest level observed scores are attributable to
membership in different levels?
10% is meaningful

Question 17

What are tests in employee screening used for?

Answer 17

• Screening- Does this person meet essential minimum requirements?
• Selection- Which applicant(s) will we offer a job (or promote)?
• Classification / placement- What is the best role in the organization for this person?

Question 18

Adverse impact

Answer 18

means that applicants from one group are selected at a
disproportionate rate compared to other groups (only protected
classes).

Question 19

Simulation-Based Assessments

Answer 19

Put the applicant in a simulated work-related situation and see what they do (authentic assessment)
* High face validity
* Reduced adverse impact compared to written judgment test or cognitive ability tests (still g loaded)

Question 20

Personality measures in employment screening

Answer 20

• Extraversion and emotional stability are good predictors for many jobs
  *Conscientiousness predicts performance for virtually all jobs.
  *not g-loaded, low adverse impact, predictive power when combined with other tests.

Question 21

A good structured interview has three characteristics:

Answer 21

• The same questions are asked to every applicant.
• The questions are based on a job analysis – directly relevant to the job.
• There is a consistent system for scoring answers.

Question 22

Which of the following assessments is the least g-loaded (i.e., scores are the least impacted by cognitive ability)?
A. Unstructured interviews
B. Work samples
C. Simulation-based assessments
D. Personality assessment

Answer 22

D personality assessment
(no connection between personality and cognitive ability)