Module 4- Selection Flashcards
Selection: The Basics
Purpose of selection is to reduce the pool of applicants identified through recruitment methods to the new hire(s)
No “one size fits all process”. Depends on:
-position to be filled
-costs of selection method
-size/complexity of employer
-preferences of employer
-industry practice
Not all employers use all methods or a particular sequence of methods
Initial step in selection process is applicant screening (by recruiter or ATS/AI system)
Issue in practice
fraud by applicants on cv’s or application forms
Selection Methods
- Interviews
- Tests
- Reference Checks
- Realistic Job Preview
- Medical & Drug Testing
Methods cont
Pool of candidates – have to pick from pool (selection)
After identified candidate pool have to make selection from that
Note not all employers use all the methods – or not use for all jobs, depends on specific job
-ex. Hire waiter – not engage in excess performance testing
Preferences of recruiter or employer a big one, time is another big one
One issue- candidates tend to not always speak their truth on CV- claims have certain skills/abilties may actually test them and reveal if they exaggerated or not
Tests
Personality Tests
Test personal traits assumed to be stable
Example (for a sales rep.): how extrovert is the candidate?
Ability Tests
Measure wide range of cognitive or physical ability (incl. typical intelligence tests)
Example (for an architect): what are spatial reasoning capabilities of the candidate?
Knowledge Tests
Test knowledge on a given subject matter
Example (for a nurse): what to do if a patient goes into cardiac arrest?
Performance Tests
Test ability to perform certain job component
Example (for a pilot in a flight simulator): can the candidate land an airplane safely on water?
Integrity Tests
Test how honest and trustworthy a candidate is
Example (for a portfolio manager): is the employee likely to engage in illegal trading practices?
The practical problems with tests:
Might be invalid or unreliable
Candidates may fake answers in personality and integrity tests
Some tests may have no correlation to job requirements
A “bad” test can eliminate an otherwise excellent candidate
Overview of different types of test
Personality tests/integrity – that might not be useful- can respond in way they think employee want to hear
Ability/knowledge/performance tests – may be better suited to give accurate picture of candidate abilities – may have nothing to do with eh jobs applying for – if not adjusted for the specific role may be useless
Skills
prof never used testing as a selection method for own team (was no good test for job at time)
Can always teach a skills much harder to teach an attitude – might be better to hire someone with a missing skill (that can learn) rather than all the skills but a bad attitude or wont be good fit to team
-ex. One candidate from US (on paper looked great) –however not hired b/c came across as not being a team player, bragged, seemed like would have trouble working with other/when disagreements, or potentially would have trouble listening to women as manager – instead hired a different women b/c could teach her the skills – worked great with other even when disagree
*hire for attitude can be more important than hiring for skills
-some jobs do need technical skills (ex. Pilot)- but lots of jobs skills can be easily learned on the job
-or jobs that need licensing requirement must have it- no attitude could substitute that
Test Validity & Reliability
Tests have to be…
* Reliable
* Valid
Reliability
Reliability measures consistency
Example: Recruiter A and B both administer a test with candidate X
If the tests result vary significantly, the test is not reliable
Even if the test results are the same, it does not mean that the test is valid!
Validity
Validity measures accuracy
Example: Recruiter A and B both administer a test with candidate X
If the tests do not measure what they claim they measure, the test is not valid
Tests need to measure what is relevant for the job
Why does this all matter?
Invalid tests are useless as there is no/little correlation to expected future job performance
Eliminating candidates based on invalid tests can create legal exposures
Test validation is essential, esp. for non-standard tests
Standardized/off-the-shelf tests usually have reliability/validity tested
Test
Tests can be unreliable (not produce consistent test results, scores are very different) or invalid (not measure what it is supposed to)
Test that is reliable can also be invalid (might not measure what it claims to measure)
If design own test- might not be reliable or valid
Use tests with caution- do not solely rely on
Reference Checks
Should be used with a lot of caution!
Might be helpful to detect more blatant fraud by applicants
Many large org. refuse to give them due to legal risks
Can be written (reference letters) or via phone (might be more insightful)
Be mindful of when in the selection process to ask for references (issue of reference “burning”)
Too many restrictions on reference (e.g. have to be in Canada, have to know the applicant for at least 5 years, have to have worked with the applicant within the past 3 years, etc.) may eliminate otherwise suitable candidates
No reference from current/most recent employer is not always a red flag, esp. if applicant still employed there (might not want employer to know about it)
Are not common in other parts of the world
Checks cont
Common in selection
-want to exercise caution – applicants will probably give name of someone who likes them
-many employers require reference letters
-want meaningful relation should do it by phone, get more information (ask direct questions, specific things they’ve done) –can see if there is consistency or if they exaggerated
-some employers (federal government for example) put a lot of restriction on who can be a references –if too many restrictions might be impossible for some to find certain references- might eliminate good candidates
-always consider the context
-not common in some countries
Additional Selection Methods
Realistic Job Previews
* Helps candidates getting a realistic understanding of the job prior to hiring
* Suitable only for a limited type of roles
* Helps reduce attrition and increase job satisfaction
* Drawback: lower offer acceptance rate
Medical/Drug Testing
* Can be a legal minefield! Recall: drug dependency is considered a disability
* Only do it if absolutely required for the job
* Need to be performed by qualified professionals
* Health data is sensitive data and needs to be handled accordingly
Realistic job previews
Usually only done for jobs that have an unusual and perhaps unpleasant working environment (exposed to heat, noise, remote, etc.) -not suitable for everyone, give candidate realistic insight to what job is really like – often have a lower acceptance rate – might be more costly to hire and then find out they aren’t happy and quit very quicky then have to start over
Medical/drug testing
before engage in this have a chat with employment lawyer – can be a legal minefield – cannot test all new hires and then offer only to someone when it comes back negative (b/c drug addiction is a disability- cannot discriminate based on disability)
-has to be necessary for specific role – maybe if in safety role (heavy equipment, transport)– if comes back positive as employer have duty to accommodate candidate (cant pass over just because that)
Medical – might be needed for certain roles (ex. Fitness is a bona fide requirement –firefighter)
If do any medical or drug testing must be done by a qualified medical professional
Interviews
Are the most common selection method
Allow meaningful two-way communication with applicant
Can be structured or unstructured:
-unstructured: no/few planned questions, different questions for different candidates, not recommended
-structured: planned interview questions, same for all candidates, legally more defensible
Focus on questions which are job-related and make sense (e.g. no “if you were to be an animal, which one would that be”)
Many org. conduct structured interviews with mix of question types
Careful interview prep. – by both sides (!) – essential for interview success
Whenever possible, do it in person (better than over the phone or via videoconferencing)
Issue: how to verify candidate’s response?
