Selection - Chapter 6

Question 1

Selection Process Defined

Answer 1

A series of specific steps used to decide which recruits should be hired

Begins when recruits apply for employment and ends with the hiring decision
*Steps involve matching the employment needs of the organization and the applicant

Question 2

Strategic Significance of Selection

Answer 2

1. Successful execution of an organization’s strategy depends on the calibre of its employees
2. An organization’s selection decisions must reflect job requirements
3. Selection strategy must be well integrated with organizational priorities
4. Selection strategy must recognize organizational constraints

5.Selection strategy should recognize labour market realities
-Selection ratio

6. Selection practices must be ethical

Question 3

Relationship Between Selection Strategy and Other Organizational Variables

Question 4

Steps in the Selection Process
Step 1: Preliminary Reception of Applicants

Answer 4

• Initial contact with applicants
• Walk-ins may receive preliminary interview
• Write-ins often receive letter or email of acknowledgment
• This step has disappeared in many organizations with the increasing use of Internet recruitment

Question 5

Steps in the Selection Process
Step 2: Applicant Screening

Answer 5

• Goal: Remove from consideration applicants who do not meet qualifications
• Weighted application blanks (WAB)
• Ensure application is useful and meets legal requirements
• Biographical information blanks(BIB)

Question 6

Steps in the Selection Process
Step 3: Administration of Employment Tests

Answer 6

Types of Tests
- Personality Tests

• Ability Tests; KnowledgeTests
• Performance Tests
   Situational Judgment Tests
   Assessment Centres
   Computer-interactive Tests
• Integrity Tests
• Reliability
• Validity
  * Empirical approaches
  Predictive validity
   Concurrent validity

–Rational approaches
 Content validity
 Construct validity
 Differential validity

Question 7

Steps in the Selection Process
Step 4: Employment Interviews

Answer 7

*Employment Interviews
 Supervisors should have input into the final hiring decision
 Common (and expected) as part of the selection process; covered in more detail

Question 8

Steps in the Selection Process
Step 5: Realistic Job Previews

Answer 8

• Realistic Job Previews
   Shows the candidate the type of work, equipment & working conditions
   Highlights positive & negative
   Tends to reduce employee turnover

Question 9

Steps in the Selection Process
Step 6: Verification of References

Answer 9

• Employment references
   Discuss applicant’s work history
   Former supervisors may not be candid, especially with negative information
   Reference letters
   Background checks

Question 10

Steps in the Selection Process
Step 7: Contingent Assessments

Answer 10

• Assessment of health, medical, and driving information
• May be scheduled after the hiring decision
• Drug tests are increasingly used but may be found to violate employee rights

Question 11

Steps in the Selection Process
Step 8: Hiring Decision

Answer 11

• Marks the end of the selection process
   Update HRIS
   Retain applications for future
• Tradeoffs among predictors
   Subjective Approach
   Multiple Cutoff Approach
   Compensatory Approach

Question 12

After Selection

Answer 12

When drawing up the employment contract, pay attention to:
* Specify probationary period if applicable.
* Specify start date and terms of employment clearly.
* Specify reasonable restrictive covenants.
* Ensure that termination procedures are legally enforceable.

Question 13

Dispositioning of Applicants

Answer 13

• Throughout the selection process there will be applicants the organization no longer wishes to pursue
• The organization’s decision should be communicated with these applicants at the earliest possible opportunity
• Applicants who are hired should have their applications stored on the HRIS

Question 14

Employment Interviews

Answer 14

Formal, in-depth conversation conducted to evaluate the applicant’s acceptability

Most widely used selection technique
* Allows a personal impression
* Opportunity to sell a job to a candidate
* Opportunity to answer candidate’s questions
* Effective public relations tool
* Popular due to flexibility and creates two-way exchange
* Flaw relates to varying reliability and validity

Question 15

Types of Interviews

Answer 15

Interviews may be conducted on-to-one, panel, or group interview

Unstructured interviews
* Few if any planned questions
* Lacks the reliability of a structured interview

Structured interviews
* Pre-determined set of questions
* May improve reliability and validity over traditional unstructured interviews

Question 16

Types of Structured Interviews

Answer 16

Behavioural Description Interviews
* Based on principle that the best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour

Situational Interviews
* Focus on situations likely to arise on the job
* Applicants asked what they would do

Stress-Producing Interviews
* Rapid questioning to assess how applicants handle stressful situations

Question 17

Stages in a Typical Interview

Answer 17

Interviewer Preparation -> Creation of Rapport -> Information Exchange -> Termination of Interview -> Evaluation of Candidate

Question 18

Employment Interview Stages

Answer 18

Interview Preparation
* Develop specific questions/answers

Creation of Rapport
* Interviewer is responsible for establishing rapport

Information Exchange
* Heart of the interview

Termination (i.e., drawing the session to a close)

Evaluation (i.e., use of a checklist)

Question 19

Interviewer Errors

Answer 19

• Halo effect
• Leading questions
• Stereotypes
• Interviewer domination

Question 20

Interviewee Errors

Answer 20

May be trying to cover job-related weaknesses or nervousness

Examples include:
* Playing games (e.g., acting nonchalant)
* Talking too much
* Boasting
* Not listening
* Being unprepared

Question 21

Evaluating the Selection

Answer 21

Quality and productivity of the workforce
* Are supervisors/peers satisfied with hires?
* Are training costs increasing?
* Are managers spending too much time managing new hires?
* Are grievances, absences, and turnover too high?
Costs incurred are at a level appropriate to the organization