Staffing Decisions/ Evaluating Selection Techniques and Decisions

Question 1

Hiring Process

Answer 1

Planning -) Acquiring Applicants -) Selecting Applicants -) Hiring

Question 2

Employee Selection Systems

Answer 2

Optimal selection systems are:
o Reliable
o Valid
o Cost Effective
o Fair
o Reduce the Chance of a Legal Challenge

Question 3

what is Sequential View of the Staffing Process

Answer 3

involves several steps that aid organizations in hiring, training, and retaining employees

Question 4

Reliability

Answer 4

The extent to which a score from a test is consistent and free from
errors of measurement

Question 5

Methods of determining reliability

Answer 5

Test-retest (temporal stability)

• Alternate forms (form stability)
• Internal reliability (item stability)
• Scorer reliability

Question 6

Validity

Answer 6

The degree to which inferences from scores on tests or assessments are justified by the evidence.

Question 7

Common ways to measure

Answer 7

Content validity
* Criterion validity

• Construct validity
• Known-group validity
• Face validity

Question 8

Planning

Answer 8

Planning: Anticipating needs for human resources

• Expansion vs. replacements
• Labor markets

Question 9

Recruitment

Answer 9

• The initial point of contact is usually the organization’s website, which has advantages and disadvantages
• In competitive jobs, many companies fight for same employees so more expensive recruitment methods may be necessary
• Inside sources (i.e., referrals & transfers) perform better

Question 10

Selecting Employees

Answer 10

organizations hope to recruit numerous good applicants

• More selective an organization can be, greater chance of hiring successfulScientific selection
• Criterion – definition of good employee performance
• Predictor – anything that relates to the criterion

determine if predictor relates to criterion by using a validation study

Question 11

the steps to conducting a validation Study

Answer 11

1. Conduct a job analysis
2. Specify job performance criteria
3. Choose predictors
   * e.g., psychological tests or interviews
4. Validate the predictors
   * concurrent vs predictive
5. Cross-validate
   * validity generalization

Question 12

Measurement Bias

Answer 12

o Technical aspects of the test

o A test is biased if there are group differences in test scores (e.g.,
race, gender) that are unrelated to the construct being measured
(e.g., integrity).

o Burden is on organization to prove test is valid if it causes adverse
impact.

Question 13

Predictive Bias

Answer 13

A test is fair if people of equal probability of success on a job have an equal chance of being hired

o Single-group validity

o Differential validity

• Not use the test
• Use the test with separate regression equations

Question 14

Selection Ratio (SR)

Answer 14

Selection Ratio (SR)
* Index ranging from 0 to 1 that reflects the ratio of available jobs to applicants

SR = n/N

n = number of available jobs
N = number of applicants assessed

Question 15

Utility Analysis

Answer 15

• Utility analysis can address the cost/benefit ratio of one staffing
  strategy versus another

Assesses economic return on investment of HR interventions like
staffing or training

Question 16

Utility

Answer 16

Value of selection system to the organization.

Valid predictors increase true positives and reduce false positives

o Must determine if benefits to
organization outweigh costs of the
selection devices

Question 17

Utility is maximized by

Answer 17

• 1. Base rate for success—should be 50%
• 2. Selection ratio (hired/applicants)—should be low
• 3. Validity of selection device—should be high

Question 18

Selection Decisions( Hint False or True

Answer 18

False positive:
* Applicant accepted but performed poorly.

False negative:
* Applicant rejected but would have performed well.

True positive:
* Applicant accepted & performed well.

True negative:
* Applicant rejected & would have performed poorly.

Question 19

Unfairness

Answer 19

Feelings of unfairness regarding Staffing Strategies can lead to:

• Initiation of lawsuits
• Filing of formal grievances with company representatives
• Counterproductive behavior

Question 20

Practical Issues in Staffing

Answer 20

Comprehensiveness
* Enough high quality information about candidates to predict likelihood of their success

• Compensatory
• Candidates can compensate for relative weakness in one attribute through strength in another one, providing both are required by job.

Question 21

Making a Hiring Decision( The Linear Approaches)

Answer 21

Unadjusted top-down selection
* Rule of three
* Passing scores
* Banding

Question 22

Combining Information( CDM and SDM)

Answer 22

Clinical Decision Making: Uses judgment to combine information & make decision about relative value
of different candidates

Statistical Decision Making: Combines information according to a mathematical formula.

Question 23

Combining Information (Hint Hurdle)

Answer 23

( Hurdle system of combining scores)
Non- compensatory strategy: Individual has no opportunity to compensate at later stage for low score in earlier stage.

Establishes series of cut scores

Question 24

Hurdle System of Combining Scores

Answer 24

Constructed from multiple hurdles so candidates who do not exceed each of the minimum dimension scores are excluded from further consideration.

• Often set up sequentially
• More expensive hurdles placed later
• Used to narrow a large applicant pool

Question 25

Cut Score or Cutoff Score

Answer 25

• Specified point in distribution of scores below which candidates are
  rejected.
• Raising cut score will result in fewer false positives but more false
  negatives.
• Strategy for determining cut score depends on situation.

Question 26

Establishing Cut Scores

Answer 26

Criterion-referenced cut score

• Consider desired level of performance & find test score corresponding to that level
• Norm-referenced cut score
• Based on some index of test-takers’ scores rather than any notion of job performance

Question 27

Score Banding part 1

Answer 27

o Individuals with similar test scores can be grouped together in a
category or score band.

o Selection within band can be made based on other
considerations.

o Score Banding is controversial

Question 28

Score Banding

Answer 28

Score Banding uses the Standard error of measurement
(SEM) for the test:

• SEM provides a measure of the amount of error in a test score
  distribution.
• Function of reliability of test & variability of test scores.

Question 29

Score Banding systems ( there are 2)

Answer 29

Fixed band system
* Candidates in lower bands not considered until higher bands have
been exhausted.

o Sliding band system
* Permits band to be moved down a score point when highest score
in a band is exhausted

Question 30

Selection vs. Placement

Answer 30

Selection is of little value if employees do not accept and keep job offers
* Positive recruitment process
* Comparable salary benefits
Cafeteria benefits

Placement
Process of matching multiple applicants & multiple job openings

Question 31

Placement Strategies

Answer 31

Vocational guidance
* Pure selection
* Cut & fit

Question 32

Getting Applicants to Accept Offers (Realistic Job Preview (RJP)

Answer 32

• Give applicants accurate information about job and organization
• Reduce number of acceptances
• Increase job performance and job satisfaction

Question 33

Deselection
2 typical situations

Answer 33

• Termination for cause
• Individual is fired for a particular reason
• Generally, not unexpected
• Layoff
• Job loss due to employer downsizing or reductions in workforce
• Often occurs with little or no warning

Question 34

The parts of Small Staffing Projects that good.

Answer 34

Luxury of using wider range of assessment tools.

Adverse impact is less of an issue.

Fairness is still a key issue.

Rational, job-related, & feasible selection strategies are important

Question 35

Large Staffing Projects

Answer 35

Concessions must be made: Labor intensive assessment procedures
are often not feasible.

o Cost of testing can be quite expensive.

o Fairness is a critical issue.

o Standard, well-established, & feasible selection strategies are
important.