Northern Arizona University
College of Business Administration

MGT 310--Human Resource Management

Ch 6: Selection

• To date - strategy, EEO, job analysis, recruiting & careers
• Selection - choosing the best qualified person for the job opening
  • Person-job fit: KSAs
  • Person-organization fit: values & culture
• Selection process
  • Reliable and valid information
    • Reliability--consistency over time, stability between sources (eg, interrater reliability)
    • Validity--predictability (job performance)
      • Criterion-related--correlation with important elements of work behavior
        • Concurrent--correlates with performance of current employees
        • Predictive--predicts performance of applicants hired
        • Cross-validation--verifying results against a second sample from the same population
        • Generalization--extent can generalize about the coefficient to the population as a whole
      • Content--represents the KSAs required (expert panel index)
      • Construct--correlation with theory or psychological trait
• Sources of information about candidates--see Fig. 6.4, p. 250
  • Application forms--vs. resumes (creative writing--30%)
    • Quick, systematic source of information (vs. resumes)
    • Suggestions--p. 251
    • Online--reduced cost, many fail to meet minimum qualifications [screening], tends to promote greater diversity
  • Biographical information--family life, hobbies, club memberships, etc.
    • Examples p. 253
    • May have high validity with appropriate scoring system and weights [must be tested]
  • Background investigations--liability if fail to screen for potential workplace violence
    • Reference checks (not good predictors of performance)
      • Letters exaggerated
      • Privacy Act of 1974--right to examine letters (unless waive)
      • Most companies will only provide very limited information--title, dates, salary
      • 37 states provide liability protection for giving references in good faith
    • Credit reports--legal consumer protections [article]
    • Polygraphs tests--prohibitions, limited use: health/safety/government
    • Honesty & integrity tests--valid for job performance, theft, discipline problems, absenteeism, but also under fire: may fail if you are too nice! (See Fig. 6.6, p. 259)
    • Hand writing analysis--questionable job performance validity
    • Medical exams--directly related to job
    • Drug testing--cost, alcohol use more problematic; AZ--lower workers comp rates; even signs make a difference!
  • Employment tests--math/literacy, job-skills, psychological (low validity)
    • Classifications
      • Aptitude tests--capacity to learn or acquire skills
      • Achievement tests--what know or can do now
    • Types
      • Cognitive ability--intelligence (valid); verbal, numerical, reasoning
      • Personality--predicts motivation (Big Five--p. 264; samples Fig 6.8, p. 265)
      • Physical ability--firefighters, police
        • Discrimination--job related?
          • Men--stronger, faster, more powerful
          • Women--better balance, manual dexterity, flexibility, coordination
          • Disabled
      • Job knowledge tests--CPA or Bar exams, civil service exams
      • Work sample tests--perform actual work
  • Interviews: the mainstay--subjective, bias
    • Nondirective--open-ended questions, follow-up questions (low reliability, validity; teams better)
    • Structured--standardized questions (situations, job knowledge, simulation, work requirements; best when have benchmark answers; highest validity)
    • Situational--hypothetical situation; how respond (see HRM 2, p. 269)
    • Behavioral description--what did in an actual situation
    • Panel interviews
    • Computer interviews (MC questions)
    • Phone or video interviews (preliminary)
    • Five Biggest Mistakes--HRM 3, p. 271
  • Guidelines
    • Major findings--HRM 4, p. 275
    • Interviewer training--list p. 273-275 (plan, rapport, active listening, nonverbal cues, information, questioning, facts vs. inferences, biases/stereotypes, control, questions--esp. legal issues)
  • Legal questions--HRM 5, p 277
• Making the decision
  • Summarize--"can do" (KSAs) and "will do" (personality, values, motivation)
  • Decision strategies
    • Clinical approach--quantified data, weights ... highest score wins (most used)
    • Statistical approach--multiple regression
    • Multiple hurdle model--stages of narrowing (cutoff for each) ... still have to decide at some point!
    • Selection ratio--ratio of hires to applicants
    • Managers/supervisors should make final decision
      • HR role--job details, working arrangements, offer (wage/salary, when must decide/start, etc.)
• VIDEO--Verizon Wireless
• Miscellaneous articles