Expert answer:Human Resource Management U3C
Solved by verified expert:Unit 3 Completed SectionPersonnel Selection & Performance Management 1.) Should the company be allowed to ask such questions?2.) Think of all issues that you considered in taking this position, or if you are not sure what your position on this issue is, what additional information do you need?3.) How would the company prove the job relatedness of such a test?4.) When must the company prove the job relatedness of the test?Requirements: APA Format300 words each 3 references per question, one can be the reading material that is provided.Please keep the answers separated like the questions that are provided to you. Bethel University. (2013). Human Resource Management, An Experimental Approach, Sixth Edition. Retrieved from https://www.betheluniversityonline.net
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Chapter
6
Personnel Selection
W
I
L
OBJECTIVES
S
After reading this chapter,
you should be able to
O
1. Understand the concepts
of reliability, validity, and utility.
N
2. Understand the validity
evidence for various selection methods.
,
Copyright © 2013 The McGraw-Hill Companies. All rights reserved.
3. Discuss approaches to the more effective use for application blanks,
reference checks, biographical data, testing, and various other selection
methods programsJin order to increase the validity and legal defensibility
of each.
A
4. Discuss the approaches
M available for drug testing.
5. Describe the validity
I of different approaches to interviewing.
6. Explain how the various
types of job candidate information should be
E
integrated and evaluated.
5
0
OVERVIEW
5
It sounds simple: Match employees with jobs. Researchers have made this task easier by
1 that successfully predict employee effectiveness. Still, there
developing selection methods
is a void between what research indicates and how organizations actually do personnel seB
lection. Real-world personnel selection is replete with examples of methods that have been
proven to be ineffective U
or inferior.
Use of validated selection
models: A HPWS
characteristic
Personnel selection (and retention) is key to organizational effectiveness. The most
successful firms use methods that accurately predict future performance. The use
of validated selection models is another of the High-Performance Work Practices
linking this HR process to corporate financial performance. Organizations are, or
should be, interested in selecting employees who not only will be effective but who
will work as long as the organization needs them and, of course, will not engage in
counterproductive behaviors such as violence, substance abuse, avoidable accidents,
and employee theft.
A multiple-hurdle process involving an application, reference and background checks,
various forms of standardized testing, and some form of interview is the typical chronology
of events for selection, particularly for external hiring decisions. Internal decisions, such
as promotions, are typically done with less formality. Personnel selection is the process
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First Step is Work analysis
of gathering and assessing information about job candidates in order to make decisions
about personnel. The process applies to entry-level personnel and promotions, transfers,
and even job retention in the context of corporate downsizing efforts. This chapter introduces you to personnel selection, describes some of the most popular types of hiring/
screening procedures, reviews the research evidence on each, and discusses the social and
legal implications of the various options.
The chapter begins with an overview of measurement issues related to personnel selection and staffing. Next the various selection methods are introduced in their usual order
of use. Application blanks, background checks, and reference checks are discussed first.
Then the various forms of standardized tests that purport to assess applicants’ suitability
or KASOCs are reviewed. The use, validity, and possible adverse impact of various types
of selection methods are considered, including general mental ability tests and personality
tests. The final sections of the chapter discuss employment interviews and methods that
have been shown to increase their validity, the use of more sophisticated (and expensive)
selection procedures such as assessment centers, performance testing and work samples,
and drug and medical tests in the preemployment selection process. The context of the disW
cussion are the legal implications of the various personnel practices and pointing out where
I what typically happens in practice and what acathere are clear discrepancies between
demic research indicates should happen.
L This is one chapter where the distance between
academic research findings and recommendations and actual selection practices is
S is closing.
great. The good news is that the gap
Wackenhut Security (recently acquired
by G4S) had its share of selection challenges.
O
Although recruitment efforts and a sluggish economy attracted a large number of applicants for its entry-level armed andNunarmed security guard positions, there was concern
about the quality of those hired and
, high voluntary employee turnover. The turnover rate
for some positions exceeded 100 percent—meaning that the quit rate in 1 year exceeded
the number of available positions. Wackenhut Security also was dissatisfied with the quality of its supervisory personnel. J
The company contracted with BA&C (Behavioral Analysts and Consultants), a Florida
psychological consulting firm thatAspecializes in staffing problems and personnel selection. Wackenhut asked BA&C to develop
M a new personnel selection system for entry-level
guards and supervisors. Underlying this request was a need for Wackenhut to improve its
I
competitive position in this highly competitive industry by increasing sales and contracts,
E making certain its security personnel do the job.
decreasing costs, and, most important,
The company, which already compensated its guards and supervisors more than others
in the industry, wanted to avoid any increase in compensation. The company estimated
5 guard was about $1,800. With several hundred guards
that the cost of training a new armed
quitting in less than a year, the company
0 often failed to even recover training costs in sales.
Wackenhut needed new selection methods that could increase the effectiveness of the
5 those guard applicants who not only performed well
guards and supervisors and identify
but would be most likely to stay with
1 the company.
You will recall from Chapter 4 that work analysis should identify the knowledge, abiliB (KASOCs) or competencies that are necessary for
ties, skills, and other characteristics
successful performance and retention
U on the job. In this case, BA&C first conducted a job
analysis of the various guard jobs to get better information on the KASOCs required for
the work. After identifying the critical KASOCs, BA&C developed a reliable, valid, and
job-related weighted application blank, screening test, and interview format.
The process of selection varies substantially within this industry. While Wackenhut initially used only a high school diploma as a job specification, an application blank, a background check, and an interview by someone in personnel, competitors used more complex
methods to select employees. American Protective Services, for example, the company that
handled security for the Atlanta Olympics, used a battery of psychological and aptitude
tests along with a structured interview. Wackenhut wanted selection systems that were
even more valid and useful than what their major competitors were using. Their marketing
strategy would then emphasize their more sophisticated screening methods.
As with the job analysis and the recruitment process, personnel selection should be directly linked to the HR planning function and the strategic objectives of the company. For
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6 / Personnel Selection
Figure 6-1
Steps in the Development
and Evaluation of a
Selection Procedure
JOB ANALYSIS/HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING
Identify knowledge, abilities, skills, and other characteristics (KASOCs) (aka: competencies).
Use a competency model tied to organizational objectives.
RECRUITMENT STRATEGY: SELECT/DEVELOP SELECTION PROCEDURES
Review options for assessing applicants on each of the KASOCs:
Standardized tests (cognitive, personality, motivational, psychomotor).
Application blanks, biographical data, background and reference checks, accomplishment record.
Performance tests, assessment centers, interviews.
DETERMINE VALIDITY FOR SELECTION METHODS
Criterion-related validation or validity generalization.
Expert judgment (content validity).
DETERMINE WEIGHTING SYSTEM FOR DATA FROM SELECTION METHODS
W
example, the mission of the Marriott Corporation is to be the hotel chain of choice of freI this strategy, the company developed a successful selection sysquent travelers. As part of
tem to identify people who
L could be particularly attentive to customer demands. Wackenhut
Security also had a major marketing strategy aimed at new contracts for armed security
S
guards who would be extremely vigilant. The new selection system would be designed to
O to perform well in this capacity.
identify people more likely
Figure 6-1 presents a chronology of our recommended strategy for selection system
N
development and the major options available for personnel selection. The previous chap,
ters on work analysis, planning,
and recruitment have gotten us to the point of selecting
job candidates based on relevant and job-related information from one or more selection
methods. Each of these methods is reviewed in this chapter. But keep in mind that the focus
should be on selecting orJdeveloping tools that will provide valid assessments on the critical
KASOCs, competencies,Aand job specifications most important for strategy execution. The
work analysis should identify the strategically important KASOCs or competencies from
M will be derived. Then particular selection methods (selection
which the job specifications
tools) should be adoptedI to assess people in terms of these particular job specifications.
Copyright © 2013 The McGraw-Hill Companies. All rights reserved.
E
SELECTION METHODS:
5
ARE THEY EFFECTIVE?
0
This review includes a summary of the validity of each major approach to selection and
5 cost to develop and administer each method. Three key terms
an assessment of the relative
related to effectiveness are
1 reliability, validity, and utility. While these terms are strongly
related to one another, the most important criterion for a selection method is validity.
B of the research on High-Performance Work Practices. One
Remember the discussion
of the HR practices shown
U to be related to corporate financial performance was the percentage of employees hired using “validated selection methods.”1 The essence of the term
validity is the extent to which scores on a selection method predict one or more important
criteria. While the most typical criterion of interest to selection and staffing specialists is
job performance, companies also may be interested in other criteria such as how long an
employee may stay on the job or whether the employee will steal from the organization,
be violent, or be more likely to be involved in work-related accidents. But before addressing the validity of a method, let’s look at one of the necessary conditions for validity: the
reliability of measurement.
What Is Reliability?
The primary purpose of personnel selection is measuring the attributes of job candidates.
A necessary condition for a selection method to be valid is that it first be reliable. Reliability concerns the degree of consistency or the agreement between two sets of scores
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Good reliability:
.8 or higher
on some measurement device. Reliability refers to freedom from unsystematic errors of
measurement. The consistency in measurement applies to the scores that derive from the
selection method. These scores can come from a paper-and-pencil test, a job interview,
a performance appraisal, or any other method that is used to measure characteristics and
make decisions about people. The CIA uses a very long multiple-choice test as an initial
screening device for job applicants to be agents. If applicants were to take the test twice
3 weeks apart, their scores on the test would stay pretty much the same (the same thing can
be said for SAT scores). These tests can be considered reliable. The level of reliability can
be represented by a correlation coefficient. Correlations from 0 to 1.0 show the extent of
the reliability. Generally, reliable methods have reliability coefficients that are .8 or higher,
indicating a high degree of consistency in scores. No selection method achieves perfect
reliability, but the goal should be to reduce error in measurement as much as possible and
achieve high reliability. If raters are a part of the selection method, such as job interviewers
or on-the-job performance evaluators, the extent to which different raters agree also can
represent the reliability (or unreliability) of the method.
Remember our criticism about the use of graphology (or handwriting analysis) for personW
nel selection we discussed in Chapter 1? Handwriting analysis is used by some U.S. companies and even more European firms Ias a method of selection. But this method is first of all not
even reliable, much less valid. If theLsame handwriting sample were given to two graphologists, they would not necessarily agree on the levels or scores on various employment-related
S
attributes (e.g., drive, judgment, creativity,
intelligence), supposedly measured based on a
handwriting sample. Thus the method
has
low
reliability as an assessment of these attributes.
O
(But even if the two graphologists did agree on relative levels of some attribute, this agreeN their assessments are valid.)
ment would not necessarily mean that
Reliable methods tend to be long.
, One of the reasons the SAT, the GRE, the GMAT,
and the LSAT seem to take forever to complete is so these tests will have very high levels
of reliability (and they do). Reliabilities for “high stakes” tests such as the GMAT, the
SAT, and the LSAT are quite high.JFor example, the average reliability estimates are .92,
.90, and .89 for the GMAT total score, the Verbal score, and the Quantitative score, respectively.2 But while high reliability A
is a necessary condition for high validity, high reliability does not ensure that a method
M is valid. The GMAT may be highly reliable, but do
scores on the GMAT actually predict success in business school? This question addresses
I
the validity of the method.
E
What Is Validity?
Validity is close in meaning
to “job relatedness”
Criterion-related validity
The objective of the Wackenhut Security consultants was to develop a reliable, valid,
5 inexpensive test that could predict both job perforlegally defensible, user-friendly, and
mance and long job tenure for security
0 guards. The extent to which the test was able to
predict an important criterion such as performance was an indication of the test’s valid5
ity. The term validity is close in meaning
but not synonymous with the critical legal term
job relatedness, which is discussed1in Chapters 3 and 4. Empirical or criterion-related
validity involves the statistical relationship between scores on some predictor or selection
B and performance on some criterion measure such as
method (e.g., a test or an interview)
on-the-job effectiveness (e.g., sales,
Usupervisory ratings, job turnover, employee theft). At
Wackenhut, a study was conducted in which scores on the new screening test were correlated with job performance and job tenure. Given a certain level of correlation, such a study
would support a legal argument of job relatedness.
The statistical relationship is usually reported as a correlation coefficient. This describes the relationship between scores on the predictor and measures of effectiveness (also
called criteria). Correlations from −1 to +1 show the direction and strength of the relationship. Higher correlations indicate stronger validity. Assuming that the study was conducted
properly, a significant correlation between the scores on a method and scores (or data) on
some important criterion could be offered as a strong argument for the job relatedness of
the method. Under certain circumstances, correlation coefficients even in the .20s can signify a useful method. However, higher correlations are clearly better. In general, an increase
in the validity of a selection method will translate into a proportional increase in the average
dollar value of the annual output from employees who are selected with this method.
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Copyright © 2013 The McGraw-Hill Companies. All rights reserved.
Validity Generalization
While higher correlations are generally better, the size of the sample (and other factors)
are very important for achieving statistical significance. Validity studies with small sample
sizes will often not achieve significance mainly because of the error in the study. Many
selection methods have average validities between .20 and .40. Samples of a minimum
of 100 scores are strongly recommended in order to empirically validate in a particular setting.3 So, do scores on the GMAT predict success in business school? Clearly, they do with
an average validity of about .5 across hundreds of studies.
Another key issue that will have an impact on the results and interpretation of empirical studies is the conceptual match between a particular criterion of interest (e.g., some
element of job performance) and any particular predictor. Cognitively loaded predictors
(those correlated with general mental ability [GMA]) are the strongest predictors of task
performance, while so-called noncognitive predictors such as personality and motivational
measures are better predictors of contextual performance/citizenship behavior (e.g., effects
on co-workers) and counterproductive behavior (e.g., employee theft).
A critical concept related to validity is generalizability. This term refers to the extent
to which the validity of a selection method can generalize to other employment settings
W
or situations. At the most basic level, generalizability concerns whether the validity of
I
a selection method established
based on a study or studies in other situations can be
inferred for a new situation
in
which
no new correlational data are collected. Validity
L
generalization (VG) invokes evidence from past studies on a selection method that is
S similar setting. Many studies have used appropriate scientific
then applied to a new and
methods to establish theO
validity and generalizability of constructs, such as cognitive or
general mental ability and emotional intelligence, and also particular instruments and
methods developed to N
measure these constructs. Meta-analytic techniques are used
to establish VG for a ,method. Meta-analysis is a methodology for quantitatively
accumulating results across studies. Meta-analytic findings are generally more reliable than results obtained from an individual study and help researchers draw conclusions. Like other areas Jof scientific inquiry, meta-analytic methods have evolved and
new refinements continue to emerge. These improvements have increased the accuracy
A and estimates of the validity of these particular selection tests
of meta-analytic methods
4
and methods.
M
VG is an excellent alternative to empirical validation for selection methods when a
I
criterion-related validation study cannot be done because of inadequate sample sizes or
Ecould invoke an appropriate VG study to argue that a particular
other reasons. Employers
test or method is valid for their setting as well. This approach is recommended if there is
insufficient data to allow for an empirical study by this employer (i.e., at a minimum, less
than 100 pairs of scores5on an instrument correlated with performance data on the same
individuals).
0
A VG argument for validity can be invoked if an organization can first locate previously
5 showing that the same or similar methods (e.g., tests) are valid
conducted empirical studies
for a particular job or purpose.
The organization should then produce an analysis showing
1
that the job for which the method is used (or will be used) for selection is the same as, or
very similar to the job(s)Bthat were involved in the empirical studies of the VG study and
that the criterion measures
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