Employee Screening and Selection

Learning Outcomes

• Recognize the distinction between employee screening and employee selection.
• Describe the pros and cons of screening tools like application forms, résumés, reference checks, background checks, social networking sites, virtual career fairs, and virtual job auditions.
• Discuss the legal status of these screening tools and how well they predict job performance.
• Design an effective multiphase screening program tailored to the requirements of a specific job.

Applicant Screening

• Screening is the first step in the selection process.
• It involves identifying candidates from the applicant pool who meet the minimum qualifications for the target position(s).
• Candidates who pass this initial screening then undergo more thorough assessments.

Minimum Qualifications (MQ)

• Minimum qualifications include the knowledge, skills, abilities, experiences, and other attributes deemed necessary for minimally acceptable performance in one or more positions.
• MQs are designed to make the "first cut" in screening job applicants.
• Minimum qualifications are sometimes referred to as selection criteria.
• MQs critically affect the entire selection process.
• They are often closely scrutinized for adverse impact against designated group members, i.e., women, visible minorities, Aboriginal people, and people with disabilities.

Recruitment, Screening, and Selection

• The selection ratio is the proportion of applicants for one or more positions who are hired.
• It represents the ratio of applicants hired for a position to the total number of applicants for that position.
• For instance, if 200 applicants apply for 10 positions, the selection ratio is 0.05 (10/200 = 0.05), meaning one position for every 20 applicants.

Screening Matrix

• True positives are those who pass the screening and perform well if hired.
• False negatives are individuals who are predicted to perform unsuccessfully based on pre-selection assessment scores, but who would perform at satisfactory levels if hired.
• False positives are those who are predicted to perform successfully based on pre-selection assessment scores, but do not perform at satisfactory levels when placed on the job.
• True negatives are those who fail screening and would perform poorly if hired.

Screening Methods

• Common screening methods include:
  • Application Forms
  • Résumés
  • Reference checks
  • Background checks
  • Technology-enabled tools such as Social Media Networks

Application Forms

• An application blank is a form completed by job candidates to provide an employer with basic information about their knowledge, skills, education, or other job-related information.
• Employers cannot ask for information that is prohibited on discriminatory grounds under human rights legislation unless it can be established that the information is a bona fide occupational requirement (BFOR).
• Types of Application Forms: Weighted application blank (WAB) and Biographical information blank (BIB)
• Weighted application blank (WAB) is a method for quantitatively combining information from application blank items by assigning weights that reflect each item's value in predicting job success.
  • Benefits: good predictors for many types of work behaviour
  • Concerns: may not adequately represent a job's complex performance domain
  • When to use: often used for rapid screening and may be combined with other predictors
• Biographical information blank (BIB) is a pre-selection questionnaire that requires applicants to provide detailed, job-related information concerning their personal background and life experiences.
  • Biodata are biographical data gathered from applicant BIBs, application blanks, or other sources.
  • BIBs are designed to measure behavior tendencies making it useful for predicting long-term job performance.
  • BIB items may request personally sensitive information on family background and experiences that borders on violating human rights legislation.

Résumés

• A résumé is a summary of applicant information, which typically includes the applicant's name, mailing address, email address, and phone number; a summary of skills; work experiences/employment history; education and training; and other information that the applicant chooses to include (e.g., extracurricular activities, volunteer work, awards, honors).
• The intent is to introduce the applicant to the organization through a brief, written self-description.
• Résumés are not standardized.
• Résumés are unique.
• Electronic résumés are more popular today.
• Résumés create the first impression of the applicant.
• To build a favorable first impression, the résumé should be accompanied by a well-written cover letter.
• A résumé should include: the applicant's name, address, and phone number; education and training; employment history; names of references and their contact information; a brief statement of employment goals and objectives; and information on hobbies and interests.
• Résumé screening is difficult because of the volume of résumés
• Many medium- and large-sized organizations are using Applicant Tracking Systems (ATSs)
  • ATS are software applications that scan résumés to help match skills and experience with available positions, filtering through only those with the closest matches for further consideration by a recruiter
• When examining a résumé, look for: unexplained gaps in work or education chronology; conflicting details or overlapping dates; career regression, or a “downward” trend; use of qualifiers such as “knowledge of” and "assisted in" to describe work experience; inflated educational credentials; claims of work with firms that are out of business; exaggerated claims of expertise and experience; vague details; substantial periods in a candidate's work history listed as “self-employed" or "consultant".

Reference Checks

• This involves gathering information about a job candidate from supervisors, coworkers, clients, or other people named as references by the candidate.
• Information is usually collected from the references through telephone conversations.

Background Checks

• These are usually conducted by third party specialists, to obtain comprehensive, confirming evidence regarding the information in an applicant's application form, résumé, or interview.
• Common résumé misrepresentations uncovered through background checks include: listing family members as former supervisors; gaps in employment; errors concerning start and end dates; false academic credentials; and incorrect job titles.
• Employers who do not conduct background checks are at risk for negligent hiring.

Work Experience

• Here, an applicant's past employment is evaluated for its relatedness to the target position dimensions such as length, number of employers and contexts involved and number and type of tasks performed

Social Media Networks

• Employers are accessing these sites, mostly during the screening process, for information concerning the social, political, and leisure activities of applicants.
• Organizations are rightfully being discouraged from using it as part of their recruitment, screening, and selection processes.
• An exception might be for more structured and professional sites, such as LinkedIn.

Chapter Summary

• Screening assesses whether applicants meet minimum qualifications.
• The major screening tools discussed in this chapter have several advantages and disadvantages for organizations, as well as potential legal issues.
• Effective, job-relevant, multiphase screening programs can help organizations to avoid litigation, bad publicity, and loss of competitive advantage while ensuring cost-effectiveness, accuracy, and legal defensibility.
• To design such a program, organizations need to carefully consider the legal implications and psychometric properties associated with their screening tools.