Human Resource Management: Selection Methods

Selection Methods

• Measure applicants' KSAOs (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other characteristics) against required competencies
• Complete and clear job specifications help differentiate between qualified and unqualified applicants and reduce interviewer's biases and prejudices

Steps in the Selection Process

• Organizations gather information in several ways:
  • Résumés
  • Applications
  • Interviews
  • Tests
  • Medical examinations
  • Background and other checks

Obtaining Reliable and Valid Information

• Reliability: The degree to which an interview, test, or other selection procedures result in consistent information about a candidate
• Validity: The degree to which a test or selection procedure measures or predicts a person's ability to do a job

Initial Screening

• Before interviewing applicants, screen out unqualified individuals to save time and money
• Methods:
  • Cover letters and résumés
  • Internet checks
  • Phone and video screening
  • Video résumés
  • Application forms

Employment Interviews

• Types of interviews:
  • Nondirective interview
  • Structured interview
  • Situational interview
  • Behavioral description interview (BDI)
  • Sequential interview
  • Panel interview
• Methods for administering interviews:
  • Video and phone interviews
  • Computer-administered (automated) interviews
• Drawback of computer-administered interviews: recruiters can't ask follow-up questions
• The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) discourages direct or indirect questions related to:
  • Race
  • Color
  • Age
  • Religion
  • Gender
  • Sexual orientation
  • National origin
  • Caregiver status

Post-Interview Screening

• After a candidate has been interviewed, investigate information about the person's previous employment and other information provided
• Reference checks:
  • Phone checks
  • Former employer
  • Prior to checking a candidate's references, the candidate must complete forms permitting information to be solicited from former employers and other reference sources

Background Checks

• Negligent hiring: The failure of an organization to discover, via due diligence, that an employee it hired had the propensity to do harm to others
• Firms must obtain clear and conspicuous written consent from applicants beforehand
• Applicants must be told if the information uncovered is going to be used to deny their employment; they must be given a copy of the report(s), the right to dispute it (them), and time to do so

Preemployment Tests

• Preemployment test: An objective and standardized test used to gauge a person's knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) relative to other individuals
• Drawback: They create the potential for legal challenges by applicants claiming the tests they took were discriminatory
• Types of tests:
  • Job knowledge tests
  • Work sample tests
  • Assessment center tests

Decision-Making Strategy

• The strategy used to make personnel decisions for one type of job will differ from those used to make decisions for other types of jobs
• Hiring questions:
  • Should individuals be hired according to their potential or the firm's needs?
  • At what grade or wage level should the individual be hired?
  • Should the selection be based on finding an ideal employee, or should advancement in the organization be considered?
  • Should unqualified but trainable individuals be considered?
  • Should overqualified individuals be considered?
  • What is the effect on the firm's affirmative action plans and diversity goals?

Final Decision

• In large organizations, managers or supervisors make the final decision about hiring, communicate it to HR, who notifies the candidate
• HR confirms job details, work arrangements, hours, wages, and a decision deadline
• For internal candidates, the hiring manager contacts the candidates personally
• It is important to put the offer in writing
• Organizations should notify candidates who are not chosen for the position