Employee Selection: References and Testing PDF

EMPLOYEE SELECTION: REFERENCES AND TESTING Learning Objectives: At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:  Be able to understand why references don’t predict future employee performance  Analyze the right type of employment test to a particular situation...

EMPLOYEE SELECTION: REFERENCES AND TESTING Learning Objectives: At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:  Be able to understand why references don’t predict future employee performance  Analyze the right type of employment test to a particular situation  Be able to describe the types of tests to be used for employee selection  Be able to write a good rejection letter MODELS OF EMPLOYEE SELECTION Reference Check  The process of confirming the accuracy of résumé and job application information. Reference  The expression of an opinion, either orally or through a written checklist, regarding an applicant’s ability, previous performance, work habits, character, or potential for future success Letter of Recommendation  A letter expressing an opinion regarding an applicant’s ability, previous performance, work habits, character, or potential for success Reasons for Using References and Recommendations 1. Resume Fraud The intentional placement of untrue information on a résumé Reasons for Using References and Recommendations In 2014, a Polk State College professor, David Broxterman, was fired when the university discovered that he had lied about having a Ph.D. from the University of South Florida (USF). What helped give him away after five years at Polk State? He misspelled the word “Board” on his fake diploma and used the wrong middle name when forging the USF president’s signature on the diploma. If being fired wasn’t bad enough, Broxterman was arrested Reasons for Using References and Recommendations In 2012, Yahoo CEO, Scott Thompson, resigned after it was discovered that his claim of having a degree in computer science wasn’t true, although he did have a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Reasons for Using References and Recommendations 2. Checking for Discipline Problems it is to determine whether the applicant has a history of such discipline problems as poor Reasons for Using References and Recommendations Negligent hiring A situation in which you hired an employee with a previous criminal record commits a crime as part of his/her employment Reasons for Using References and Recommendations 3. Discovering New Information About the Applicant Reasons for Using References and Recommendations 4. Predicting Future Performance - However, most recommendations are positive (leniency) Reasons for Using References and Recommendations applicants choose their own references confidentiality concerns fear of legal ramifications (conditional privilege) Reasons for Using References and Recommendations Negligent reference a situation in which a former employer also can be guilty of of negligent reference if it does not provide relevant information to an organization that requests it. Reasons for Using References and Recommendations Knowlege of the Applicant A problem with letters of recommendation is that the person writing the letter often does not know the applicant well, has not observed all aspects of an applicant’s behavior, or both. Reasons for Using References and Recommendations Reliability Another problem with references and letters of recommendation involves the lack of agreement between two people who provide references for the same person Reasons for Using References and Recommendations Extraneous Factors Another problem with letters of recommendation concerns extraneous factors that affect their writing and evaluation. Ethical Guidelines which reference providers should follow: 1. explicitly state your relationship with the applicant/the person you are recommending 2. Be honest in providing details 3. Let the applicant see your reference before sending it and give him the chance to decline to use it Predicting Performance Using Applicant Training and Education A meta-analysis by Ng and Feldman (2009) found that better educated employees had higher performance, were more likely to engage in organizational citizenship behaviors, less likely to be absent, and less likely to engage in on-the-job substance abuse than were employees with lower Predicting Performance Using Applicant Training and Education A metaanalysis of the relationship between education and police performance found that education was a valid predictor of performance in the police academy (r.26, ρ.38) and performance on the job (r.17, ρ.28) and added incremental validity to cognitive ability tests (Aamodt, 2004). Predicting Performance Using Applicant Training and Education Meta-analyses indicate that a student’s GPA can predict job performance (Roth, BeVier, Switzer, & Schippmann, 1996), training performance (Dye & Reck, 1989), promotions (Cohen, 1984), salary (Roth & Clarke, 1998), and graduate school performance (Kuncel, Hezlett, & Ones, 2001). GPA is most predictive in the first few years after graduation (Roth et al., 1996). Predicting Performance Using Applicant Knowledge Job knowledge test A test that measures the amount of job- related knowledge an applicant possesses Predicting Performance Using Applicant Ability Cognitive Ability includes such dimensions as oral and written comprehension, oral and written expression, numerical facility, originality, memorization, reasoning (mathematical deductive, inductive), and general learning. Cognitive ability is important for professional, clerical, and supervisory jobs, including such occupations as supervisor, accountant, and Predicting Performance Using Applicant Ability Cognitive Ability Tests Tests designed to measure the level of intelligence or the amount of knowledge possessed by an applicant Wonderlic Personality Test The cognitive ability test that is most commonly used in industry Other examples: Miller Analogies Test, the Quick Test, and Raven Progressive Matrices, Siena Reasoning Test Predicting Performance Using Applicant Ability Perceptual Ability Measure of facility with such processes as spatial relations and for perception it consists of vision (near, far, night, peripheral), color discrimination, depth perception, glare sensitivity, speech (clarity, recognition), and hearing (sensitivity, auditory attention, sound localization) (Fleishman & Reilly, 1992b) Predicting Performance Using Applicant Ability Perceptual Ability Measure of facility with such processes as spatial relations and for perception it consists of vision (near, far, night, peripheral), color discrimination, depth perception, glare sensitivity, speech (clarity, recognition), and hearing (sensitivity, auditory attention, sound localization) (Fleishman & Reilly, 1992b) Predicting Performance Using Applicant Ability Psychomotor Ability Measure of facility with such processes as finger dexterity and motor coordination Predicting Performance Using Applicant Ability Physical Ability Tests that measure an applicant’s level of physical ability required for a job Predicting Performance Using Applicant Ability Physical Ability can be measured in two ways: job simulations physical ability tests Predicting Performance Using Applicant Skill The two most common methods for doing this are the work sample and the assessment center. Predicting Performance Using Applicant Skill Work samples are excellent selection tools for several reasons. First, because they are directly related to job tasks, they have excellent content validity. Second, scores from work samples tend to predict actual work performance and thus have excellent criterion validity (Callinan & Robertson, 2001; Roth, Bobko, & McFarland, 2005). Predicting Performance Using Applicant Skill Third, because job applicants are able to see the connection between the job sample and the work performed on the job, the samples have excellent face validity and thus are challenged less often in civil service appeals or in court cases (Whelchel, 1985). Finally, work samples have lower racial differences in test scores than do written cognitive ability tests (Roth, Bobko, McFarland, & Buster, 2008), although the actual extent of the difference is still under debate (Bobko, Roth, & Buster, Predicting Performance Using Applicant Skill Assessment center A method of selecting employees in which applicants participate in several job-related activities, at least one of which must be a simulation, and are rated by several trained evaluators. Predicting Performance Using Applicant Assessment Skill Center Its major advantages are that assessment methods are all job-related and multiple trained assessors help to guard against many (but not all) types of selection bias. Predicting Performance Using Applicant Skill Development and Components of Assessment Centers Although many different techniques may be used in assessment centers, the basic development and types of exercises are fairly standard. The first step in creating an assessment center is, of course, to do a job Predicting Performance Using Applicant Skill Techniques: 1. In-basket Technique 2. Simulation 3. Work samples 4. Leaderless Group Discussions 5. Business games Predicting Performance Using Applicant Skill In-basket Technique An assessment center exercise designed to simulate the types of information that daily come across a manager’s or employee’s desk in order to observe the applicant’s responses to such information Predicting Performance Using Applicant Skill Simulations An exercise designed to place an applicant in a situation that is similar to the one that will be encountered on the job Predicting Performance Using Applicant Skill Work Samples A method of selecting employees in which an applicant is asked to perform samples of actual job- related tasks Predicting Performance Using Applicant Skill Leaderless Group Discussions In this exercise, applicants meet in small groups and are given a job-related problem to solve or a job-related issue to discuss. As the applicants discuss the problem or issue, they are individually rated on such dimensions as cooperativeness, leadership, Predicting Performance Using Applicant Skill Business Games An exercise, usually found in assessment centers, that is designed to simulate the business and marketing activities that take place in an organization. are exercises that allow the applicant to demonstrate such attributes as creativity, decision making, and ability to work with Predicting Performance Using Prior Experience Experience Ratings Biodata Predicting Performance Using Prior Experience Biodata A method of selection involving application blanks that contain questions that research has shown will predict job performance Predicting Performance Using Prior Experience Biodata In a nutshell, a biodata instrument is an application blank or questionnaire containing questions that research has shown measure the difference between successful and unsuccessful performers on a job. Each question receives a weight that indicates how well it differentiates poor from good performers. The better the differentiation, the higher the weight. Biodata instruments have several advantages Predicting Performance Using Prior Experience Biodata Research has shown that they can predict work behavior in many jobs, including sales, management, clerical, mental health counseling, hourly work in processing plants, grocery clerking, fast-food work, and supervising. Predicting Performance Using Prior Experience Biodata They have been able to predict criteria as varied as supervisor ratings, absenteeism, accidents, employee theft, loan defaults, sales, and tenure. Biodata instruments result in higher organizational profit and growth (Terpstra & Rozell, 1993). Predicting Performance Using Prior Experience Biodata Biodata instruments are easy to use, quickly administered, inexpensive, and not as subject to individual bias as interviews, references, and résumé evaluation Predicting Performance Using Prior Experience Development of a Biodata Instrument 1. File Approach 2. Questionnaire Approach 3. Criterion Groups 4. Vertical Percentage Method 5. Derivative Sample 6. Hold-out sample Predicting Performance Using Prior Experience File Approach The gathering of biodata from employee files rather than by questionnaire. Predicting Performance Using Prior Experience Questionnaire Approach The method of obtaining biodata from questionnaires rather tha from employee files Predicting Performance Using Prior Experience Criterion Group Division of employees into groups based on high and low scores Predicting Performance Using Prior Experience Vertical Percentage Method For scoring biodata in which the percentage of unsuccessful employees responding in a particular way is subtracted from the percentage of successful employees responding in the same way Predicting Performance Using Prior Experience Hold-out Method A group of employees who are not used in creating the initial weights for a biodata instrument but instead are used to double-check the accuracy of the initial weights. Predicting Performance Using Prior Experience Hold-out Method A group of employees who are not used in creating the initial weights for a biodata instrument but instead are used to double-check the accuracy of the initial weights. Predicting Performance Using Prior Experience Criticisms of Biodata Even though biodata does a good job of predicting future employee behavior, it has been criticized on two major points. The first holds that the validity of biodata may not be stable—that is, its ability to predict employee behavior decreases with time. Predicting Performance Using Prior Experience Criticisms of Biodata The second criticism is that some biodata items may not meet the legal requirements stated in the federal Uniform Guidelines, which establish fair hiring methods. Of greatest concern is that certain biodata items might result in adverse impact. For example, consider the biodata item “distance from work.” Applicants who live close to work might get more points than applicants who live farther away. The item may result in adverse impact if the organization is located in a predominantly White area Predicting Performance Using Personality, Interest nd Character Personality Inventories A psychological assessment designed to measure various aspects of an applicant’s personality Predicting Performance Using Personality, Interest and Character 1. Test of Normal Person measure the traits exhibited by normal individuals in everyday life. Examples of such traits are extraversion, shyness, assertiveness, and friendliness Predicting Performance Using Personality, Interest and Character Types of Test of Normal Person 1. Theory-based (MBTI -Carl Jung, Edward Preference Schedule -Murray) 2. Statistically-based - determined through a statistical process called factor analysis(16-PF - Raymond Cattell) 3. Empirically-based - determined by grouping answers given by people known to possess a certain characteristic (MMPI - 2) Predicting Performance Using Personality, Interest and 2. Test of Psychopathology Character Tests of psychopathology (abnormal behavior) determine whether individuals have serious psychological problems such as depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Though used extensively by clinical psychologists, these tests are seldom used by I/O psychologists except in the selection of law enforcement officers. Because the courts consider tests of psychopathology to be “medical exams,” they can be administered only after a conditional offer of employment has been made to an applicant. Predicting Performance Using Personality, Interest and Test of Psychopathology can be Character measured in two ways: 1.Projective tests 2.Objective tests Predicting Performance Using Personality, Interest and Projective Tests Character A subjective test in which a subject is askedto perform relatively unstructured tasks, such as drawing pictures, and in which a psychologist analyzes his or her responses. Examples: Rorschach Inkblot Test, Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), Predicting Performance Using Personality, Interest and Objective Tests Character A type of personality test that is structured to limit the respondent to a few answers that will be scored by standardized keys Example: MMPI - 2, Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-III) and the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) Predicting Performance Using Personality, Interest and Interest CharacterInventories A psychological test designed to identify vocational areas in which an individual might be interested Example: Strong Interest Inventory (SII), Minnesota Vocational Interest Inventory, the Occupational Preference Inventory, the Kuder Occupational Interest Survey, the Kuder Preference Record, and the California Occupational Preference System. Predicting Performance Using Personality, Interest and Character Interest Inventories Interest inventories are useful in vocational counseling (helping people find the careers for which they are best suited). Conducted properly, vocational counseling uses a battery of tests that, at a minimum, should include an interest inventory and a series of Predicting Performance Using Personality, Interest and Character Integrity Test Also called an honesty test; a psychological test designed to predict an applicant’s tendency to steal. Predicting Performance Using Personality, Interest and Character Two Illegal Electronic Integrity Tests Polygraph - An electronic test intended to determine honesty by measuring an individual’s physiological changes after being asked questions Voice-stress Analyzer - An electronic test to determine honesty by measuring an individual’s voice changes after being asked questions. Predicting Performance Using Personality, Interest and Character Two Legal Integrity Tests Overt Integrity Tests - A type of honesty test that asks questions about applicants’ attitudes toward theft and their previous theft history Personality-based Integrity Tests - A type of honesty test that measures personality traits thought to be related to antisocial behavior Predicting Performance Using Personality, Interest and Character Shrinkage The amount of goods lost by an organization as a result of theft, breakage, or other loss Predicting Performance Using Personality, Interest and Character Conditional Reasoning Tests Test designed to reduce faking by asking test-takers to select the reason that best explains a statement Predicting Performance Using Personality, Interest and Character Credit History According to a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, 47% of employers conduct credit checks for at least some jobs (SHRM, 2012). These credit checks are conducted for two reasons: (1) Employers believe that people who owe money might be more likely to steal or accept bribes, and (2) employees with good credit are more responsible and conscientious and thus will be better employees. Predicting Performance Using Personality, Interest and Character Graphology Also called handwriting analysis, a method of measuring personality by looking at the way in which a person writes. Predicting Performance Limitations Due to Medical and Psychological Problems Drug Testing - Tests that indicate whether an applicant has recently used a drug Psychological Exams - It usually consist of an interview by a clinical psychologist, an examination of the applicant’s life history, and the administration of one or more of the psychological tests discussed earlier in this chapter. It is important to keep in mind that psychological exams are not designed to predict employee performance. Therefore, they should only be used to determine if a potential employee is a danger to himself or others Predicting Performance Limitations Due to Medical and Psychological Medical Exams - InProblems jobs requiring physical exertion, many employers require that a medical exam be taken after a conditional offer of hire has been made. In these exams, the physician is given a copy of the job description and asked to determine if there are any medical conditions that will keep the employee from safely Rejecting Applicants Rejection letter A letter from an organization to an applicant informing the applicant that he or she will not receive a job offer