Chapter 8 The Selection Process

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External Candidates

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Logic of Prediction: Past Performance Predicts Future Performance

Not specific enough to make selection decisions Job titles Number of years of experience

What counts is the specific types of experiences required and the level of success at each

Assessment Methods by Applicant Flow

Stage

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8-5

Resumes and Cover Letters

Information provided is controlled by applicant Information needs to be verified by other predictors

to ensure accuracy and completeness

Major issues Large number received by organizations Falsification and misrepresentation of information

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Overview of Application Blanks

What areas are covered? Education Training Job experience

Key advantage -- Organization dictates information provided

Major issue -- Information requested should Be critical to job success and Reflect KSAOs relevant to job

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Reference Checks

Approach involves verifying applicant’s background via contact with Prior immediate supervisor(s) or coworkers, or HR department of current of previous companies

What are the possible problems? Same as problems with letters of recommendation Reluctance of companies to provide requested

information due to legal concerns

2-8

Fair Credit Reporting Act (1970)

Purpose Regulates organization’s acquisition and use of consumer

reports on job applicants Required compliance

Before obtaining a report, organization must Give applicant notice in writing a report may be obtained Obtain written authorization from applicant

If an “adverse action” is taken, organization must Notify (written, oral, electronic) applicant of adverse action Provide information of consumer reporting agency to

applicant Provide notice of applicant’s rights to applicant

Enforcement Enforced by Federal Trade Commission Noncompliance may result in fines up to $1,000

2-9

EEOC’s Enforcement Guidance on Criminal Records (2012)

For arrest and conviction records in employment decisions Inquiring about arrest and/or conviction records, while not per

se unlawful, can lead to potential discrimination issues if not handled properly.

Blanket policies may result in: Disparate impact Disparate treatment Race and national origin

Determinations should be made on an individual case-by-case basis

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EEOC’s Enforcement Guidance on Criminal Records (2012)

Generally prohibits decisions based on arrests/convictions that are not job related and consistent with business necessity – criteria: Nature of the crime; and Time elapsed since it occurred; and Its relation to the nature of the job had or sought.

Employers need to Give notice to applicant or employee that they have been

screened out because of criminal conviction; Provide with opportunity to demonstrate that exclusion should

not be applied due to their particular circumstances; and Consider whether the additional information provided

warrants an exception to the exclusion and shows that the policy as applied is not job related and consistent with business necessity.

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Use of Criminal Records - California

Don’t ask applicants to disclose information About an arrest or detention that did not result in conviction. Relating to a referral to or participation in a criminal diversion

program (a work education program as part of probation). About convictions for most marijuana possession offenses

more than two years old. You can’t seek the information from any other source,

nor use it as a factor in hiring, promoting, training, or termination.

You can ask employees and applicants about any arrest for which the employee or applicant is out on bail or out on their own recognizance pending trial.

Certain exceptions exist for peace officers, health care employees, and people with access to drugs and medication.

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Initial Interview

CharacteristicsBegins process of necessary differentiationPurpose -- Screen out most obvious cases

of person / job mismatchesLimitation -- Most expensive method

of initial assessmentVideo and computer interviews

Offers cost savings

8-13

Evaluation of Initial Interview

Guidelines to enhance usefulnessAsk questions assessing most basic KSAOsStick to basic, fundamental questions

suitable for making rough cuts rather than subjective questions

Keep interviews briefAsk same questions of all applicants

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Discretionary Assessment Methods

Used to separate people who receive job offers from list of finalists (assumes each finalist is considered fully qualified for position)

Often very subjective, relying heavily on intuition of decision maker

Factors other than KSAOs are evaluated Assess person/organization match Assess motivation level Assess people on relevant organizational

citizenship behaviors

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Contingent Assessment Methods

“We offer you this job contingent upon ….”

Might involve confirmation ofDrug test resultsMedical exam resultsBackground check results

Internal Candidates

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Logic of Prediction: Past Performance Predicts Future Performance

Advantages of internal over external selection Greater depth and relevance of data available

on internal candidates Greater emphasis can be placed on samples

and criteria rather than signs

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Skills Inventory

Use skills inventory for data on employees List of KSAOs held by each employee Records a small number of skills listed in generic

categories, such as education, experience, and supervisory training received

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Substantive Assessment Methods

Seniority and experienceJob knowledge testsPerformance appraisalsPromotability ratingsAssessment centersInterviews

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Overview of Seniority and Experience

Definitions Seniority

Length of service with organization, department, or job Experience

Not only length of service but also kinds of activities an employee has undertaken

Why so widely used? Direct experience in a job content area reflects an

accumulated stock of KSAOs necessary to perform job Information is easily and cheaply obtained Protects employee from unfair treatment and favoritism Promoting senior or experienced employees is socially

acceptable -- viewed as rewarding loyalty

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Evaluation of Seniority and Experience

Employees typically expect promotions will go to most senior or experienced employee

Relationship to job performance Seniority is unrelated to job performance Experience is moderately related to job performance,

especially in the short run Experience is superior because it is:

a more valid method than seniority more likely to be content valid when past or present jobs are

similar to the future job Experience is unlikely to remedy initial performance

difficulties of low-ability employees is better suited to predict short-term rather than long-term

potential

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Job Knowledge Tests

Job knowledge includes elements of both ability and seniority

Measured by a paper-and-pencil test or a computer

Holds great promise as a predictor of job performanceReflects an assessment of what was

learned with experienceAlso captures cognitive ability

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Performance Appraisal

A possible predictor of future job performance is past job performance collected by a performance appraisal process

Advantages Readily available Probably capture both ability and motivation

Weaknesses Potential lack of a direct correspondence between

requirements of current job and requirements of position applied for

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Principles of Promotion

“Peter Principle” - 1969 Employees tend to be promoted until they reach a

position at which they cannot work competently.

“Dilbert Principle” – 1990’s Companies tend to systematically promote their

least-competent employees to management (generally middle management), in order to limit the amount of damage they are capable of doing.

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Discretionary Assessment Methods

Narrows list of finalists to those who will receive job offers

Decisions often made on basis ofOrganizational citizenship behavior

Differences from external selectionPrevious finalists not receiving job offers do

not simply disappear