Human Resource ManagementLecture 09

MGT 350

Last Lecture

The selection process1. initial screening interview2. completion of the application form3. employment tests4. comprehensive interview5. background investigation6. conditional job offer7. medical/physical exam8. permanent job offer

RJP

Topic

The Selection Process

The Selection ProcessBackground Investigation: A good predictor of future behavior is an individual’s past

behavior.

• Verify information from the application form

• Typical information verified includes:– former employers– previous job performance– education– legal status to work– credit references – criminal records

The Selection Process

Background Investigation• Qualified privilege

– employers may discuss employees with prospective employers without fear of reprisal as long as the discussion is about job-related documented facts.

• One-third of all applicants exaggerate their backgrounds or experiences.

The Selection Process

Background Investigation Methods:

• Internal investigation: checks former employers, personal references and possibly credit sources.

• External investigation: Uses a reference-checking firm which may obtain more information, while complying with privacy rights.

The Selection Process

• Background Investigation

• Documentation, including whom called, questions asked, information obtained/not obtained.

• Important in case an employers’ hiring decision is later challenged.

The Selection ProcessConditional Job Offers:

• Offers of employment made contingent upon successful completion of background check, physical/medical exam, drug test, etc.

• May only use job-related information to make a hiring decision.

The Selection Process

Medical/Physical Examination • Should be used only to determine if the

individual can comply with the essential functions of the job.

• Must be related to job.

The Selection Process

Job Offers

• Actual hiring decision generally made by the department manager.

• Candidates not hired deserve the courtesy of prompt notification.

The Selection Process

The Comprehensive Approach

• Comprehensive selection approach puts applicants through all the steps in the selection process before making a decision.

• Assesses both strengths and weaknesses and is considered more realistic.

The Selection Process

Now It’s Up to the Candidate • The candidate now has to decide whether

this is the job for him or her. • Applicants who are not hired this time will

still form an impression about the company.

• Management should assure the selection process leaves them with a favorable impression of the company.

Selection for Self-Managed Teams• If teams are given management

responsibilities, it makes sense for them to select their own members.

• Team members bring to the selection process varied experiences and backgrounds.

• Team members need training in selection and interviewing techniques.

Key Elements for Successful Predictors

• Reliability, validity, and cut scores can all help predict which applicants will be successful on the job.

• Reliability: The ability of the selection tool to measure an attribute consistently.

Key Elements for Successful Predictors

• Validity: The relationship between scores on a selection tool and a relevant criterion, such as job performance.

• Indicates how well a selection tool predicts job performance.– Content– Construct– Criterion-related

Key Elements for Successful Predictors

• Content validity: The degree to which the content of the test, as a sample, represents situations on the job.

• Construct validity: The degree to which a particular trait is related to successful performance on the job.

Key Elements for Successful Predictors

• Criterion-related validity: The degree to which a particular selection device accurately predicts the important elements of work behavior. – Predictive validity uses selection test scores of

applicants to compare with their future job performance.

– Concurrent validity correlates the test scores of current employees with measures of their job performance.

Key Elements for Successful Predictors

Key Elements for Successful Predictors

• Validity Analysis: Correlation coefficients (validity coefficients) ranging from +1 to –1 summarize the statistical relationship between an individual’s test score and his/her job performance.

Key Elements for Successful Predictors

Cut Scores and Their Impact on Hiring:

• Cut scores on a selection device can be determined by validity studies.

• Applicants scoring below the cut score are predicted to be unsuccessful on the job and are rejected.

Selection From a Global Perspective

• Selection criteria for international assignments includes – interest in working overseas– ability to relate to different cultures and

environments– supportiveness of the candidate’s family

• Women executives have done well abroad in Asia and Latin America, despite past reluctance to assign them to these countries.

Final Thoughts: Excelling at the Interview

• Suggestions for making your interviews as an applicant successful are: – Do some homework on the company. – Get a good night’s rest the night before. – Dress appropriately. – Arrive for the interview a few minutes early. – Use a firm handshake. – Maintain good eye contact. – Take the opportunity to have practice interviews. – Thank the interviewer at the end of the interview and

follow up with a thank you note.

Summary

The selection process1. initial screening interview2. completion of the application form3. employment tests4. comprehensive interview5. background investigation6. conditional job offer7. medical/physical exam8. permanent job offer

Summary

• Reliability: The ability of the selection tool to measure an attribute consistently.

• Validity: The relationship between scores on a selection tool and a relevant criterion, such as job performance.

• Indicates how well a selection tool predicts job performance.– Content– Construct– Criterion-related

• Selection criteria for international assignments includes • Suggestions for making your interviews