Selection
The Selection Process
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Steps involved in choosing people who have the right qualifications to fill a
current or future job opening
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Managers, supervisors, and HRM collaborate in the selection process.
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HRM ensures that all the policies for the selection process are followed.
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Managers and supervisors are the ones assigned to make the final
decision because they know the job requirements and supervise the job
daily.
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Is expensive
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Purchasing testing materials
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Time spent
Steps
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Criteria development
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Application and Resume Review
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Interviewing
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Test administration
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Making the offer
Note: Steps may vary. An applicant may be rejected after any step in the process
STEP
Criteria Development
CHARACTERISTICS
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Application and Resume Review
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Understand KSAOs
Determine sources of KSAO
information such as testing and
interviews
Develop a scoring system for
each of the sources of
information
Create an interview plan
Should be based on criteria
developed in step one
Consider internal versus external
candidates
Interview
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Determine types of interviews
Write interview questions
Be aware of interview bias
Test Administration
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Perform testing as outlined in the
criteria development; could
include reviewing work staples,
drug testing, or written cognitive
and personality tests
Selection
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Making the Offer
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Determine which selection
method will be used
Compare selection method
criteria
Use negotiation techniques
Write offer letter or employment
agreement
Criteria Development
Criteria Development Considerations
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required prior to other steps
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Knowing exactly what you want before even beginning the process of
looking through the resumes
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JD and JS as sources of criteria
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KSAOs
Validity
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Accuracy in measuring the person’s attributes needed for a specific job
opening
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Resume-scanning software
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Reference checks
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Cognitive ability tests
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Work samples
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Credit reports
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Biographical information blanks
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Personality tests
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Interview questions
Reliability
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Degree in which selection techniques yield similar data over time
Fit Issues
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Person-Job Fit
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Person-Organization Fit
Reviewing Resumes
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There are several ways of doing this: criterion-based (choosing applicants
that satisfy the criteria set for the selection) or score-based (rate each
candidate and interview those who are above a certain score), even with the
use of HRIS (faster, automated)
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Be mindful of disparate impact (unequal treatment to a specific race or
group) and disparate treatment (unequal treatment to a specific individual)
Internal Candidates
Advantages
Disadvantages
Rewards contributions of current staff
Can be cost-effective (no need to post
job ads)
Can improve morale
Familiarity with internal candidates’
past performance
Can produce “inbreeding” which may
reduce diversity
May cause political infighting
Can create bad feelings if the internal
candidate doesn’t get it.
External Candidates
Advantages
Brings new talent into the company
Can help an organization obtain
diversity goals
New ideas and insight brought into the
company
Disadvantages
Implementation can be expensive
Can cause morale problems for
internal candidates
Can take longer for training and
orientation
Interviewing
Types of Interview
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Traditional
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Telephone
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Often used to narrow down the list prior to traditional interviews
Panel
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Office setting
Many interviewers to one candidate
Information
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Exploring possibilities for candidates
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No immediate opening, but you’re interested in an applicant who would
be a good addition to the organization in the future
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Meal
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Casual unstructured interview over lunch or dinner
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More relaxed, but not as systematic as structured interviews
Group
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Two or more candidates interviewed at the same time
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It saves time, but succeeding applicants may just copy the responses
of preceding candidates
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Video
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Same as a telephone but with a video component
Nondirective
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Open-ended questions, candidates talk more
Interview Questions
Situational Interview
Behavior Description Interview
Candidates are asked how they will deal
with a hypothetical situation
Candidates are asked what they did in a
situation they previously experienced
For example, if a customer is irate with
you because her order was delivered
late, how would you handle the
Tell me about an experience you had
with an irate customer because of
delayed delivery and what you actually
situation?
did to handle the complaint.
Behavior description interview questions are better and frequently used than
situational interview questions because behavior description interview questions
tend to predict future behavior than situational interview questions. It is because the
former uncovers the patterns of behavior an applicant exhibited in the past.
Patterns tend to be persistent and as such, they are likely to occur again in the
future. On the other hand, the latter is more prone to faking or to self-presentation.
Because the latter hasn’t happened yet, an applicant may present an ideal answer
just to get hired.
Illegal Questions
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Illegal questions should be considered because they do not constitute equal
employment opportunities and fairness. Moreover, they may cause recruiters
to commit disparate impacts and disparate treatments.
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National origin
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Age
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Marital Status
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Religion
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Disabilities
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Criminal record
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Personal questions
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Stick to asking questions that are related to your selection criteria.
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You may ask questions related to those cited above if they are bona fide
occupational questions (BFOQ) or clear requirements for the position.
Interview Biases
Interview Biases
Halo or Reverse Halo Effect
Description/Example
Because of one positive or negative
trait a candidate possesses, one’s
judgment is clouded or distorted
Contrast bias
Gut feeling bias
Comparing one candidate to others
instead of standards
Relying on intuition about a candidate
Generalization bias
Assuming how a candidate behaves in
an interview is how they always behave
Culture noise bias*
Candidate answer based on the
assumption of interviewer’s culture
Nonverbal behavior bias*
The candidate misinterprets the
nodding and smiling of an interviewer
Similar-to-me bias
Interviewer prefers candidates who
have similar attributes as themselves
Recency bias
Interviewer remembers candidates
interviewed most recently than other
candidates
*Biases that candidates may perform
Interview Process
1.
Recruit new candidates
2.
Establish criteria (consult your JD and JS)
3.
Develop interview questions
4.
Set a timeline for interviewing and decision-making
5.
Connect schedules with others involved in the interview process (e.g.,
managers, supervisors)
6.
Set up the interviewers with candidates and set up any testing procedures
7.
Interview candidates and perform the necessary testing
8.
Meet with hiring team to discuss results and make decisions
9.
Put together a job offer
Testing and Selecting
Categories of Tests
Categories of tests
Measures
Cognitive ability test
Reasoning, math, and verbal skills
Aptitude test - ability to learn new
skills
Achievement test - current
knowledge
Example:
AptitudeTest
SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), and FIT
(Flanagan Industrial Test),
Achievement Test
OLSAT (Otis-Lennon School Ability Test)
Personality tests
Traits and attitudes
Example: MBTI, 16PF
Physical ability tests
If applicants can perform the physical
requirements of the job
Job knowledge tests
Level of understanding about a
particular job
Work samples
Other Bases for Selection
1.
Reference checks
2.
Licenses
3.
Medical and drug testing
4.
Credit history
5.
Social media
*Be mindful of privacy laws
If applicants can show examples of
their work
Selection Decision Methods (Approaches/Strategies)
Clinical Approach
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Using a subjective and qualitative approach (e.g., comparing descriptions of
candidates)
Statistical Approach
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Using an objective and quantitative approach (e.g., number, scores, weights)
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Compensatory Model (Average)
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Permits a high score in one area to make up for a low score in another
area
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Multiple Cutoff Model (Minimum)
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Requires an applicant to achieve a minimum level of proficiency on all
selection dimensions
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Multiple Hurdle Model (Sequential)
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Only applicants with sufficiently high scores at each selection stage go
on to subsequent stages in the selection process
Making the Job Offer
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Salary questions should be asked of the candidate before the offer is even
made during the interview
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To determine salary, consider the qualification, scarcity of skills set, industry
rates, economic conditions, etc.
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Make the offer as soon as possible.
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Give the candidate time to think but not too long so as not to lose other
candidates should this candidate decline.
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Negotiate when needed
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Once the candidate accepts the offer, both parties sign the employment
agreement/contract