Chapter 8

Part 4
Staffing Activities:
Selection
Chapter 8:
External Selection I
Staffing Organizations Model
Organization
Mission
Goals and Objectives
Organization Strategy HR and Staffing Strategy
Staffing Policies and Programs

Support Activities Core Staffing Activities
Legal compliance Recruitment: External, internal
Selection:
Planning Measurement, external, internal
Employment:
Job analysis Decision making, final match
Staffing System and Retention Management
8-2
Chapter Outline
• Preliminary Issues • Initial Assessment Methods

• Logic of Prediction • References and Background
• Nature of Predictors Checks
• Development of the
Selection Plan • Initial Interview
• Selection Sequence • Choice of Methods
• Initial Assessment Methods • Legal Issues
• Resumes and Cover
Letters • Disclaimers
• Application Blanks • Reference Checks
• Biographical Information
• Background Checks
• Preemployment Inquiries
• Bona Fide Occupational
Qualifications 8-3
Learning Objectives for This Chapter
• Understand how the logic of prediction guides the selection process

• Review the nature of predictors—how selection measures differ
• Understand the process involved in developing a selection plan, and
the selection sequence
• Learn about initial assessment methods and understand how these
methods are optimally used in organizations
• Evaluate the relative effectiveness of initial assessment methods to
determine which work best, and why
• Review the legal issues involved in the use of initial assessment
methods, and understand how legal problems can be avoided
8-4
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
8-5
Nature of Predictors
• Content
• Sign: A predisposition thought to relate to performance (e.g.,
personality)
• Sample: Observing behavior thought to relate to performance
• Criterion: Actual measure of prior performance
• Form
• Speed vs. power: How many versus what level
• Paper / pencil vs. performance: Test in writing or in behavior
• Objective vs. essay: Much like multiple-choice vs. essay course
exam questions
• Oral vs. written vs. computer: How data are obtained
8-6
Development of the Selection Plan:
Steps Involved
1. Develop list of KSAOs required for job

• KSAOs are provided by job requirements
matrix
2. For each KSAO, decide if it needs to be
assessed in the selection process
3. Determine method(s) of assessment to be used
for each KSAO
8-7
Ex. 8.3 Assessment
Methods by Applicant
Flow Stage
•Initial assessment
methods
•Minimize the costs
associated with
substantive
assessment methods
by reducing the
number of people
assessed
8-8
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
• Lack of research exists related to
• Validity or reliability
• Costs
• Adverse impact 8-9
Overview of Application Blanks
• Areas covered
• Educational experience
• 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
• Sample application blank - Exh. 8.4
8-10
Sample Application for Employment
8-11
Application Blanks
• Areas of special interest
• Educational requirements
• Level of education
• GPA
• Quality of school
• Major field of study
• Extracurricular activities
• Training and experience requirements
• Licensing, certification, and job knowledge
• Weighted application blanks are better
• Unweighted correlation with performance from.10 to .20
• Weighted correlations are substantially higher 8-12
Biographical Information / Biodata
• Personal history • Biodata compared with
background checks
information of applicant’s
background and interests • Background check
• “Best predictor of • examines an
applicant’s
future behavior is past background
behavior” • conducted through
• Past behaviors may records checks and
conversations with
reflect ability or references
motivation
• Biodata
• Measures
• used to predict future
• Exh. 8.5: Examples of performance
Biodata Items • information is
collected by survey
8-13
Exhibit 8.5 Examples of Biodata Items
8-14
Evaluation: Biographical
Information / Biodata
• Test-retest reliability can be high: .60 to .90

• Predictive validity moderate: r = .32 to .37
• Issues
• Generalizability beyond first group?
• Although predictive validity exists, it is not
clear
what these inventories assess
• Falsification can be a big problem 8-15
Reference Reports:
Letters of Recommendation
• Problems
• Inability to discern more-qualified from
less-qualified applicants
• Lack of standardization
• Suggestions to improve credibility
• Use a structured form
• Use a standardized scoring key
8-16
Reference Reports: Reference Checks
• Approach involves verifying applicant’s background via

contact with
• Prior immediate supervisor(s) or
• HR department of current of previous companies
• Roughly 8 of 10 companies conduct reference checks
• Problems
• Same as problems with letters of recommendation
• Reluctance of companies to provide requested
information due to legal concerns
• Exh. 8.7: Sample Reference Check
8-17
Reference Reports: Background Testing
• Method involves assessing reliability of applicants’ behavior, integrity, and
personal adjustment
• Type of information requested
• Criminal history
• Credit information
• Educational history
• Employment verification
• Driver license histories
• Workers’ compensation claims
• Key issues
• Limited validity evidence
• Legal constraints on pre-employment inquiries
8-18
Evaluation of Reference Reports
• Predictive validity limited: r = .16 to .26

• Validity depends on source providing information
• HR department, coworker, or relative
• Supervisors
• What sources do you think work best?
• Cost vs. benefit of approach must be considered
8-19
Initial Interview
• Characteristics
• Begins process of necessary differentiation
• Purpose -- Screen out most obvious cases of person /
job mismatches
• Limitation -- Most expensive method
of initial assessment
• Video and computer interviews
• Offers cost savings
8-20
Evaluation of Initial Interview
• Minimal evidence exists regarding usefulness
• Guidelines to enhance usefulness
• Ask questions assessing most basic KSAOs
• Stick to basic, fundamental questions suitable
for making rough cuts rather than subjective
questions
• Keep interviews brief
• Ask same questions of all applicants
8-21
Choice of Initial Assessment Methods
8-22
Legal Issues
• Disclaimers - Organization clearly identifies
rights it wants to maintain
• Employment-at-will
• Verification consent
• False statement warning
• Reference checks
• Preemployment inquiries
• Federal laws and regulations
• EEOC Guide to Preemployment Inquiries
• ADA regulations
• State laws and regulations 8-23
Legal Issues
• Bona fide occupational qualifications - BFOQs
• Discrimination based on sex, religion, or national
origin, but not race or color, is permitted if it can be
shown to be a BFOQ “reasonably necessary to the
normal operation” of the business
• Employer justifications
• Inability to perform
• Same-sex personal contact
• Customer preference
• Pregnancy or fertility
8-24
Ethical Issues
• Issue 1
• Is it wrong to “pad” one’s résumé with information
that, while not an outright lie, is an enhancement? For
example, would it be wrong to term one’s job
“maintenance coordinator” when in fact one simply
emptied garbage cans?
• Issue 2
• Do you think employer have a right to check into
applicants’ backgrounds? Even if there is no suspicion
of misbehavior? Even if the job poses no security or
sensitive risks? Even if the background check includes
driving offenses and credit histories?
8-25

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Part 4

Organization Strategy HR and Staffing Strategy

Staffing Policies and Programs

• Preliminary Issues • Initial Assessment Methods

• Understand how the logic of prediction guides the selection process

• Not specific enough to make selection decisions

1. Develop list of KSAOs required for job

• Test-retest reliability can be high: .60 to .90

• Approach involves verifying applicant’s background via

• Predictive validity limited: r = .16 to .26

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