Chapter 6

Selection and Placement

 Learning Objectives
1. Establish basic scientific properties of
personnel selection methods, including
reliability, validity and generalizability.
2. Discuss how particular characteristics of job,
organization or applicant affect the utility of
any test.
3. Describe governments role in personnel
selection decisions, particularly in areas of
constitutional law,, executive orders and
judicial precedent.
4. List common methods used in selecting HR.
5. Describe the degree to which common
methods used in selecting HR meet the
demands of reliability, validity,
 Reliability

Reliability is the degree

to which a measure of
physical or cognitive
abilities or traits is free
from random error.

Test-retest reliability is
knowing how scores on the
measure at one time relate
to scores on the same
measure at another time.
 Validity
Validity is the extent to which
a performance measure assesses
all and only the relevant aspects of job
performance.

Criterion-related validation is a method

of establishing validity of a personnel
selection method by showing a substantial
correlation between test scores and job-
performance scores. The types include:
Predictive validation
Concurrent validation
 Generalizability

Generalizability - degree to which the

validity of a selection method established
in one context extends to other contexts.
3 Contexts:
1. different situations (jobs or
organizations)
2. different samples of people
3. different time periods
 Utility
Utility is the degree to which
information provided by selection methods
enhances the effectiveness of selecting
personnel.
Utility is impacted by reliability,
validity and generalizability.
 Legality

All selection methods must conform

to existing laws and legal precedents.
 Types of Selection Methods

Interviews
Honesty & References &
Drug Tests Biographical
Data

Work Samples HR
JOBS
Physical Ability
Tests
Personality
Inventories Cognitive Ability
Tests
 Interviews
Selection interviews-a dialogue initiated
by one or more persons to gather
information and evaluate the
applicants qualifications for employment.
To increase an interviews utility:
Interviews should be structured, standardized,
and focused on goals oriented to skills and
observable behaviors.
Interviewers should be able to quantitatively
rate each interview.
Interviewers should have a structured note-
taking system that will aid recall to satisfying
ratings.
 Situational
Interview
A situational interview confronts
applicants on specific issues, questions, or
problems likely to arise on the job.
Situational interviews consist of:
experience-based questions
future-oriented questions
Motivating employees
Resolving conflict
Overcoming resistance to change, etc.
 Experience-Based Situational
Interview Items
Experience Based
Motivating employees: Think about an instance when you
had to motivate an employee to
perform a task that he or she
disliked but that you needed to
have done. How did you handle
that situation?
Resolving conflict: What was the biggest difference of
opinion you ever had with a co-
worker? How did you resolve that
situation?
Overcoming resistance What was the hardest change you
to change: ever had to bring about in a past
job, and what did you do to get the
people around you to change their
thoughts or behaviors?
Future Oriented Situational
Interview Items
Future Oriented
Motivating employees: Suppose you were working with an
employee who you knew greatly
disliked performing a particular task.
You needed to get this task
completed, however, and this person
was the only one available to do it.
What would you do to motivate that
person?
Resolving conflict: Imagine that you and a co-worker
disagree about the best way to
handle an absenteeism problem with
another member of your team. How
would you resolve that situation?
Overcoming resistance Suppose you had an idea for
to change: change in work procedures that
would enhance quality, but some
members of your work group were
hesitant to make the change. What
 Other Selection Methods
References, biographical data, and
applications gather background
information on candidates.

Physical ability tests are relevant for

predicting job performance, occupational
injuries and disabilities.
muscular tension, power, and endurance
cardiovascular endurance
flexibility
balance
coordination
 Other Selection Methods
A cognitive ability test differentiates
individuals
based on mental rather than physical
capacities.
Personality inventories categorize
individuals by personality characteristics.
Work samples simulate a job in
miniaturized form.
 Inquisitiveness
Extroversion

Adjustment

Agreeableness
Conscientiousness
1. Extroversion: Sociable, gregarious, assertive, talkative,
expressive
2. Adjustment: Emotionally stable, non-depressed, secure,
content
3. Agreeableness: Courteous, trusting, good-natured, tolerant,
cooperative, forgiving
4. Conscientiousness: Dependable, organized, persevering,
thorough, achievement-oriented
5. Inquisitiveness: Curious, imaginative, artistically sensitive,
broad-minded, playful
 Self-regulation
Self-awareness

Self-motivation

Empathy
Social Skills
Emotional intelligence is also important in team
contexts and has been used to describe people
who are especially effective in fluid and socially
intensive contexts. Emotional intelligence is
traditionally conceived of as having five aspects:

(1)self-awareness (knowledge of ones strengths and

weaknesses),
(2)self-regulation (the ability to keep disruptive emotions in
check),
(3)self-motivation (how to motivate oneself and persevere in the
face of obstacles),
(4) empathy (the ability to sense and read emotions in others),
and
(5) social skills (the ability to manage the emotions of other
people).
 Drug Tests
Drug-use tests tend to be
reliable and valid.
Major controversies about drug
tests include:
1. Is it an invasion of privacy?
2. Is it an unreasonable search and seizure?
3. Is it a violation of due process?

Tests should be administered

systematically to all applicants
applying for the same job.
Test results should be reported to
applicants, who should have an
avenue to appeal.
 Summary
Job applicants and an organizations viability
are affected by decisions regarding who is
accepted and rejected for positions.

Five standards should conform: reliability,

validity, generalizability, utility and
legality.

Managerial assessment centers use many

different forms of tests over a two or three
day period to learn as much as possible about
candidates for important executive positions.