Human Resource Selection

1. Human ResourceSelection

2. Selection • Collecting & evaluating information about an individual in order to extend an offer of employment • Separating those that have the appropriate KSAs to perform well on the job • All evaluative decisions that place individuals in jobs • Performed under legal & environmental constraints to protect the future interests of the organization and the individual

3. Definition and Function of "Testers" • Testers are individuals who apply for employment which they do not intend to accept, for the sole purpose of uncovering unlawful discriminatory hiring practices. • Testers are matched to appear equally qualified with respect to their employment histories, educational backgrounds, references, and other relevant factors. • The basis being tested, e.g., race, national origin, disability etc.,3 should be the only significant difference between the testers.

4. Reliability • Measures that produce dependable, consistent, and accurate results when we use them • The degree of dependability, consistency, or stability of scores on a measure • The individual biases of raters, interviewers, and judges can affect the scoring of subjective measures • The more critical the decision, the greater the need for precision of the measure

5. Validity • The degree to which available evidence supports inferences made from scores on selection measures • Concurrent validity – statistical correlation between a measure and current performance • Predictive validity – statistical correlation between a measure and future performance • Content validity – a measure is representative of the job content domain

6. Applications • First official contact between employer and potential employee • Information gleaned from application blank questions can potentially deprive individuals of employment and perhaps discriminate against certain groups • It is illegal for an employer to discriminate against a job applicant because of his or her race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. For example, an employer may not refuse to give employment applications to people of a certain race.

9. Employment Testing • If an employer requires job applicants to take a test, the test must be necessary and related to the job and the employer may not exclude people of a particular race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, or individuals with disabilities. In addition, the employer may not use a test that excludes applicants age 40 or older if the test is not based on a reasonable factor other than age. • If a job applicant with a disability needs an accommodation (such as a sign language interpreter) to apply for a job, the employer is required to provide the accommodation, so long as the accommodation does not cause the employer significant difficulty or expense.

10. Assessment Centers Advantages Disadvantages Can be costly to create and administer. Require more labor (e.g., assessors, role-players, etc.) to administer than most other methods. Require more time to administer than most other methods. Can be difficult to keep calibrated or standardized across time and locations. • Have been demonstrated to produce valid inferences for a number of organizational outcomes (e.g., promotion rates). • Can reduce business costs by identifying individuals for hiring, promotion or training who possess the needed skills and abilities. • May be viewed positively by test takers who see the close relationship between the test and the job. • Can provide useful feedback to test takers regarding needed training and development. • Focus more heavily on behavior demonstration than simply assessing characteristics. • Use trained raters. • Are typically less likely to differ in results by gender and race than other types of tests.

11. Biographical Data Advantages Disadvantages May lead to individuals responding in a way to create a positive decision outcome rather than how they really are (i.e., they may try to positively manage their impression or even fake their response). Do not always provide sufficient information for developmental feedback (i.e., individuals cannot change their past). Can be time-consuming to develop if not purchased off-the-shelf. • Can be administered via paper and pencil or computerized methods easily to large numbers. • Can be cost effective to administer. • Have been demonstrated to produce valid inferences for a number of organizational outcomes (e.g., turnover, performance). • Are typically less likely to differ in results by gender and race than other types of tests. • Does not require skilled administrators. • Can reduce business costs by identifying individuals for hiring, promotion or training who possess the needed skills and abilities.

12. Cognitive Ability Tests Advantages Disadvantages Are typically more likely to differ in results by gender and race than other types of tests. Can be time-consuming to develop if not purchased off-the-shelf. • Have been demonstrated to produce valid inferences for a number of organizational outcomes (e.g., performance, success in training). • Have been demonstrated to predict job performance particularly for more complex jobs. • Can be administered via paper and pencil or computerized methods easily to large numbers. • Can be cost effective to administer. • Does not typically require skilled administrators. • Can reduce business costs by identifying individuals for hiring, promotion or training who possess the needed skills and abilities. • Will not be influenced by test taker attempts to impression manage or fake responses.

13. Integrity Tests Advantages Disadvantages May lead to individuals responding in a way to create a positive decision outcome rather than how they really are (i.e., they may try to positively manage their impression or even fake their response). May be disliked by test takers if questions are intrusive or seen as unrelated to the job. • Have been demonstrated to produce valid inferences for a number of organizational outcomes (e.g., performance, inventory shrinkage difficulties in dealing with supervision). • Can reduce business costs by identifying individuals who are less likely to be absent, or engage in other counterproductive behavior. • Send the message to test takers that integrity is an important corporate value. • Are typically less likely to differ in results by gender and race than other types of tests. • Can be administered via paper and pencil or computerized methods easily to large numbers. • Can be cost effective to administer. • Does not require skilled administrators.

14. Interviews Advantages Disadvantages May be affected by different kinds of rating errors and biases by interviewers. Are often more time-consuming to administer than paper and pencil or computerized tools. May be practically less useful when a large number of individuals must be evaluated because of administration time. Can be costly to train interviewers. May be difficult to keep interviewers calibrated and the interview process standardized. May lead to individuals responding in a way to create a positive decision outcome rather than how they really are (i.e., they may try to positively manage their impression or even fake their response). • Are expected and accepted by many job applicants. • Provide an opportunity for a two-way exchange of information. • Provide a measure of skills such as oral communication skills not measured via paper and pencil or computerized tools. • Have been demonstrated to produce valid inferences for a number of organizational outcomes, if properly developed and administered . • Can reduce business costs by identifying individuals for hiring, promotion or training who possess the needed skills and abilities. • Are typically less likely to differ in results by gender and race than other types of tests.

15. Job Knowledge Tests Advantages Disadvantages May require frequent updates to ensure test is current with the job. May be inappropriate for jobs where knowledge may be obtained via a short training period. Can be costly and time-consuming to develop, unless purchased off-the-shelf. • Have been demonstrated to produce valid inferences for a number of organizational outcomes, such as job performance. • Can reduce business costs by identifying individuals for hiring, promotion or training who possess the needed skills and abilities. • Are typically less likely to differ in results by gender and race than other types of tests. • May be viewed positively by test takers who see the close relationship between the test and the job. • Will not be influenced by test taker attempts to impression manage or fake responses. • Can provide useful feedback to test takers regarding needed training and development.

16. Personality Tests Advantages Disadvantages May contain questions that do not appear job related or seem intrusive if not well developed. May lead to individuals responding in a way to create a positive decision outcome rather than how they really are (i.e., they may try to positively manage their impression or even fake their response). May be problematic for use in employee selection if the test is one used to diagnose medical conditions (i.e., mental disorders) rather than simply to assess work-related personality traits. • Have been demonstrated to produce valid inferences for a number of organizational outcomes. • Can reduce business costs by identifying individuals for hiring, promotion or training who possess the needed skills and abilities. • Are typically less likely to differ in results by gender and race than other types of tests. • Can be administered via paper and pencil or computerized methods easily to large numbers. • Can be cost effective to administer. • Does not require skilled administrators.

17. Physical Ability Tests Advantages Disadvantages Are typically more likely to differ in results by gender than other types of tests. May be problematic for use in employee selection if the test is one used to diagnose medical conditions (i.e., a physical disability) rather than simply to assess ability to perform a particular job-related task.  Can be expensive to purchase equipment and administer. May be time consuming to administer. May be inappropriate or difficult to administer in typical employment offices. • Have been demonstrated to produce valid inferences regarding performance of physically demanding tasks. • Can identify applicants who are physically unable to perform essential job functions. • Can reduce business costs by identifying individuals for hiring, promotion or training who possess the needed skills and abilities, by minimizing the risk of physical injury to employees and others on the job, and by decreasing disability/medical, insurance, and workers compensation costs. • Will not be influenced by test taker attempts to impression manage or fake responses.

18. Work Samples and Simulations Advantages Disadvantages Does not assess aptitude to perform more complex tasks that may be encountered on the job. May not assess the ability to learn new tasks quickly. Often not conducive to group administration. May require some level of job knowledge and therefore may be inappropriate for jobs where knowledge may be obtained via a short training period. May be difficult to keep updated. May be expensive to administer. May be time consuming to develop and to administer. • Have been demonstrated to produce valid inferences regarding ability to perform the job. • Can reduce business costs by identifying individuals for hiring, promotion or training who possess the needed skills and abilities. • Are less likely to differ in results by gender and race than other types of tests (depends on particular skills being assessed). • May be more accepted by test takers due to the obvious link between the test and the job. • Less likely to be influenced by test taker attempts to impression manage or fake responses. • Can be used to provide specific developmental feedback.

19. Employer Best Practices for Testing and Selection • Employers should administer tests and other selection procedures without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age (40 or older), or disability. • Employers should ensure that employment tests and other selection procedures are properly validated for the positions and purposes for which they are used. The test or selection procedure must be job-related and its results appropriate for the employer’s purpose. While a test vendor’s documentation supporting the validity of a test may be helpful, the employer is still responsible for ensuring that its tests are valid under UGESP. • If a selection procedure screens out a protected group, the employer should determine whether there is an equally effective alternative selection procedure that has less adverse impact and, if so, adopt the alternative procedure. For example, if the selection procedure is a test, the employer should determine whether another test would predict job performance but not disproportionately exclude the protected group. • To ensure that a test or selection procedure remains predictive of success in a job, employers should keep abreast of changes in job requirements and should update the test specifications or selection procedures accordingly. • Employers should ensure that tests and selection procedures are not adopted casually by managers who know little about these processes. A test or selection procedure can be an effective management tool, but no test or selection procedure should be implemented without an understanding of its effectiveness and limitations for the organization, its appropriateness for a specific job, and whether it can be appropriately administered and scored.

20. Pre-Employment Drug & Medical Testing Reasons for… • to identify substance abusers • to encourage good health practices by employees • to ensure that a job candidate is physically capable of performing the required tasks of a particular job Major concerns • Sequence • Job-related • Business necessity

21. The ADA states, in relevant part: A covered entity shall not require a medical examination and shall not make inquiries of an employee as to whether such employee is an individual with a disability or as to the nature and severity of the disability, unless such examination or inquiry is shown to be job-related and consistent with business necessity.

22. Questions that are permitted • asking generally about an employee's well being (e.g., How are you?), asking an employee who looks tired or ill if s/he is feeling okay, asking an employee who is sneezing or coughing whether s/he has a cold or allergies, or asking how an employee is doing following the death of a loved one or the end of a marriage/relationship; • asking an employee about non-disability-related impairments (e.g., How did you break your leg?) • asking an employee whether s/he can perform job functions; • asking an employee whether s/he has been drinking; • asking an employee about his/her current illegal use of drugs; • asking a pregnant employee how she is feeling or when her baby is due;and, • asking an employee to provide the name and telephone number of a person to contact in case of a medical emergency.

23. Drug Testing • Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 • all such testing must meet the "reasonableness" requirement of the Fourth Amendment • the denial of employment or the denial of continued employment based on drug test results may invoke "due process" considerations (Fifth Amendment) • may be subject to constitutional challenge if testing results are indiscriminately divulged, if procedures for obtaining personal specimens do not respect the privacy rights of the person, or if testing is unnecessarily or excessively imposed.