CHAPTER 7

Foundations of
Selection

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 1

CHAPTER 7 TOPICS:
❘ 1: Selection process
❘ 2: Purpose of selection activities
❘ 3: Application forms
❘ 4: Performance simulation tests
❘ 5: Job interviews
❘ 6: Realistic job previews
❘ 7: Background investigations
❘ 8: Validity
❘ 9: Determining validity

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 2

1: SELECTION PROCESS

❚ Standard pattern
❚ Skip some steps
❚ Inform applicants
❚ Get more information
❙ Background
❙ Motivation
❙ Abilities
❚ Multiple decision
makers

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 3

1: SELECTION PROCESS
STEPS

❙ 1. Initial screening interview

❙ 2. Complete application form
❙ 3. Employment tests
❙ 4. Comprehensive interview
❙ 5. Background investigation
❙ 6. Conditional job offer
❙ 7. Physical exam
❙ 8. Permanent job offer
DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 4
2: PURPOSE OF
SELECTION ACTIVITIES
❚ Needs careful planning
and thought
❚ Successively higher
hurdles
❚ Provide decision makers
with information to
determine that applicant
will be a successful
performer

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 5

3: STEP 1 - INITIAL
SCREENING

❚ Two parts
❙ Screening
applications
❙ Screening interview
❚ Result???
❙ Applicant pool
❚ HRM can describe
job
❚ Identify salary range

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 6

3: INITIAL SCREENING

❚ Applicants
eliminated due to
❙ Inappropriate skills,
experience
❚ Red flags
❙ Gaps in employment
history
❙ Courses instead of
degrees
❙ Lots of brief jobs

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 7

3: STEP 2 - APPLICATION
FORMS
❚ Provides basic
information
❙ Must be work related
❙ EEO requirement
❚ Work history
❚ Indicates ability to
follow directions
❚ Documents
employment “at will”

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 8

3: APPLICATION FORMS

❚ Signature on form
❙ Grounds for later
dismissal if falsified
❙ Permission to check
background and
work history
❙ Communicates
employment “at
will”

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 9

3: WEIGHTED
APPLICATION FORMS

❚ Differentiate
between successful
and unsuccessful job
performers
❚ Weighted” more
heavily in hiring
decision
❚ Potential outcomes
❙ Performance
❙ Organization tenure

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 10

3: WEIGHTED
APPLICATION FORMS

❚ Possible weighted
factors
❙ Education
❙ Prior work
experience
❙ Salary data
❙ Military experience
❚ Which ones to
use???

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 11

3: GOOD APPLICATION
FORMS

❚ Useful for a
number of jobs
❚ Good predictive
ability
❚ Legal
❚ Validated for each
job

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 12

4: STEP 3 - EMPLOYMENT
TESTS

❚ Historical uses -
intelligence,
aptitude, ability,
honesty, interest
❚ Legal issues caused
decrease in use- job
relatedness
❚ 60% of companies
use some form of
employment test

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 13

4: TYPES OF
EMPLOYMENT TESTS
❚ Performance
simulation tests
❙ Engage in actual job
behaviors
❙ Avoid criticism about
aptitude, psychological
or other paper and
pencil tests
❚ Work sampling
❚ Assessment centers

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 14

4: WORK SAMPLING
❚ Based on job analysis
❚ Work sample element matched
to job performance element
❚ Content validity EEOC
❚ Difficult to construct
appropriate actions
❚ Not applicable to all levels
(managers)

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 15

4: ASSESSMENT CENTERS

❚ Manager potential
❚ Group and
individual exercises
❚ Evaluated by
peers, supervisors,
psychologists
❚ Good indicators of
job performance
potential
DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 16
 5: STEP 4 - JOB
INTERVIEWS

❚ Multiple people - HR
managers, supervisors,
colleagues
❚ Probe areas not
accessed by
application forms or
employment tests
❚ Questions must be job
related

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 17

5: INTERVIEW
RELIABILITY

❚ Types
❙ Individual
❙ Panel
❙ Technical
❙ Stress
❙ Situational
❚ Almost all jobs have
the 1on1 aspect in
selection
❚ HOWEVER….

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 18

5: INTERVIEWS ARE
BIASED
❙ Impression
management
❙ Interviewers have
bad, inaccurate
memories
❙ When are decisions
made??? First few
minutes
❙ SO…..

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 19

5: INFLUENCING AN
INTERVIEW
❚ Prior knowledge
❚ Stereotype
❚ Order of interviews is
important
❚ Order of information
presented is important
❚ Negatives get high weight
❘ See Exhibit 7-3

❚ see page 199 more stuff

here

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 20

Exhibit 7-3: Conclusions About Interviewing

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 21

5: GOOD INTERVIEWERS

❚ Take meaningful
notes
❚ Use structured
interviews
❙ Same questions
❙ Same order
❚ Are aware of their
bias
❚ Use multiple decision
factors

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 22

6: REALISTIC JOB
PREVIEWS

❚ Reduce voluntary
turnover
❚ Present favorable and
unfavorable job
features
❚ Part of interview
❚ Create work
expectations
❚ Best use with good
jobs

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 23

7: STEP 5 - BACKGROUND
INVESTIGATIONS

❚ Accuracy of
application form
❚ Contact former
employers
❚ Contact references
❚ Verify education
❚ Legal status to work
❚ Credit history
❚ Criminal records

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 24

7: BACKGROUND
INVESTIGATION

❚ Performed by
❙ Internal - HR staff
(cheaper)
❙ External - Third
party investigators -
(more thorough)

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 25

7: BACKGROUND
INVESTIGATION

❚ Nearly half of all

applicants
exaggerate
something
❚ Qualified privilege
legal
❚ Documentation is
important

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 26

7: STEP 6 - CONDITIONAL
JOB OFFER

❚ So far, so good
❚ Usually made by
HR
❚ Depending on
medical, drug, or
other remaining
tests

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 27

7: STEP 7 - PHYSICAL
EXAM

❚ Only used to
identify people
physically unable
to perform jobs
❚ ADA issues
❚ Baseline for health
insurance (after
employment)
❚ Drug testing
DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 28
7: STEP 8 - PERMANENT
JOB OFFER

❚ Decision made by
manager
❙ Best able to decide
❙ No one else to
blame
❚ Offer made by HR
for administrative
purposes
❙ EEO compliance

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 29

7: COMPREHENSIVE
APPROACH

❚ All applicant put

through all steps
❚ Most people have
strengths and
weaknesses
❚ Good candidates
are not eliminated
early

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 30

7: COMPREHENSIVE
APPROACH

❚ Expensive
❙ Time
❙ Money
❙ People
❚ ANY TECHNIQUE
NEEDS TO STAND UP
TO ALLEGATIONS OF
DISCRIMINATORY
PRACTICE

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 31

7: JOB CHOICE - THE
CANDIDATE

❚ Match job to
personality
❚ Attractiveness of
company
❙ Meet goals
❙ Positive expectations
❚ Treat those you don’t
select well - image for
later years and friends

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 32

7: SELF-MANAGED TEAMS
SELECTION

❚ STRENGTHS
❚ Workers
empowered to
select potential
coworkers
❚ Two (many) heads
are better than
one!
❚ AND….
DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 33
7: SELF-MANAGED TEAMS
SELECTION

❚ Commitment to
new worker
❚ Focus on
❙ Technical skills
❙ Personal traits
(reliability,
communication)

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 34

7: SELF-MANAGED TEAM
SELECTION

❚ WEAKNESSES
❚ Legal issues
❚ Interview
techniques
❚ Friction about
decision made

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 35

8: GOOD PREDICTORS

❚ Reliable - consistent
(A yard is a yard with
a yardstick)
❚ Valid - meaningful,
related to relevant
criteria
❙ (How about using eye
color to determine
course grades?)

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 36

8: VALIDITY

❚ Content
❙ What is measured is
relevant
❙ Typing test
❘ Typing - good
❘ Spelling - maybe not
❚ Construct
❙ Complex, abstract
❙ SAT
❘ College success???

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 37

8: AND….MORE VALIDITY

❚ Criterion-related
(relevance to doing A
Job)
❙ Predictive
❘ Test now for later
performance
❙ Concurrent
❘ Test current employees
employees
❚ PREDICTIVE IS BETTER

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 38

9: DETERMINING VALIDITY

❚ Correlation
coefficient
❚ Validity coefficient
❚ Cut scores
❙ Raise - better quality
❙ Lower - more
applicants

❘ See Exhibit 7-6

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 39

Exhibit 7-6: Validity Correlation Analysis After Cut Score Is Raised

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 40

9: VALIDITY
GENERALIZATION

❚ Meta analysis
❚ Useful for multiple
jobs
❚ Consistency
❚ Efficiency

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 41

9: GLOBAL SELECTION
ISSUES

❚ Broader issues
❙ Family
❙ Culture
❙ Personal (health)
❚ American
women…….

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 42

QUICK: REVIEW
CHAPTER 7

❙ ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS ON A SHEET OF

PAPER.

❘ 1. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE DID IN

CLASS TODAY _______.
❘ 2. I STILL HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT_______.
❘ 3. THE BEST THING IN CLASS TODAY WAS ____.
❘ 4. DON’T D0 ____________ ANYMORE.

• TURN IN YOUR PAPERS, PLEASE. NO NAMES. WE’LL

TALK NEXT CLASS SESSION

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 43

PREVIEW: CHAPTER 8

❚ Remember what you did the first day on a

job?
❙ What did you do on the first day of the job you
have liked the best?
❙ What did you do on the first day of the job you
have liked the least?
❚ Not enough experience on your own? Ask
a friend or family member
❙ Bring these with you to class next time.

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 44

Exhibit 7-1: Selection Excellence at Toyota

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 45

Exhibit 7-2: The Selection Process

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 46

Exhibit 7-4: Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 47

Exhibit 7-5: Predictive v. Concurrent Validation

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 48

Exhibit 7-7: Validity Correlation Analysis After Cut Score
Is Lowered

DeCenzo and Robbins HRM 7th Edition 49