Effective Employee Selection Techniques

1. Valid
a. based on job analysis (content validity)
b. Predicts work-related behavior (criterion validity)
c. Measures the construct it purports to measure
(construct validity)

2. Reliable

3. Reduce the chance

of legal challenge

4. Cost-effective
(cost to purchase, create,
administer, score)
• Poor intuitive ability (“gut
reactions”)
Problems with
• Lack of job relatedness Unstructured
• Primacy Effects (“first Interviews
impressions”)

• Contrast Effects

• Negative Information Bias

• Interviewer-Interviewee
Similarity

• Interviewee Appearance

• Non-verbal cues
 2. Creating interview questions

Question Type Description

Allow interviewer to clarify information

CLARIFIER in the resume/application, fill in gaps
and other info
Must be answered in a particular way;
DISQUALIFIER
otherwise, applicant will be disqualified
SKILL/KNOWLEDGE- Tap level of expertise
LEVEL DETERMINER
Ask applicant what s/he would do in a
FUTURE-FOCUSED/
particular situation
SITUATIONAL

PAST-FOCUSED/ Focus on previous behavior

BEHAVIORAL
Tap the extent to which applicant will fit
ORGANIZATIONAL-FIT into the organizational culture/
leadership style
 Evaluate Performance

• Obtaining and reviewing objective data

• Reading Critical Incident Logs
• Completing the Rating Form

Common Ratings Errors

1. Distribution Errors – involves distribution of ratings on

a rating scale
a) leniency error
b) central tendency error
c) strictness error

2. Halo Errors – rater allows either a single attribute or an

overall impression of an individual to affect the ratings on
each job dimension
 Evaluate Performance

• Obtaining and reviewing objective data

• Reading Critical Incident Logs
• Completing the Rating Form

Common Ratings Errors

3. Proximity Errors – rating made on one dimension

affects the rating made on the dimension that immediately
follows it on the rating scale

4. Contrast Errors
– performance rating a person receives can be influenced
by the performance of a previously evaluated person
- may also occur between separate performance
evaluations of the same employee
- assimilation (new supervisor rates employee based on
previous appraisal)
 3. Creating a scoring key

Scoring Type Description

Answer will be scored as correct or

Right/Wrong Approach
incorrect
Create a list of all possible answers
Typical-Answer
to a question, and have SMEs rate
Approach
the fovarableness of each answer
Create a list of key issues that must
be included in the perfect answer.
Key-Issues Approach For each key issue included,
participant gets a point. Key issues
can also be weighted
 Determine
training needs

Types of needs analysis:

organizational task person

Evaluation Criteria
1. Content Validity

2. Employee Reactions
(Reaction Outcomes)

3. Employee Learning
(Cognitive Outcomes)

4. Application of Training
(Affective & Behavior
Outcomes)

5. Business Impact (Results

Outcome)

6. Return on Investment
Evaluation Criteria

• payoff for the company

Lvl 4: Results
• ex. increased product,
Outcome reduced turnover

Lvl 3: Affective & • attitudes & motivations

Behavior Outcomes •Improvement of behavior
in the job
•degree to which trainees are
Lvl 2: Cognitive familiar with principles,
facts, techniques,
Outcomes procedures, processes
emphasized in the program
• trainees perceptions of
Lvl 1: Reaction the program, including
Outcomes facilities, trainer &
content
Evaluation Criteria
Training Validity: Did trainees learn
anything during the training?

Transfer Validity: To what extent did the

KSAOs learned in the training lead to
improved performance on the job?

Intra-organizational Validity: Is the

performance of the trainees changed and
improved within the context of the
organizations goals.

Inter-organizational Validity: Can a

training program that works in one
organization be used successfully in
another organization?
 Job Rotation

Job Enlargement
Job Satisfaction
is affected by
Job Enrichment opportunities for
challenge and
growth.
Quality Circles

Job Characteristics Theory &

Maslow’s Self-Actualization Level
NEEDS
Need for achievement

Need for affiliation

Need for power

McClelland’s Human Motivation Theory

- has a strong need to set and

accomplish challenging goals
- takes calculated risks to accomplish
their goals
- likes to receive regular feedback on
their progress and achievements
- often likes to work alone
McClelland’s Human Motivation Theory

- wants to belong to the group

- wants to be liked, and will often go along
with whatever the rest of the group wants
to do
- favors collaboration over competition
- doesn't like high risk or uncertainty
McClelland’s Human Motivation Theory

- wants to control and influence others

- likes to win arguments
- enjoys competition and winning
- enjoys status and recognition
Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory

Job-related elements
that may result from
but do not involve
the job itself

Job elements that

concern actual
tasks & duties
Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory

Hygiene Factors Motivators

Pay Responsibility

Security Challenge

Co-workers Variety

Working Conditions Control

Supervisors Interesting Work

Hygiene factors are necessary but not

sufficient for job motivation

Only the presence of both can bring

job motivation
 3SELF-ESTEEM
types of

Chronic Self-Esteem

Situational Self-Esteem /
Self-Efficacy

Socially Influenced
Self-Esteem
 Equity Theory

INPUTS are those personal

elements that we put into
out jobs

OUTPUTS are those

elements that we receive
from our jobs

INPUT/OUTPUT RATIO
 Equity Theory

Our levels of motivation

and job satisfaction are
related to how fairly we
believe we are treated in
comparison to others
 Job Characteristics Theory
Core Job Critical Psycholo-
Characteristics gical States
Skill Variety
Task Identity Meaningful Work
Task Significance

Autonomy Responsibility of
work outcomes

Feedback Knowledge of
results
 Social Influence
Theory

If other employees
are motivated, there
is an increased
probability that we
will model their
behavior and be
motivated

Are other employees motivated?

 extent to which values,
interests, personality,
lifestyle and skills match
those of their job,
organization, & co-workers

extent to which the

rewards, salary and benefits
received are perceived to NEEDS/
be consistent with their
efforts and performance SUPPLIES FIT
 Motivational Facets to
Organizational Commitment

AFFECTIVE
COMMITMENT

CONTINUANCE
COMMITMENT

NORMATIVE
COMMITMENT
SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP THEORY

• Leader typically uses one of four behavioral styles:

delegating, directing, supporting, coaching
 SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP THEORY

• Effective leaders first diagnose the competency

and motivation levels of employees for each
goals/series of tasks, and then adapt their
leadership style

Employee Ability Level

Unable Able
Unwilling

Directing Supporting
Employee
Willingness
Level
Willing

Coaching Delegating
TASK versus PERSON
ORIENTATION

• Based on three schools of

thought: Ohio State Studies,
Theory X, Managerial Grid
PERSON ORIENTATION

Country Club (MG) Team (MG)

Consideration (OS)
Theory Y
High

Middle-of-the-road
(MG)

Task-Oriented (MG)
Low

Initiating Structure
(OS)
Impoverished (MG) Theory X
Low High
TASK ORIENTATION
• give directives & set
goals
• make decisions without PERSON-ORIENTED
consulting subrodinates
• under pressure, become • consult subordinates
anxious, defensive and before making decisions
dominant • praise work
• ask about their families
TASK-ORIENTED • “hands-off” approach to
leadership
• under pressure, tend to
be socially withdrawn
 IMPACT on the
ORGANIZATION
PERSON ORIENTATION

• Low performance • High performance

High

• Low turnover • Low turnover

• Low grievance rate • Low grievance rate

• Low performance • High performance

Low

• High turnover • High turnover

• High grievance rate • High grievance rate

Low High
TASK ORIENTATION
 • person orientation is more strongly
correlated with follower satisfaction,
Satisfied follower motivation, and ratings of
employees leadership effectiveness
PERSON ORIENTATION

• Low performance • High performance

High

• Low turnover • Low turnover

• Low grievance rate • Low grievance rate

Productive
employees
• Low performance • High performance
Low

• High turnover • High turnover

• High grievance rate • High grievance rate

Low High
TASK ORIENTATION
PATH-GOAL THEORY

• Leader’s behavior will be accepted by subordinates

only to the extent to which the behavior helps the
subordinates achieve their goals
• Identified four behavioral leadership styles:
1. Instrumental
2. Supportive
3. Participative
4. Achievement-Oriented
PATH-GOAL THEORY

Instrumental (Directive): informs followers on what is

expected of them; most effective when people are
unsure about the task or environment

Supportive: makes work pleasant for the workers by

showing concern, being friendly; most effective in
situations in which tasks and relationships are physically
or psychologically challenging

Participative: consults with his followers; most effective

when subordinates are highly trained and involved in
their work

Achievement: sets challenging goals for followers

 Individuals with high leadership
motivation tend to obtain leadership
experience and have confidence in
their leadership skills

Affecti
Noncal Social-
ve
culativ Norma
identit
e tive
y

MOTIVATION to LEAD has three

factors (Chan & Drasgow, 2001)
FIEDLER’S CONTINGENCY MODEL

• Any individual’s leadership style is effective only

in certain situations
• Rather than teaching people to change their
leadership styles, trainings should concentrate
on helping people understand their style and
manipulate a situation so that the two will
match
• Least-Preferred Coworker (LPC) Scale
favorableness of a

based on 3 variables

Task structuredness

Leader position power

Leader-member
relations
TYPES OF
GROUP
TASKS
SOCIAL FACILITATION

SOCIAL INHIBITION
AUDIENCE
COACTION
EFFECTS

• Mere Exposure
• Comparison
• Evaluation
Apprehension
• Distracting
 SOCIAL LOAFING

• Free-Rider Theory
• Sucker Effect
GROUP POLARIZATION
the exaggeration of initial tendencies in the thinking
of group members through group discussion
GROUPTHINK
decision-making style characterized by an
excessive tendency among group members
to seek concurrence
 CONFLICT STYLES

Collaborating Style

Compromising Forcing Style

Style

Avoiding Style Accommodating

• withdrawal Style
• triangling
Goal-Setting Theory
• Clarity
• Challenge
• Commitment
• Feedback
• Complexity
Goal-Setting Theory
 DETERMINING THE
FAIRNESS OF A TEST
• a test is fair if it can predict performance equally
well for all races, genders, and national origins

1. Adverse Impact
- occurs if the selection rate
for any group is less than
80% of the highest scoring
group

2. Single-group
Validity
- test significantly predicts
performance for one group
and not others
 DETERMINING THE
FAIRNESS OF A TEST
• a test is fair if it can predict performance equally
well for all races, genders, and national origins

3. Differential Validity
- test is more valid for one
group
LEADER-MEMBER EXCHANGE THEORY

Theoretical Framework
• a process approach to leadership as it emphasizes the
dynamic interactions between leaders and subordinates
(Breukelen, Schyns & Le Blanc, 2006).

IN-GROUP OUT-GROUP

- entrusted with bigger - receive less attention

responsibilities, more and fewer rewards
rewards and more - are managed solely by
attention formal rules and policies
- are involved in decision-
making in their units
- there is intensive
communication and
cooperation in the
leader-member
relationship
 Expectancy Theory

Motivation = E (I x V)

Expectancy (E): perceived relationship between the

amount of effort an employee puts in and the resulting
outcome
Instrumentality (I): extent to which the outcome of a
worker’s performance, if noticed, results in a particular
consequence
Valence (V): extent to which an employee values a
particular consequence
 Listening Styles
Leisure
Inclusive
Stylistic
Technical
Empathetic
Nonconforming