Industrial/ Organizational Psychology
Chapter 5: Employee Selection: References and Testing
Aamodt
Predicting Performance Using References and Letters
of Recommendation
Reference check
● It is the process of confirming the accuracy of
information provided by an applicant.
Reference
● It is the expression of an opinion, either orally
or through a written checklist, regarding an
applicant’s ability, previous performance, work
habits, character, or potential for future
success.
● The content and format of a reference are
determined by the person or organization
asking for the reference.
Letter of recommendation
● It is a letter expressing an opinion regarding an
applicant’s ability, previous performance, work
habits, character, or potential for future
success.
● The content and format of a letter of
recommendation are determined by the letter
writer.
Reasons for Using References and Recommendations
Confirming Details on a Résumé
● Résumé fraud—lying on their résumés about
what experience or education they actually
have.
Checking for Discipline Problems
● It is to determine whether the applicant has a
history of such discipline problems as poor
attendance, sexual harassment, and violence.
● Negligent hiring—the organization may be
found liable for negligent hiring if the employee
has a criminal background that would have
been detected had a background check been
conducted
● Negligent-hiring cases are typically filed in court
as common-law cases, or torts.
Discovering New Information About the Applicant
Predicting Future Performance
● Leniency—Research is clear that most letters of
recommendation are positive: Fewer than 1% of
references rate applicants as below average or
poor
● Knowledge of the Applicant—A second
problem with letters of recommendation is that
the person writing the letter often does not
know the applicant well, has not observed all
aspects of an applicant’s behavior, or both.
● Reliability—The third problem with references
and letters of recommendation involves the lack
of agreement between two people who provide
references for the same person.
● Extraneous Factors—The fourth problem with
letters of recommendation concerns extraneous
factors that affect their writing and evaluation.
Ethical Issues
● Because providing references and letters of
recommendation is a rather subjective process,
several ethical problems can arise involving
their use.
1. Explicitly state your relationship with
the person you are recommending.
2. Be honest in providing details.
3. Let the applicant see your reference
before sending it, and give him the
chance to decline to use it.
Predicting Performance Using Applicant Training and
Education
Predicting Performance Using Applicant Knowledge
● Job knowledge tests are designed to measure
how much a person knows about a job.
● Such tests have excellent content and criterion
validity, and because of their high face validity,
they are positively accepted by applicants
Predicting Performance Using Applicant Ability
Cognitive ability
● It includes such dimensions as oral and written
comprehension, oral and written expression,
numerical facility, originality, memorization,
 reasoning (mathematical, deductive, inductive), ○ Job Relatedness
and general learning. ○ Passing Scores
● It is important for professional, clerical, and ○ When the Ability Must Be Present
supervisory jobs, including such occupations as
supervisor, accountant, and secretary.
● Cognitive ability tests are commonly used
because they are easy to administer, and are
relatively inexpensive. Predicting Performance Using Applicant Skill
1. By allowing employees to quickly learn Work Samples
job-related knowledge ● With a work sample, the applicant performs
2. By processing information resulting in actual job-related tasks.
better decision making. Assessment centers
● Wonderlic Personnel Test - The short amount ● It is a selection technique characterized by the
of time (12 minutes) necessary to take the test, use of multiple assessment methods that allow
as well as the fact that it can be administered in multiple assessors to actually observe
a group setting, makes it popular. applicants perform simulated job tasks.
● Advantages are that assessment methods are
Perceptual ability all job related and multiple trained assessors
● It consists of: help to guard against many (but not all) types of
○ vision (near, far, night, peripheral) selection bias
○ Color discrimination Development and Component
○ Depth perception 1. Do a job analysis
○ Glare sensitivity 2. Exercises are developed that measure different
○ Speech (clarity, recognition) aspects of the job
○ Hearing (sensitivity, auditory attention, a. In-basket technique—It is designed to
sound localization) simulate the types of daily information
that appear on a manager’s or
Psychomotor ability employee’s desk.
● It includes: b. Simulations—These are the real
○ Finger dexterity backbone of the assessment center
○ Manual dexterity because they enable assessors to see an
○ Control precision applicant “in action”
○ Multilimb coordination c. Work samples—when a simulation
○ Response control does not involve a situational exercise
○ Reaction time d. Leaderless group discussions—
○ Arm-hand steadiness applicants meet in small groups and are
○ Wrist-finger speed given a job-related problem to solve or
○ Speed-of-limb movement a job-related issue to discuss.
e. Structured interviews
Physical ability tests f. Personality and ability tests
● These are often used for jobs that require g. Business games—These are exercises
physical strength and stamina. that allow the applicant to demonstrate
● Physical ability is measured in one of two ways: such attributes as creativity, decision
1. Job simulations making, and ability to work with others.
2. Physical agility tests. Evaluation of Assessment Centers
● Disadvantages:
Predicting Performance Using Prior Experience
Experience ratings
● The basis is the idea that past experience will
predict future experience.
Biodata
● It is a selection method that considers an
applicant’s life, school, military, community,
and work experience.
● File approach—we obtain information from
personnel files on employees’ previous
employment, education, interests, and
demographics.
● Questionnaire approach—one major drawback
is that information cannot be obtained from
employees who have quit or been fired.
Reference checks
Interviews
Predicting Performance Using Personality, Interest,
and Character
Personality inventories
● Are becoming increasingly popular as an
employee selection method, in part because
they predict performance better than was once
thought, and in part because they result in less
adverse impact than do ability tests.
● They fall into one of two categories based on
their intended purpose:
1. Measurement of types of normal
personality
● Tests of normal personality measure
the traits exhibited by normal
individuals in everyday life.
● Determination of the number and
type of personality dimensions
measured by an inventory can
usually be
I. based on a theory - is identical
to the number postulated by a
well-known theorist
II. statistically based - is
determined through a statistical
process called factor analysis.
III. empirically based - is
determined by grouping answers
given by people known to possess
a certain characteristic.
2. Measurement of psychopathology
(abnormal personality) determine whether
individuals have serious psychological
problems such as depression, bipolar
disorder, and schizophrenia.
● These are generally scored in one of
two ways:
1. Objectively—These are structured
so that the respondent is limited to
a few answers that will be scored by
standardized keys.
2. Projectively—It provides the
respondent with unstructured tasks
such as describing ink blots and
drawing pictures.
3.
Interest Inventories
● These are useful in vocational counseling—
helping people find the careers for which they
are best suited
Integrity tests
● Also called honesty tests
● It tells an employer the probability that an
applicant would steal money or merchandise.
● Overt integrity tests are based on the premise
that a person’s attitudes about theft as well as
his previous theft behavior will accurately
predict his future honesty.
○ Overt tests are more reliable and valid in
predicting theft and other
counterproductive behaviors than are
personality-based tests
● Personality-based integrity tests are more
general in that they tap a variety of personality
traits thought to be related to a wide range of
counterproductive behavior such as theft,
absenteeism, and violence.
Conditional reasoning tests
● Initially developed by James (1998)
● It is to reduce these inaccurate responses and
get a more accurate picture of a person’s
tendency to engage in aggressive or
counterproductive behavior.
 ● It provides test takers with a series of ○ An examination of the applicant’s life
statements and then ask the respondent to history
select the reason that best justifies or explains ○ The administration of one or more of the
● each of the statements. psychological tests
● The type of reason selected by the individual is ● Only be used to determine if a potential
thought to indicate his or her aggressive biases employee is a danger to himself or others
or beliefs. Medical Exams
Graphology ● The physician is given a copy of the job
● “Handwriting analysis” description and asked to determine if there are
● The idea behind this is that the way people any medical conditions that will keep the
write reveals their personality, which in turn employee from safely performing the job
should indicate work performance.
● To analyze a person’s handwriting, a Comparison of Techniques
graphologist looks at the size, slant, width, Validity
regularity, and pressure of a writing sample.
● From these writing characteristics, information Legal Issues
about temperament and mental, social, work, ● (see chapter 3)
and moral traits is obtained.
Rejecting Applicants
Predicting Performance Limitations Due to Medical Rejected Applicants
and Psychological Problems ● They should be treated well because they are
Drug Testing potential customers and potential applicants for
● One of the most controversial testing methods other positions that might become available in
used by HR professionals. the organization.
● Compared with non–drug-users, illegal drug ● Rejection letter - usually contain the following
users are more likely to miss work. types of responses
● Drug testing programs appear to reduce ○ A personally addressed and signed
employee drug use letter
● Drug testing usually is done in two stages: ○ The company’s appreciation to the
○ An employee or applicant provides a urine applicant for applying for a position
or hair sample that is subjected to an initial with the company
screening test. ○ A compliment about the applicant’s
■ Enzyme multiplied immunoassay qualifications
technique (EMIT) - uses enzymes as ○ A comment about the high
reagents. qualifications possessed by the other
■ Radioimmunoassay (RIA) - uses applicants
radioactive tagging. ○ Information about the individual who
○ The urine sample undergoes a more was actually hired
expensive confirmation test, such as ○ A wish of good luck in future endeavors
■ Thin-layer chromatography ○ A promise to keep the applicant’s
■ Gas chromatography/ Mass resume on file
spectrometry analysis.
Psychological Exams
● This usually consist of an interview by a clinical
psychologist: