MGMT 4300 | SPRING 2020

CH 06: Measurement in Selection

❖ Chapter 6 Learning Objectives:

➢ 1. Understand the role of measurement in HR Selection.
➢ 2. Examine the basics of psychological measurement in HR.
➢ 3. Determine how we can create scales of measurement in order to distinguish
applicants from one another.
➢ 4. Understand the importance of systematic application of pre-established rules
or standards for assigning scores to the attributes or traits of an individual.
➢ 5. Explore what types of information can be used and where it comes from.
➢ 6. Identify standards for evaluating selection measures.

❖ The Role of Measurement:

➢ A Definition
■ From an HR perspective, measurement involves the systematic
application of rules for assigning numbers to people to represent the
quantities of a person’s attributes or traits
■ Rules: Tests must be administered under the same conditions and scored
in the same manner as all other users
● Differences in applicant’s scores should be due to individual
differences in test performance NOT due to the way in which
different users administered the test
■ [YOUR SCORES NEED TO DIFFERENTIATE AMONG CANDIDATES]

➢ Attributes and Numbers

■ Tests measure an attribute or trait of the person which is not directly
observable
■ Psychological (NOT physical traits) are indicators of how job candidates
will behave on a job
● But we must make inferences from the data
● They are only observable from scores NOT direct observation
■ Numbers represent psychological attributes such as job knowledge and
cognitive ability/intelligence
● Numbers provide a convenient means for characterizing and
differentiating among job applicants
■ PHYSICAL TRAITS = DIRECT OBSERVATIONS
■ PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAITS = OBSERVABLE SCORES
 ➢ Criteria and Predictors in Selection *****
■ Two types of variables must be identified for prediction:
● Criterion – some outcome associated with job success – think
“how do we define job success”
◆ The most frequently used performance criteria are
supervisory ratings of work performance
◆ Might include performance ratings, attendance, and/or
tenure
◆ MORE EXAMPLES: Absenteeism, Turnover, OCBs

● Predictor - measures of WRCs identified through a job or work

analysis as important for job success, something used to predict
some outcome related to the job
◆ Pre-employment tests, GPA, interview ratings
◆ MORE EXAMPLES: Interview ratings, selection tests,
Application

➢ Scales of Measurement
■ Four types of scales exist:
● (a) nominal: numbers are assigned to discrete labels or categories
(e.g., race, gender, college major)
◆ LEAST Precise
◆ Simplest form of measurement
● (b) ordinal: attributes are ranked in ascending or descending order
(e.g., best to worst performance)
● (c) interval: zero point is arbitrary but distance between scores
has meaning (e.g., intelligence or interview scores)
● (d) ratio: distance between scores has meaning and there is a true
zero point (e.g., salary, typing speed)
◆ MOST Precise
■ The degree of precision with which we can measure differences among
people increases as we move from nominal to ratio scales.
● Least Precise → Most Precise
■ Precision is a function of the scale of measurement

❖ Scales of Measurement
➢ Nominal Scales & Ordinal Scales
■ A nominal scale is composed of two or more mutually exclusive
categories. Examples include:
 ● Applicant Gender:
◆ 1. Male
◆ 2. Female
● Job Title:
◆ 1. Sales Manager
◆ 2. Sales Representative
◆ 3. Sales Clerk
■ An ordinal scale is one that rank-orders objects of individuals from high
to low
■ Example of an Ordinal Scale
● Supervisory ranking of subordinates
◆ Problem: Don;t have info on the magnitude of the
differences between two
● This only shows that One is greater than Two
● Only tells us who is greater than and who is less than
■ Example of an Interval Scale
● We want to use this in the HR world; You will see this in HR
● Tells us what the magnitude of the difference between the ranks
are; more information

➢ Ratio Scales
■ A ratio scale has an absolute zero point, and differences between
numerical values have meaning
● Example: most scales involving physical measurement or counting
■ MOST PRECISE AND MOST SOPHISTICATED
■ WILL NOT SEE THIS USED IN HIRING PROCESS
■ HAS TO DO WITH PHYSICAL

❖ Levels of Measurement
➢ Summary of Primary Scales
❖ Standardization of Selection Measurement
➢ Standardization: a means of controlling the influence of outside or unimportant
factors on the scores generated by the measure
■ Differences in scores must be attributable to ability (true differences), and
NOT to other factors
➢ A predictor or criterion is standardized if:
➢ 1. Content. All people measured by the same content
➢ 2. Administration. Information is collected the same way in all locations
● UNLESS ADA APPLIES
➢ 3. Scoring. Rules for scoring exist and are applied in the same way
➢ Assessment/Selection devices often fail to meet the requirements of
standardization
➢ We need to always ask the same questions for every candidate in interviews

❖ Standardization
➢ Predictors and Criterion Measures
■ Predictors or Selection Procedures
● Many types have been used, but most fall into three broad
categories:
◆ 1. Background information
◆ 2. Interviews
◆ 3. Tests
➢ Ability Tests and Aptitude Tests
■ Criteria or Measures of Job Success
● One way to classify criteria is by the measurement method used
to collect data:
◆ 1. Objective Production Data
➢ How many goods do they produce in a day
◆ 2. Personnel Data
➢ Absenteeism,
◆ 3. Judgmental Data
◆ 4. Job or Work Sample Data *
➢ Criterion Variable: “Lifting 40lbs”
◆ 5. Training Proficiency Data
➢ Are you trainable?
➢ Finding & Constructing Selection Measures
■ Once we have identified the criteria necessary for successful work
performance, the process of identifying and implementing our selection
procedures may begin
● A consultant, perhaps an industrial-organizational psychologist,
may be needed
■ Two choices:
● (a) locate and choose from existing measures
● (b) construct our own

➢ Locating Existing Selection Measures

■ Advantages of using existing measures:
● 1. Less expensive and less time-consuming than developing new
ones
● 2. If previous research was conducted on these measures, we will
have an idea of the reliability, validity and other characteristics of
the measures
● 3. Well-developed, existing measures are often superior to what
could be developed in-house
◆ In-House → If we want something precise to our
organization and for criterion variables specific to our
organization
■ Information Sources for Existing Measures
● Sources in print and on the Internet
■ Other Reference Sources
● Journals, Test Publishers, and
● Professional Associations
■ Minimum recommendations for choosing an existing selection measure:
● 1. Completely understand the attribute you want to measure, and
the best means for assessing.
● 2. Read reviews and evaluations of the measure; Buros’ Mental
Measurements Yearbook is good source for information on tests
for personnel selection
● 3. Order and study a specimen, if available
● 4. Next, ask “are there compelling arguments for using or not
using this measure?”
❖ New Selection Measures
➢ Steps in Developing Selection Measures ****
■ 1. Analyze the job for which a measure is being developed = Job
Analysis!!
● Mess this up → Everything turns to shit; Nothing to build off of
■ 2. Select the method of measurement to be used
■ 3. Determine how to develop measures for the necessary WRCs
■ 4. Administer, analyze and revise the preliminary measure (pilot testing)
● If you have an opportunity to pilot test -- ALWAYS DO IT
(NOT FOR TEST; JUST WISE WORDS FROM PROFESSOR WELCH)
■ 5. Determine the reliability and validity of the revised measure for the
jobs studied
● Are our selection measures consistent and do they measure what
they are supposed to?
■ 6. Implement and monitor the measure

❖ Interpreting Scores on Selection Measurement

➢ Using Norms
■ To interpret the results of measurement, we need to know:
● (a) how others scored on the selection procedure
● (b) the validity of the selection procedure
➢ Scores of relevant others are norms
■ Norms show how well an individual performs with respect to a
comparison group. Helps us understand and evaluate scores on selection
procedures.
➢ When using norms to interpret scores:
■ Norm group selected should be relevant
■ Use local norms when appropriate
■ Remember that norms are transitory/temporary
➢ 2 methods to express test scores in respect to norms
■ Percentiles and Standard Scores

➢ Using Percentiles
■ MOST COMMON NORM/ Most frequently used tool
■ Ex. If you make 75 on the test, what percentile are you in?
■ Percentiles scores are used to show the percentage of persons in a
norm group who fall below a given score on a measure
● A percentile score is not a percentage score
➢ The higher the percentile score, the better a person’s performance
relative to others
➢ Percentile scores useful, but subject to misuse

➢ Using Standard Scores (also called “Stanine” Scores) → Z Scores

■ Standard scores are converted raw scores that indicate where a
person’s score lies in comparison to a referent group.
● Scales indicate, in common measurement units, how far
above or below the mean score any raw score is
◆ A common standard score is the Z score
◆ A z score is negative when the target individual’s
raw score is below the referent group’s mean, and
positive when the target individual’s raw score is
above the referent group’s mean
● Common problem is that they are subject to
misinterpretation!