1.

Read the article above and make a reaction based on the lesson learned from our
topic recruitment and selection.

Applicant Screening Case Analysis

NEW TECHNOLOGY REIGNITES DOUBLE-BARRELED DEBATE (Adapted

to F. Drasgow, O.S. Chernyshenko and S. Stark, Human Resource Management by
One Hollenbeck, Gerhart and Wright)

Imagine you wanted to hire someone for a job that demanded a high level of
extraversion, and thus, you needed to construct a test that could differentiate a group
of job applicants who were total strangers to you. You decide to ask an applicant if he
or she agrees with the question, “I would enjoy chatting with a friend at a noisy bar.”
If you were to show this question to an expert in test validation, 10 years ago, this
person would immediately recognize this as a double-barreled item and tell you to
break this one item into two items, one about chatting with a friend and one about
being in a noisy bar. The reason is that there may be people who may enjoy chatting
with a friend, but would not like to do this in a noisy bar, making the response
ambiguous. If you were to ask that same expert about that same question today,
however, you might get a different answer.
Answer:
Herein, the recruitment and selection process zero in on an employee with a high-
level of extraversion. In these processes, certain tests and screenings are conducted
to differentiate and choose the best-qualified job applicant. The claim of the expert
about the question being a double-barrel is agreeable on how it should be corrected.
Truly, the expert is focused on how he views on double-barrel questions which
should be avoided since it results in ambiguous results that may also affect the
selection of the applicant that best fit the qualification. As I have learned in our past
lessons in recruitment and selection processes, double-barreled questions are to be
avoided because it does not help in identifying the real personality or attitude of the
applicant. Thus, breaking it into two sets of questions will likely help more. In the
case given above, I can say that the expert is also focused on the strict and thorough
selection process void with vagueness and maintaining reliability and validity of the
test. On the other hand, if I ask the same question to the same expert in the present,
the answer would likely be different because companies have already adapted to
technology. In this manner, the recruitment process can now be done using the
internet or other digital means and that includes the process of selecting the best job
 applicants. Hence, if the answer will be different, it just means that the questions are
no longer the “should-avoid” double-barreled questions but rather, the job applicants
would likely answer me with how they love to chat with their friends and how they are
doing so in a noisy bar. Since the qualification is “extraversion”, the level that would
likely be more acceptable here is how they chat with their friends in a noisy bar
where there are a lot more people to talk to. When it comes to high-level
extraversion, it also means that they don’t even have a place or people to choose to
become extroverts. To include, the scenario involved the impact of double-barreled
questions being debated from the past recruitment and selection process between
the new technology being a trend among companies. The same expert will likely
choose two different answers - when it comes to human resource management, it is
also important to adapt what could help the company’s growth.
2. Although we are still facing the threat brought by the COVID-19, the Civil Service
Commission for the public sector and the DOLE for the private sector are now
requiring and allowing companies to implement Flexi-timing and work from home
options. What can you say about it?
Answer:
Rather than a company will be paralyzed, I agree on the implementation of
flexi-timing and work from home options. Although we are still facing the threat of the
pandemic, it is not necessary to totally shut down working establishments because it
will affect the country’s economic growth first and foremost, and another thing,
employees who were mostly breadwinners of the family will find it difficult to survive
amidst this pandemic. Further, these options are ought to widen the range of
workplaces from offices to homes which does not change the employee-employer
relationship or even the employee satisfaction rate. And most likely, employees still
can be compensated appropriately and be provided with appropriate benefits. All in
all, there is nothing wrong with flexi-timing and work from home as long as they are
correctly implemented by the concerned agencies and that they do not deprive the
rights of the employees and the responsibilities of the companies to their employees
and clients.
3. Do you agree or not? Give advantages or benefits and disadvantages of practicing
so.
Answer:
In general, I do agree with the aforementioned options of conducting working
hours among companies because it keeps the economy alive and helps the
employees to survive in their day to day living in the midst of COVID-19. First, flexi-
timing opens an opportunity to boost productivity among employees. Since
employees are given the same working hours but different days or time, they would
likely work more actively since they can control their workloads as well as the time
that could match their productive work hours. Another advantage of implementing
flexi-timing is meeting peak demands among these companies. When there are
deadlines to be met, having the employees to work on each task would avoid delays
because it just means that the company has enough human resources. While in work
from home, it gives the employee an opportunity to work at his or her own pace. He
can work on his most preferred post or place, and the employee works independently
allowing himself or herself to grow and learn things efficiently.
However, along with these benefits including what the employees receive
through compensation and company benefits, there is some backlash they have to
work on. First, flexi-timing may result in long supervision and difficulties in recording
time. More so, it may also result in communication gaps between groups of
employees which isn’t healthy in maintaining a friendly environment in the workplace.
While in work from home, it can result in confusion of responsibilities at work and at
home. The employee may find it hard to focus on working because he or she still has
chores to do. Further, employees will likely find it hard to dress accordingly, and
worse, some employees may not work efficiently because they are not monitored and
their work is only according to their comfortability and productivity excluding the times
that they are required to work in time.
Albeit there are disadvantages, flexi-time and work from home are the best
options that companies can rely on to keep their services in line, help their
employees, and be able serve consumers effectively in the midst of the pandemic.