Because learning changes everything.

Chapter 6

Selection and Placement

Human Resource Management

Gaining A Competitive Advantage
THIRTEENTH EDITION
Raymond Noe, John Hollenbeck, Barry
Gerhart, Patrick Wright

© 2023 McGraw Hill, LLC. All rights reserved. Authorized only for instructor use in the classroom. No reproduction or further distribution permitted without the prior written consent of McGraw Hill, LLC.
 Introduction
Choosing Employees:
• Organizations must take utmost care.
• Decisions impact organization’s competitiveness and
every aspect of job applicant’s life.
• Decisions must promote best interests of the company
and be fair to all parties.

© McGraw Hill, LLC 2

 Selection Method Standards 1

• Reliability.
• Validity.
• Generalizability.
• Utility.
• Legality.

LO 6-1
© McGraw Hill, LLC 3
 Selection Method Standards 2

Reliability:
• One key standard for any measuring device is its reliability.
• This is the degree to which a measure is free from random
error.
• Estimating the reliability of measurement:
• Refers to measuring instrument rather than characteristic.
• Correlation coefficient is a measure of the degree to which two sets of
numbers are related.
• Perfect positive relationship equals +1.0.
• Perfect negative relationship equals −1.0.

• Test-retest reliability.

© McGraw Hill, LLC 4

 Selection Method Standards 4

Validity:
• Extent to which performance on the measure is related to
performance on the job.
• Criterion-related validation:
• Method of establishing validity by showing a substantial correlation
between test scores and job-performance scores.
• Predictive validation – comparing applicants’ test scores and their
eventual performance on the job
• Concurrent validation – incumbents’ scores are correlated with
existing measures of their performance on the job.

© McGraw Hill, LLC 5

 Figure 6.2 Graphic Depiction of Concurrent
and Predictive Validation Designs 2

Access the text alternative for slide images.

© McGraw Hill, LLC 6

 Figure 6.3 Graphic Depiction of Concurrent
and Predictive Validation Designs 1

Access the text alternative for slide images.

© McGraw Hill, LLC 7

 Selection Method Standards 5

Validity continued:
• Content validation:
• Items, questions, or problems posed by a test are representative of
situations or problems that occur on the job.

• Simulations, computer-based role-playing games.

© McGraw Hill, LLC 8

 Selection Method Standards 6

Generalizability:
• Degree to which validity of a selection method established
in one context extends to other contexts.
• Similar levels of correlation across different groups.

• Validity generalization.

© McGraw Hill, LLC 9

 Selection Method Standards 7

Utility:
• Degree to which information provided by selection
methods enhances effectiveness of selecting personnel.
• Utility is impacted by:
• Reliability.
• Validity.
• Generalizability.

LO 6-2
© McGraw Hill, LLC 10
 Types of Selection Methods 1

• Interviews.
• References, Application Blanks, Background Checks.
• Physical Ability Tests.
• Cognitive Ability Tests.
• Personality Inventories.
• Work Samples.
• Drug Tests.

LO 6-4
© McGraw Hill, LLC 11
 Types of Selection Methods 2

Interviews:
• Selection interviews:
• Without proper care, it is unreliable.

• Should be structured, standardized, and focused on goals oriented

to skills and observable behaviors.
• Interviewers should be able to quantitatively rate each interview.

• Interviewers should have a structured note-taking system to justify

ratings.

• Focused totally on rating and ranking applicants, not recruitment.

LO 6-5
© McGraw Hill, LLC 12
 Types of Selection Methods 3

Interviews continued:
• Situational interviews:
• Confronts applicants on specific issues, questions, or problems
likely to arise on the job.
• Experience-based questions.

• Future-oriented questions.

• Important to use multiple interviewers to avoid subjective errors.

© McGraw Hill, LLC 13

 Table 6.2 Examples of Experienced-Based and
Future-Oriented Situational Interview Items 1

EXPERIENCE-BASED
Motivating employees: “Think about an instance when you had to
motivate an employee to perform a task that he
or she disliked but that you needed to have
done. How did you handle that situation?”
Resolving conflict: “What was the biggest difference of opinion you
ever had with a co-worker? How did you resolve
that situation?”
Overcoming resistance to “What was the hardest change you ever had to
change: bring about in a past job, and what did you do to
get the people around you to change their
thoughts or behaviors?”

© McGraw Hill, LLC 14

 Table 6.2 Examples of Experienced-Based and
Future-Oriented Situational Interview Items 2

FUTURE-ORIENTED
Motivating employees: “Suppose you were working with an employee
who you knew greatly disliked performing a
particular task. You needed to get this task
completed, however, and this person was the only
one available to do it. What would you do to
motivate that person?”
Resolving conflict: “Imagine that you and a co-worker disagree about
the best way to handle an absenteeism problem
with another member of your team. How would
you resolve that situation?”
Overcoming resistance to “Suppose you had an idea for a change in work
change: procedures that would enhance quality, but some
members of your work group were hesitant to
make the change. What would you do in that
situation?”

© McGraw Hill, LLC 15

 Types of Selection Methods 4

References, Application Blanks, and Background Checks:

• Reference checks are weak predictors of future job
success.
• Background information from applicants is low-cost and
useful.
• Education gap.
• Misinformation on references, resumes.

© McGraw Hill, LLC 16

 Types of Selection Methods 5

Physical Ability Tests:

1. Muscular tension.
2. Muscular power.
3. Muscular endurance.
4. Cardiovascular endurance.
5. Flexibility.
6. Balance.
7. Coordination.

© McGraw Hill, LLC 17

 Types of Selection Methods 6

Cognitive Ability Tests:

• Verbal comprehension.
• Quantitative ability.
• Reasoning ability.
• Concern that applicants may cheat:
• Question harvesting.

© McGraw Hill, LLC 18

 Types of Selection Methods 7

Personality Inventories:
• Five major dimensions of personality, known as the “Big
Five”:
1. Extroversion.

2. Adjustment.
3. Agreeableness.

4. Conscientiousness.

5. Openness to experience.

© McGraw Hill, LLC 19

 Table 6.3 The Five Major Dimensions of
Personality Inventories

FIVE MAJOR DIMENSIONS

1. Extroversion Sociable, gregarious, assertive, talkative,
expressive
2. Adjustment Emotionally stable, nondepressed, secure,
content
3. Agreeableness Courteous, trusting, good-natured, tolerant,
cooperative, forgiving
4. Conscientiousness Dependable, organized, persevering,
thorough, achievement-oriented
5. Openness to experience Curious, imaginative, artistically sensitive,
broad-minded, playful

© McGraw Hill, LLC 20

 Types of Selection Methods 8

Personality Inventories continued:

• Emotional intelligence:
• Self-awareness.

• Self-regulation.
• Self-motivation.

• Empathy.

• Social skills.

© McGraw Hill, LLC 21

 Types of Selection Methods 9

Personality Inventories continued:

• Validity in terms of predicting job performance is higher
when scores are taken from other people.
• People tend to lack insight into their own personalities.

• Personalities vary across contexts.

• It is easy to fake traits on tests.

© McGraw Hill, LLC 22

 Types of Selection Methods 10

Work Samples:
• Samples can vary greatly.
• They may include role-play, interactive videos, simulations,
or competitions.
• Tests are expensive to develop.
• They are also seen in assessment centers.

© McGraw Hill, LLC 23

 Because learning changes everything. ®

www.mheducation.com

© 2023 McGraw Hill, LLC. All rights reserved. Authorized only for instructor use in the classroom. No reproduction or further distribution permitted without the prior written consent of McGraw Hill, LLC.