Human Resource Management: Gaining a Competitive Advantage Chapter 06 Selection and Placement McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2013 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 5 Evaluation Selection Method Standards Reliability Validity Generalizabil ity Utility Legality 6-2 Reliability Reliability is the degree to which a measure of physical or cognitive abilities or traits is free from random error The correlation coefficient is a measure of the degree to which two sets of numbers are related A perfect positive relationship equals +1.0 A perfect negative relationship equals - 1.0 Test-retest reliability is knowing how scores on the measure at one time relate to scores on the same measure at another time 6-3 Validity Validity is the extent to which a performance measure assesses all the relevant—and only the relevant—aspects of job performance Criterion-related validation is a method of establishing the validity of a personnel selection method by showing a substantial correlation between test scores and jobperformance scores The types include: Predictive validation Concurrent validation 6-4 Criterion-Related Validity Predictive Test Applicant s Measure Performanc e of Those Hired TIME Concurrent Test Existing Employees Measure Their Performance TIME 6-5 Concurrent Validation 6-6 Predictive Validation 6-7 Content Validation Content validation is a test-validation strategy performed by demonstrating that the items, questions, or problems posed by a test are a representative sample of the kinds of situations or problems that occur on the job Best for small samples Achieved primarily through expert judgment 6-8 Legality All selection methods must conform to existing laws and legal precedents Three acts have formed the basis for a majority of the suits filed by job applicants: Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 1991 Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991 6-9 Civil Rights Act of 1991 Protects individuals from discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion and national origin Differs from the 1964 act in three areas: Establishes employers' explicit obligation to establish neutral-appearing selection method Allows a jury to decide punitive damages Explicitly prohibits granting preferential treatment to minority groups 6-10 Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 Covers over age 40 individuals No protection for younger workers Outlaws almost all “mandatory retirement” programs 6-11 Americans with Disabilities Act Protects individuals with physical or mental disabilities (or with a history of the same) Reasonable accommodations are required by the organization to allow the disabled to perform essential functions of the job An employer need not make accommodations that cause undue hardship Restrictions on pre-employment inquiries 6-12 Types of Selection Methods JOBS 6-13 Interviews Selection interviews-a dialogue initiated by one or more persons to gather information and evaluate the applicant’s qualifications for employment To increase an interview’s utility: Interviews 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 that will aid recall to satisfying ratings 6-14 Situational Interview A situational interview confronts applicants on specific issues, questions, or problems likely to arise on the job Situational interviews consist of: experience-based questions future-oriented questions 6-15 Other Selection Methods Individuals should manage their digital identity the same way they manage their résumé References, biographical data, and applications gather background information on candidates Physical ability tests are relevant for predicting job performance, occupational injuries and disabilities Physical ability tests include: muscular tension, power, and endurance cardiovascular endurance flexibility balance coordination 6-16 Other Selection Methods A cognitive ability test differentiates individuals based on mental rather than physical capacities Commonly assessed abilities: verbal comprehension quantitative ability reasoning ability Personality inventories categorize individuals by personality characteristics Work samples simulate a job in miniaturized form 6-17 Cognitive Ability Tests Dimensions Cognitive Ability Tests: Verbal Comprehension -a person’s capacity to understand and use written and spoken language Quantitative Ability - speed and accuracy with which one can solve arithmetic problems Reasoning Ability - a person’s capacity to invent solutions to diverse problems 6-18 Physical Ability Tests Two Questions to Ask: Is physical ability essential to perform the job? Is it mentioned prominently enough in the job description? Tests Measure: muscular power and endurance cardiovascular endurance flexibility balance coordination 6-19 Personality Inventories Big Dimensions of Personality 6-20 Emotional Intelligence 6-21 Work-Sample Tests Work-sample tests attempt to simulate the job in a pre-hiring context to observe how the applicant performs Assessment center-is a process in which multiple raters evaluate employees’ performance on exercises 6-22 Honesty Tests Polygraph Act of 1988 banned the use of polygraph tests for private companies except pharmaceutical and security guard suppliers Paper-and-pencil honesty testing attempts to assess the likelihood that employees will steal 6-23 Drug Tests Drug-use tests tend to be reliable and valid Major controversies about drug tests include: Is it an invasion of privacy? Is it an unreasonable search and seizure? Is it a violation of due process? Tests should be administered systematically to all applicants applying for the same job Testing is likely to be more defensible with safety hazards associated with failure to perform Test results should be reported to applicants, who should have an avenue to appeal 6-24 Summary of Selection Methods JOBS 6-25 ... data, and applications gather background information on candidates Physical ability tests are relevant for predicting job performance, occupational injuries and disabilities Physical ability... mental rather than physical capacities Commonly assessed abilities: verbal comprehension quantitative ability reasoning ability Personality inventories categorize individuals by personality... to which a performance measure assesses all the relevant—and only the relevant—aspects of job performance Criterion-related validation is a method of establishing the validity of a personnel