Employee Testing and

Selection

6
Garry Dessler

6–1
WHERE WE ARE NOW…

c 6–2
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Answer the question: Why is it important to test and select

employees?
2. Explain what is meant by reliability and validity.
3. List and briefly describe the basic categories of selection tests,
with examples.
4. Explain how to use two work simulations for selection.
5. Describe four ways to improve an employer’s background checking
process.
Why Employee Selection Is Important

• The aim of employee selection is to achieve person–

job fit.
• matching the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other
competencies (KSACs) that are required for
performing the job (based on job analysis) with the
applicant’s KSACs.
• While person–job fit is usually the main
consideration, person–organization fit is important
too.
The Reasons of Selecting the right person

1.Employees with the right skills will perform better

for you and the company.
2. Effective selection is important because it is costly
to recruit and hire employees
3. Inept hiring has legal consequences. Equal
employment laws require nondiscriminatory
selection procedures.

Negligent hiring means hiring employees with

criminal records or other problems who then use
access to customers’ homes (or similar
opportunities) to commit crimes.
Avoiding Negligent Hiring Claims
• Carefully scrutinize information on employment
applications.
• Get written authorization for reference checks, and
check references.
• Save all records and information about the applicant.
• Reject applicants for false statements or conviction
records for offenses related to the job.
• Balance the applicant’s privacy rights with others’
“need to know.”
• Take immediate disciplinary action if problems arise.

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education 6–6

 Why Careful Selection is Important

The Importance of Selecting

the Right Employees

Organizational Costs of recruiting Legal obligations

performance and hiring and liability

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education 6–7

II. The Basics of Testing and Selecting
Employees
• Reliability
• Validity
• Evidence-Based HR: How to Validate a Test
• Bias
• Utility Analysis
III. Types of Tests (1/5)

• Tests of Cognitive Abilities

• Intelligence tests
• Specific Cognitive abilities
• Tests of Motor and Physical Abilities
• Measuring Personality and Interests
• Interest Inventory is a personal development and
selection device that compares the person’s current
interests with those of others now in various occupations
so as to determine the preferred occupation for the
individual.
III. Types of Tests (2/5)
• Tests of Cognitive Abilities Cognitive tests include tests of general
reasoning ability (intelligence) and tests of specific mental abilities
like memory and inductive reasoning.
• INTELLIGENCE TESTS Intelligence (IQ) tests are tests of general
intellectual abilities. They measure not a single trait but rather a
range of abilities, including memory, vocabulary, verbal fluency, and
numerical ability
III. Types of Tests (3/5)
• Tests of Cognitive Abilities
• SPECIFIC COGNITIVE ABILITIES There are also measures of specific
mental abilities, such as deductive reasoning, verbal comprehension,
memory, and numerical ability.
• Psychologists often call such tests aptitude tests, since they purport
to measure aptitude for the job in question.
 Types of Tests

What Different Tests Measure

Cognitive Motor and Personality Current

abilities physical abilities and interests achievement

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education 6–12

III. Types
Types of Tests (4/5)
of Tests

Tests of Motor and Physical Abilities :

• finger dexterity, manual dexterity, and (if hiring pilots) reaction
time.
• Tests of physical abilities may also be required.
• These include static strength (such as lifting weights), dynamic
strength (pull-ups), body coordination (jumping rope), and
stamina.
Measuring Personality and Interests
• measure basic aspects of an applicant’s personality.
• Industrial psychologists often focus on the “big five” personality
dimensions: extraversion, emotional stability/neuroticism,
agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience.
III. Types of Tests (5/5)

Achievement Tests
• Analytics
Using tools like statistical techniques to examine data, in order to draw
cause–effect conclusions from that data.
• Machine learning
Software that can improve its own performance and learn on its own
• Artificial Intelligence
Using technology (particularly computers) to carry out tasks in a way
that we would consider “human” or “smart.”

6–14
IV. Work Samples and
Simulations(1/2)
• Work samples
Actual job tasks used in testing applicants’ performance.
• Using Work sampling technique
A testing method based on measuring performance on actual basic
job tasks.
• Situational Judgment Tests
Situational judgment tests are personnel tests “designed to assess
an applicant’s judgment regarding a situation encountered in the
workplace.
• Management Assessment Center
A simulation in which management candidates are asked to
perform realistic tasks in hypothetical situations and are scored on
their performance. It usually also involves testing and the use of
management games.
 FIGURE 6–7 Example of a Work Sampling Question

Checks key before installing against:

___ shaft score 3
___ pulley score 2
___ neither score 1
Note: This is one step in installing pulleys and belts.

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education 6–16

6–17
Management Assessment Center
Typical simulated tasks include
• The in-basket. The candidate gets reports, memos, notes of incoming phone
calls, e-mails, and other materials collected in the actual or computerized in-
basket of the simulated job he or she is about to start. The candidate must
take appropriate action on each item. Trained evaluators review the
candidate’s efforts.
• Leaderless group discussion. Trainers give a leaderless group a discussion
question and tell members to arrive at a group decision. They then evaluate
each group member’s interpersonal skills, acceptance by the group,
leadership ability, and individual influence.
• Management games. Participants solve realistic problems as members of
simulated companies competing in a marketplace.
• Individual oral presentations. Here trainers evaluate each participant’s
communication skills and persuasiveness.
• Testing. These may include tests of personality, mental ability, interests, and
achievements.
• The interview. Most require an interview with a trainer to assess interests,
past performance, and motivation
 Work Samples and Simulations

Measuring Work Performance

Directly

Management Video-based Miniature job

Work
assessment situational training and
samples
centers testing evaluation

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education 6–19

IV. Work Samples and
IV. Work Samples and Simulations
Simulations(2/2)
Situational Testing and Video-Based Situational Testing
• Situational test
A test that requires examinees to respond to situations representative
of the job.
• Video-based simulation
A situational test in which examinees respond to video simulations of
realistic job situations.
• The miniature job training and evaluation Approach
Involves training candidates to perform several of the job’s tasks, and
then evaluating the candidates’ performance prior to hire.
• Realistic Job Previews
Sometimes, a dose of realism makes the best screening tool.
• Choosing a Selection Method.
 TABLE 6–2 Evaluation of Assessment Methods on Four Key Criteria

Costs (Develop/
Assessment Method Validity Adverse Impact Administer) Applicant Reactions
Cognitive ability tests High High (against minorities) Low/low Somewhat favorable

Job knowledge test High High (against minorities) Low/low More favorable
Personality tests Low to Low Low/low Less favorable
moderate
Biographical data inventories Moderate Low to high for different High/low Less favorable
types
Integrity tests Moderate to Low Low/low Less favorable
high
Structured interviews High Low High/high More favorable

Physical fitness tests Moderate to High (against females and High/high More favorable
high older workers)
Situational judgment tests Moderate Moderate (against High/low More favorable
minorities)
Work samples High Low High/high More favorable
Assessment centers Moderate to Low to moderate, High/high More favorable
high depending on exercise

Physical ability tests Moderate to High (against females and High/high More favorable
high older workers)

Note: There was limited research evidence available on applicant reactions to situational judgment tests and physical ability tests. However,
because these tests tend to appear very relevant to the job, it is likely that applicant reactions to them would be favorable.

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education 6–21

Employee Testing and Selection

• Employers such as Honda

first train and then have
applicants perform
several of the job tasks,
and then evaluate the
candidates before hiring
them.

6–22
V. Background Investigations and Other
Selection Methods.
• Why Perform Background Investigations and Reference Checks?
• Investigations and Checks
• Reference checks
• Background employment checks
• Criminal records
• Driving records
• Credit checks
• Why?
• To verify factual information provided by applicants
• To uncover damaging information
Background Investigations and
Reference Checks

Former Employers

Current Supervisors

Sources of Commercial Credit

Information Rating Companies

Written References

Social Networking Sites

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education 6–24

Computerized and Online Testing
• Online tests
Ø Telephone prescreening
Ø Offline computer tests
Ø Virtual “inbox” tests
Ø Online problem-solving tests

• Types of Tests
Ø Specialized work sample tests
Ø Numerical ability tests
Ø Reading comprehension tests
Ø Clerical comparing and checking tests

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education 6–25

 FIGURE 6–5 Type of Question Applicant Might Expect
on a Test of Mechanical Comprehension

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education 6–26

 The “Big Five”

Extraversion

Emotional stability/
Conscientiousness
Neuroticism

Openness to
Agreeableness
experience

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education 6–27

 Limitations on Background Investigations
and Reference Checks

Legal Issues:
Defamation

Background
Employer Legal Issues:
Investigations and
Guidelines Privacy
Reference Checks

Supervisor
Reluctance

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education 6–28

Making Background Checks More Useful
1. Include on the application form a statement for
applicants to sign explicitly authorizing a background
check.
2. Use telephone references if possible.
3. Be persistent in obtaining information.
4. Compare the submitted résumé to the application.
5. Ask open-ended questions to elicit more information
from references.
6. Use references provided by the candidate as a source
for other references.

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education 6–29

Using Preemployment Information Services

Acquisition and Use of Background Information

1 Disclosure to and authorization by applicant/employee

2 Employer certification to reporting agency

3 Providing copies of reports to applicant/employee

4 Notice of adverse action to applicant/employee

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education 6–30