Chapter 6:

Selection and
Placement
Objective
Familiarize with ways to minimize errors in employee
selection and placement

a. To improve your company’s competitive standpoint

 the process through
Personnel which organizations
make decisions about
who will or will not be
Selection allowed to join the
organization.
5 standards required for every selection
process

The method provides reliable information.

The method provides valid information.

The information can be generalized to apply to the candidates.

The method offers high utility.

The selection criteria are legal.

 Reliability
the extent to which a measurement is free from random
error.
Reliability

Organizations use statistical tests to compare results over time.

Correlation coefficients: a measure of the degree to which

two sets of numbers are related.
A higher correlation coefficient signifies a greater degree of
reliability.
 Validity
the extent to which the performance on a measure (such as
a test score) is related to what the measure is designed to
assess (such as job performance).
Validity

Two ways of measuring validity:

1. Criterion-related validity
2. Content validity
Validity: Criterion-related

Criterion-related validity is a measure of validity based on

showing a substantial correlation between test scores and job
performance scores.
Two kinds of research are possible for arriving at criterion-related
validity:
1. Predictive Validation
2. Concurrent Validation
Validity: Criterion-related
Predictive Validation
Research that uses the test
scores of all applicants and
looks for a relationship
between the scores and future
performance of the applicants
who were hired.
Concurrent Validation
Research that consists of
administering a test to people
who currently hold a job, and
then comparing their scores to
existing measures of job
performance.
Validity: Content

Content validation is performed by demonstrating that the

questions or problems posed by the test are a representative
sample of the kinds of situations or problems that occur on the
job.

Although criterion-related validity is achieved through empirical

means, content validity is achieved through a process of expert
judgment.
Generalizability
The degree to which the validity of a selection method
established in one context extends to other contexts.
Generalizability

There are two primary “contexts” over which we might like to

generalize: different situations and different samples of people.

Validity generalization stands as an alternative for validating

selection methods for companies that cannot employ criterion-
related or content validation. It employs a three-step process.
Generalizability

First, the company provides evidence from previous criterion-related

validity studies conducted in other situations that shows that a specific
test is a valid predictor for a specific job.

Second, the company provides evidence from job analysis to document

that the job it is trying to fill is similar in all major respects to the job
validated elsewhere.

Finally, if the company can show that it uses a test that is the same as or
similar to that used in the validated setting, then one can “generalize” the
validity from the first context to the new context.
 Utility
The degree to which the information provided by the
selection methods enhances the bottom-line effectiveness of
the organization
Utility

Selection methods should cost significantly less than the benefits

of hiring new employees.

Methods that provide economic value greater than the cost of

using them are said to have utility.
 Legality
Conforming with existing laws and legal precedents
R.A. 10911

Anti-Age Discrimination in Employment Act prohibits:

(1) Requiring declaration of date of birth

(2) Denying applicant due to age
(3) Declining promotion of employee due to age
(4) Forcibly lay off old employees
Types of Selection
Methods
Interviews

Defined as a “dialogue initiated by one or more persons to gather

information and evaluate the qualifications of an applicant for
employment”

Disadvantages:
▣ Without proper care, it may be unreliable, low in validity, and
biased against a number of different groups
▣ Relatively costly
▣ Subjective
How can this be done?
The interview should be...

▣ Structured
▣ Standardized
▣ Focused on accomplishing a small number of
goals
 “An interview
procedure
where
applicants are
confronted with
specific issues,
questions, or
Situational problems that
are likely to
Interview arise on the job”
Types of Situational Interview

Experience Based Future Oriented

- What you would do - What you would do if
based on a past ever this situation
experience happens
- “Think about an - “Suppose you were
instance where you faced with changes in
had differences with a the workplace. How
colleague. How did you would you deal with
settle these them?”
differences?”
 When more than one person is able to

‘’
interview a candidate for a position,
there is significant advantage in
removing any errors or biases that a
single individual might make in
choosing the correct person for the job.
In today’s technological world, it is
becoming easier for multiple people to
give their input in an interview by
watching a video tape if they can’t be
there in person.
Interviewer should be...

▣ Trained
▣ “Witnesses” not “judges”
▣ A prosecuting attorney
 Defined as a “the
process of looking
up and compiling
criminal records,
References, commercial
Application Blanks, records, and
financial records of
Background Checks an individual ”
Physical Ability Tests

▣ Muscular tension
▣ Muscular power
▣ Muscular endurance
▣ Cardiovascular endurance
▣ Flexibility
▣ Balance
▣ Coordination
 Cognitive Ability Tests

Verbal comprehension Quantitative ability Reasoning ability

Personality Inventories

▣ Extroversion
▣ Adjustment
▣ Agreeableness
▣ Conscientiousness
▣ Openness to New Experiences
 Self-awareness,
Self-regulation,
Self-motivation,
Emotional Empathy,
Intelligence Social skills
Work Samples

Job Simulation
- Virtual Job Auditions
Job Competitions
- Head-to-head performances
Assessment Centers
- Where work samples are mostly employed
Work Samples

Drawbacks:
(1) Job-specific tests = Low Generalizability
(2)Costly
(3)Attracts more male participants
Work Samples

Drawbacks:
(1) Job-specific tests = Low Generalizability
(2) Costly
(3) Attracts more male participants
Honesty Tests and Drug Tests

Honesty Tests Drug Tests

- Polygraph Tests - Urinalysis
- Pen-and-paper - Blood Tests
Honesty Tests - Administered to everyone
- More admissible to safety
hazardous jobs
- Test results should be
reported back to the
applicants
- Changing legal status
- Administered to everyone
- More admissible to safety
 (1) Administered to
everyone
(2) More permissible
to hazardous jobs
(3) Results should be
reported back to
applicants
(4) Changing legal
Drug Tests status
Method Reliability Validity Generalizability Utility :egality

Interviews Low when Low and Low Low, especially Low because of
unstructured and unstructured if because of expense subjectivity and
when assessing non nonbehavioral potential interview
observable traits bias, lack of validity
makes job
relatedness low

Reference Checks Low, especially when Low because of lack Low Low, although not Those writing letters
obtained from letters of range in expensive to obtain may be concerned
evaluations with charges of libel

Biographical High test-retest, High criterion-related Usually job-specific, High, inexpensive May have adverse
Information especially for validity, low in but have been way to collect vast impact, thus often
verifiable information content validity successfully amounts if potentially develop separate
developed for many relevant data scoring keys based
job types on sex or race

Physical Ability Tests High Moderate criterion- Low, pertain only to Moderate for some Adverse impact on
related, high content physically physical jobs, may women and PWDs,
validity for some jobs demanding jobs prevent expensive need to establish job-
injuries and disability relatedness
Cognitive Ability High Moderate criterion- High, predictive for High, low cost and Adverse impact on
Tests related validity, most jobs, best for wide application race, though
content validation complex jobs across diverse jobs decreasing over time
inappropriate in companies

Personality High Low to moderate Low, few traits Low, inexpensive for Low because of
Inventories criterion-related predictive for many jobs where specific cultural and sex
validity for most jobs, except traits are relevant differences in most
traits, content conscientiousness traits, low job-
validation relatedness in
inappropriate general

Work-sample Tests High High criterion and Usually job-specific, High, despite High because of low
content validity but have been relatively high cost to adverse impact and
successfully develop high job-relatedness
developed for many
job types

Honesty Tests Insufficient Insufficient Insufficient Insufficient Insufficient history of

independent independent independent independent litigation but will
evidence evidence evidence evidence undergo scrutiny

Drug Tests High High High Expensive but may May be challenged
yield high payoffs for on invasion of
health-related costs privacy grounds
 Pink Quotas
Aim at Cultural
Change
 Women:
50% Population
6% Board Leadership

Case Background
Pink Quota Law

▣ Requires 33% of leadership to be seated by

women.
▣ Opened opportunities for women
▣ Many women also opposed
▣ Propelled outsourcing of American women
 Questions:

‘’ (1) How does greater representation

of women on corporate boards
promote both societal goals and
competitiveness goals at the
same time?
(2) What long-term steps can be
taken by countries and companies
to eliminate the need for quotas
over time?
 (1) Male-
dominated
Leadership
(2)Industry
Standards
Situational (3)Self-
Determination
Analysis Theory
RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendations

▣ Greater representation of women = improved

representation of women’s policy interests
▣ Role model effect
▣ Overcome self and society imposed
stereotypes
End.