Human Resource Management

Chapter 4: EMPLOYEE TESTING AND SELECTION

Ass. Prof. pek Kalemci TUZUN

Employee testing and selection

Employee testing and selection is the use of

various tools and techniques to select the best candidates for the job. Selection is the process of selecting right person to the right job

WHY CAREFUL SELECTION IS IMPORTANT

HR managers performance depends on the

performance of subordinates Good selection practices increase organizational productivity and job satisfaction, decrease turnover rate and replacement costs

Why Careful Selection is Important

The Importance of Selecting the Right Employees

Organizational Performance

Costs of Recruiting and Hiring

Legal Obligations and Liability

Basic Testing Concepts

Reliability

Consistency of scores obtained by the same person when retested with identical or equivalent tests. Are test results stable over time?
Indicates whether a test is measuring what it is supposed to be measuring. Does the test actually measure what it is intended to measure?

Validity

Using Tests at Work

Major Types of Tests

Basic skills tests

Job skills tests Psychological tests

Why Use Testing?

Increased work demands = more testing Screen out bad or dishonest employees

Reduce turnover by personality profiling

Computerized and Online Testing

Online tests

Telephone prescreening
Offline computer tests Virtual inbox tests Online problem-solving tests Specialized work sample tests Numerical ability tests

Types of Tests

Reading comprehension tests

Clerical comparing and checking tests

Types of Tests
What Tests Measure

Cognitive (Mental) Abilities

Motor and Physical Abilities

Personality and Interests

Achievement

FIGURE 66

Sample Personality Test Items

Source: Elaine Pulakos, Selection Assessment Methods, SHRM Foundation, 2005, p. 9.

Reprinted by permission of Society for Human Resource Management via Copyright Clearance Center.

Background Investigations and Reference Checks

Investigations and Checks

Reference checks Background employment checks Criminal records Driving records Credit checks To verify factual information provided by applicants. To uncover damaging information.

Why?

FIGURE 68 Reference Checking Form

Source: Society for Human Resource Management, 2004. Reproduced with permission of Society for Human Resource Management in the Format Textbook via Copyright Clearance Center.

Background Investigations and Reference Checks (contd)

Former Employers

Current Supervisors

Sources of Information

Commercial Credit Rating Companies

Written References

Social Networking Sites

Making Background Checks More Useful

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Include on the application form a statement for applicants to sign explicitly authorizing a background check. Use telephone references if possible. Be persistent in obtaining information. Use references provided by the candidate as a source for other references. Ask open-ended questions to elicit more information from references.

Physical Examination
Reasons for preemployment medical examinations:

To verify that the applicant meets the physical requirements of the position.
To discover any medical limitations to be taken into account in placing the applicant.

To establish a record and baseline of the applicants health for future insurance or compensation claims.
To reduce absenteeism and accidents. To detect communicable diseases that may be unknown to the applicant.

INTERVIEWING

An interview is a procedure designed to obtain information from a person through oral responses to oral inquiries A selection interview is a selection procedure designed to predict future job performance on the basis of applicants oral responses to oral inquiries

Basic Features of Interviews

Selection Interviews

Interview Structure

Interview Content

Interview Administration

Types of Interviews
Selection Interview

Types of Interviews

Appraisal Interview

Exit Interview

Interview Formats
Interview Formats

Unstructured or Nondirective Interview

Structured or Directive Interview

Interview Formats

Structured Interview : directive interview following a set of sequence of questions

Non-structured Interview: non directive ask questions as they come to mind

FIGURE 71 Officer Programs Applicant Interview Form

Source: Adapted from http://www.uscg.mil/jobs/dc/DCPr ograms/OProgramForms/PDFS/D CA/Interview%20CG-5527.pdf. Accessed May 9, 2007.

FIGURE 71 Officer Programs Applicant Interview Form (contd)

Source: Adapted from http://www.uscg.mil/jobs/dc/DCPr ograms/OProgramForms/PDFS/D CA/Interview%20CG-5527.pdf. Accessed May 9, 2007.

Interview Content
Types of Questions

Situational Interview

Behavioral Interview

Job-Related Interview

Stress Interview

Situational Interview: questions focus on the individuals ability to project what his/her behavior would be in a given situation. Behavioral Interview: ask interviews to describe how they reacted to actual situtaion in the past Stress Interview: in which applicant is made uncomfortable by a series of rude questions

Administering the Interview

Unstructured Sequential Interview

Web-Assisted Interviews

Structured Sequential Interview

Computerized Interviews

Ways in Which Interviews Can Be Conducted

Panel Interview

Phone and Video Interviews

Mass Interview

Sequential Interview: in which applicant is interviewed sequentially by several persons and each rates the applicant Panel Interview; applicants is interviewed simultaneously by a group of interviewers Computerized Interviews; is one in which a job candidates computerized responses are obtained in response to computerized questions or situations

What Can Undermine An Interviews Usefulness?

First Impressions (Snap Judgments) Nonverbal Behavior and Impression Management

Interviewers Misunderstanding of the Job

Factors Affecting Interviews

Applicants Personal Characteristics

Candidate-Order (Contrast) Error and Pressure to Hire

Interviewer Behavior

Designing and Conducting An Effective Interview

Step 1. Job Analysis Write a job description with a list of job

duties, required knowledge, skills, abilities, and other worker qualifications. Step 2. Rate the Jobs Duties Identify the jobs main duties. To do so, rate each job duty, based on its importance to job success and on the time required to perform it compared to other tasks. Step 3. Create Interview Questions Create interview questions that are based on actual job duties, with more questions for the important duties.

 Step 4. Create Benchmark Answers Next, develop

answers and a five point rating scale for each, with ideal answers for good (a 5 rating), marginal (a 3 rating), and poor (a 1 rating). Consider the preceding situational Step 5. Appoint the Interview and Conduct Interviews , include the jobs supervisor and/or incumbent, and an HR representative.

How to Conduct a More Effective Interview

Suggestions :
1 2 3

Structure Your Interview

Prepare for the Interview Establish Rapport Ask Questions Close the Interview Review the Interview

4
5 6

Effective Interviews
Structure the Interview:
1. 2.

Base questions on actual job duties. Use job knowledge, situational or behavioral questions, and objective criteria to evaluate interviewees responses. Train interviewers.

3.

4.
5.

Use the same questions with all candidates.

Use descriptive rating scales (excellent, fair, poor) to rate answers. Use multiple interviewers or panel interviews.

6.

7.
8. 9.

If possible, use a standardized interview form.

Take control of the interview. Take brief, unobtrusive notes during the interview.

FIGURE 72

Examples of Questions That Provide Structure

Situational Questions
1. Suppose a co-worker was not following standard work procedures. The co-worker was more experienced than you and claimed the new procedure was better. Would you use the new procedure? 2. Suppose you were giving a sales presentation and a difficult technical question arose that you could not answer. What would you do?

Past Behavior Questions

3. Based on your past work experience, what is the most significant action you have ever taken to help out a co-worker? 4. Can you provide an example of a specific instance where you developed a sales presentation that was highly effective?

Background Questions
5. What work experiences, training, or other qualifications do you have for working in a teamwork environment? 6. What experience have you had with direct point-of-purchase sales?

Job Knowledge Questions

7. What steps would you follow to conduct a brainstorming session with a group of employees on safety? 8. What factors should you consider when developing a television advertising campaign?
Note: These questions provide structure, insofar as they are job-related and the employer can be consistent in asking them of all candidates.
Source: Michael Campion, David Palmer, and James Campion, A Review of Structure in the Selection Interview, Personnel Psychology (1997), p. 668.

Reprinted by permission ofWileyBlackwell.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24.

How did you choose this line of work? What did you enjoy most about your last job? What did you like least about your last job? What has been your greatest frustration or disappointment on your present job? Why? What are some of the pluses and minuses of your last job? What were the circumstances surrounding your leaving your last job? Did you give notice? Why should we be hiring you? What do you expect from this employer? What are three things you will not do in your next job? What would your last supervisor say your three weaknesses are? What are your major strengths? How can your supervisor best help you obtain your goals? How did your supervisor rate your job performance? In what ways would you change your last supervisor? What are your career goals during the next 13 years? 510 years? How will working for this company help you reach those goals? What did you do the last time you received instructions with which you disagreed? What are some things about which you and your supervisor disagreed? What did you do? Which do you prefer, working alone or working with groups? What motivated you to do better at your last job? Do you consider your progress in that job representative of your ability? Why? Do you have any questions about the duties of the job for which you have applied? Can you perform the essential functions of the job for which you have applied?

FIGURE 73 Suggested Supplementary Questions for Interviewing Applicants

Source: Reprinted from www.HR.BLR.com with permission of the publisher Business and Legal Reports, Inc. 141 Mill Rock Road East, Old Saybrook, CT 2004.

FIGURE 74 Interview Evaluation Form

Source: Reprinted from www.HR.BLR.com with permission of the publisher Business and Legal Reports Inc. 141 Mill Rock Road East, Old Saybrook, CT 2004.

FIGURE 7A1 Interview Questions to Ask

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. What is the first problem that needs the attention of the person you hire? What other problems need attention now? What has been done about any of these to date? How has this job been performed in the past? Why is it now vacant? Do you have a written job description for this position? What are its major responsibilities? What authority would I have? How would you define its scope? What are the companys five-year sales and profit projections? What needs to be done to reach these projections? What are the companys major strengths and weaknesses? What are its strengths and weaknesses in production? What are its strengths and weaknesses in its products or its competitive position? Whom do you identify as your major competitors? What are their strengths and weaknesses? How do you view the future for your industry? Do you have any plans for new products or acquisitions? Might this company be sold or acquired? What is the companys current financial strength? What can you tell me about the individual to whom I would report? What can you tell me about other persons in key positions? What can you tell me about the subordinates I would have? How would you define your management philosophy? Are employees afforded an opportunity for continuing education? What are you looking for in the person who will fill this job?

Source: H. Lee Rust, Job Search: The Complete Manual for Job Seekers, 1991 H. Lee Rust. Published by AMACOM, division of American Management Assn. Intl., New York, NY.

FIGURE 7A2 Structured Interview Guide

Source: Copyright 1992. The Dartnell Corporation, Chicago, IL. Adapted with permission.

FIGURE 7A2 Structured Interview Guide (contd

FIGURE 7A2 Structured Interview Guide (contd

How to Be a Good Interviewee

Be prepared by learning about the company,

the job and the recruiters Uncover the interviewers real needs and relate to those needs Pause, think, then speak Nonverbal behavior important Make a good 1st impression, be enthusiastic