Chapter 5

Employee Selection: References and Testing

Industrial/Organizational Psychology (PSY 32012-2)
4) Extraneous Factors – method used by the
Predicting Performance using References and letter writer is often more important than
Letters of Recommendation the actual content

o An employer must obtain information about the Ethical Issues

quality of previous performance by relying on an
applicant’s references, either by calling those 1. Explicitly state your relationship with the
references or asking for letter of person you are recommending
recommendations from previous employers 2. Be honest in providing details
o Reference Check – is the process of confirming 3. Let the applicant see your reference before
the accuracy of information provided by an sending it
applicant
o Reference – the expression of an opinion, either Predicting Performance using applicant training
orally or through a written checklist, regarding and Education
an applicant’s ability, previous performance,
work habits, character, or potential for future o It is common that the applicants must have a
success minimum level of education or training to be
o Letter of Recommendation – letter expressing considered
an opinion regarding applicant’s ability, previous
performance, work habits, character, or Predicting Performance Using Applicant Knowledge
potential future success
o Job Knowledge Tests – designed to measure
Reasons for using references and how much a person knows about a job
recommendations o Excellent content and criterion validity; high
face validity
✓ Confirming details on resume
▪ Avoiding resume fraud Predicting Performance using Applicant Ability
✓ Checking for Discipline Problems
▪ Avoiding Negligent Hiring – if an ▪ Ability tests – tap the extent to which an
organization hires an applicant without applicant can learn or perform a job-related
checking his references and background skill
and he later commits a crime while in the 1. Cognitive Ability – dimensions such as oral and
employ of an organization, the organization written comprehension, oral and written
may be found liable for negligent hiring if the expression, numerical facility, originality,
employee has a criminal background that memorization, reasoning, and general learning
would have been detected has a background ▪ Result in high levels of adverse impact and
check been conducted. lack face validity
✓ Discovering New Information about the ▪ Difficulty of setting a passing score
Applicant ▪ Wonderlic Personnel Test – widely used
✓ Predicting Future Performance cognitive ability test in the industry
▪ Low validity in predicting future employee ▪ Siena Reasoning Test
success because: 2. Perceptual Ability – consists of vision, color
1) Leniency – applicants choose references discrimination, depth perception, glare
that would help them in application by sensitivity, speech, and hearing
showing only positive sides 3. Psychomotor Ability – finger dexterity, manual
2) Knowledge of the Applicant – the person dexterity, control precision, multilimbed
writing the letter often does not know the coordination, response control, reaction time,
applicant well arm-hand steadiness, wrist-finger speed, and
3) Reliability – the lack of agreement between speed-of-limb movement
two people who provide references for the 4. Physical Ability – used for jobs that requires
same person physical strengths and stamina
 Chapter 5
Employee Selection: References and Testing
Industrial/Organizational Psychology (PSY 32012-2)
a. Job Simulation 3. Rate the applicants going through
b. Physical Agility tests assessment centers
▪ Nine Basic Physical Activities: dynamic ▪ In-basket Technique – designed to simulate
strength, trunk strength, explosive strength, the types of daily information that appear on
static strength, dynamic flexibility, extent a manager’s or employee’s desk
flexibility, gross body equilibrium, gross ▪ Simulations – include diverse activities as
body coordination, stamina role plays and work samples, place an
▪ Criticized due to job relatedness, passing applicant in a situation that is similar as
scores, and the time at which they should be possible to one that will be encountered on
required the jon
▪ Work Sample – if simulation does not
Predicting Performance using Applicant Skill involve situational exercise
▪ Leaderless Group Discussions – applicants
1. Work Samples – the applicant performs actual meet in small groups and are given a job-
job related tasks related problem to solve or a job-related
▪ Directly related to job tasks, they have issue to discuss
excellent content validity ▪ Business Games – exercises that allow the
▪ Tend to predict actual work performance applicant to demonstrate such attributes as
and thus have excellent criterion validity creativity, decision making, and ability to
▪ Samples have excellent face validity work with others
▪ Lower racial differences
▪ Can be expensive to both construct and Predicting Performance using Prior Experience
administer
2. Assessment Centers – selection techniques 1. Experience Ratings – past experience will
characterized by the use of multiple predict future experience
assessment methods that allow multiple ▪ In giving credit for experience, one must
assessors to actually observe applicants consider the amount of experience, the level
perform simulated job tasks of performance demonstrated during the
▪ Assessment methods are all job related and previous experience, and how related the
multiple trained assessors help guard experience to the current job
against many types of selection bias 2. Biodata – selection method that considers an
✓ Assessment center activities must be based applicant’s life, school, military, community, and
on the results of thorough job analysis work experience
✓ Multiple assessment techniques must be ▪ Application blank or questionnaire
used containing questions that research has
✓ Multiple trained assessors must be used shown measure the differences between
✓ Behavioral observations must be successful and unsuccessful performers on
documented at the time the applicant a job
behavior is observed
✓ Assessors must prepare a report of their Predicting Performance using Personality, Interest,
observations and Character
✓ Overall judgement of an applicant must be
based on combination of information from o Personality Inventories – they predict
the multiple assessors and multiple performance better than once thought
techniques o Tests of Normal Personality – measures the
✓ Overall evaluation of an applicant cannot be traits exhibited by normal individuals in
made until all assessment center tasks have everyday life
been completed ▪ Can be based on a theory (MBTI), statistically
1. Do a job analysis based (16PF), or empirically based (MMPI)
2. Develop exercises that measure the ▪ Big Five or Five Factor Model:
different aspects of the job ✓ Openness to experience
 Chapter 5
Employee Selection: References and Testing
Industrial/Organizational Psychology (PSY 32012-2)
✓ Conscientiousness
✓ Extraversion
✓ Agreeableness
✓ Emotional stability
o Test of Psychopathology – determines whether
individuals have serious psychological
problems
▪ Projective Tests – provide the respondent
with unstructured tasks such as describing
ink blots and drawing pictures
▪ Objective Tests – structured so that the
respondent is limited to a few answers that
will be scored by standardized keys
o Interest Inventories – tap vocational interest
▪ Strong Interest Inventory (SII)
▪ Useful in vocational counseling
o Integrity tests – honesty tests; tell an employer
the probability that an applicant would steal
money or merchandise
▪ Personality-based integrity tests – are more
general in that they tap a variety of
personality traits thought to be related to a
wide range of counterproductive behavior
o Conditional Reasoning Test – to reduce the
inaccurate response and get a more accurate
picture of a person’s tendency to engage in
aggressive or counterproductive behavior
o Graphology – handwriting analysis

Predicting Performance Limitations due to Medical

and Psychological Problems

1. Drug Testing
2. Psychological Exams
3. Medical Exams

Rejecting Applicants

o Rejected applicants should be treated well

because they are potential customers and
potential applicants for another positions
o Applicants who were rejected “properly” were
more likely to continue to be a customer at
organization and apply for future job openings
o Best way: Rejection Letter

end
 Chapter 5
Employee Selection: References and Testing
Industrial/Organizational Psychology (PSY 32012-2)