Jose-Fiallos Approved Thesis

CREATION AND VALIDATION OF PARTIALLY AUTOMATED TALENT

ACQUISITION PROCESS MODEL

A Research Project

Presented to the Faculty of

The George L. Graziadio

School of Business and Management

Pepperdine University

________________________________

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Master of Science

in

Organization Development

_______________________________

by

Jose Fiallos

December 2015

© 2015 Jose Fiallos

This research project, completed by

JOSE FIALLOS

Under the guidance of the Faculty Committee and approved by its members, has been

submitted to and accepted by the faculty of The George L. Graziadio School of Business

and Management in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

MASTER OF SCIENCE

IN ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT

Date: December 2015

Faculty Committee Committee Chair, Kent Rhodes, Ed.D. Committee Member, Terri Egan, Ph.D.

David Smith, Ph. D., Dean The George L. Graziadio School of Business and Management

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to create and validate a new talent acquisition process

model that reduces human involvement and the possibilities for human bias in hiring

decisions. Ten hiring, management, and legal professionals reviewed the model and

provided comments regarding existing problems undermine current hiring processes, and

perceived validity and value of the proposed talent acquisition model. Participants agreed

that problems exist in the current process relative to human bias. They also agreed that

the process was valid and could expedite the talent acquisition process. However, only

40% agreed they would implement such a model in their organization. Human resources

participants believed the proposed process could work for entry-level, unskilled, and

intern positions that do not require interviews, but that it would not be appropriate for

director, manager, supervisor, and lead roles. Based on these results, organizations are

advised to evaluate organizational readiness for implementing the model; conduct an

initial thorough and ongoing periodic review of the model to assure it satisfies U.S.

employment, labor, and privacy laws; and begin piloting the process in small business

units.

Table of Contents

Abstract........ ...................................................................................................................... iii

List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... vi

List of Figures ................................................................................................................... vii

1. Introduction......................................................................................................................1

Study Purpose ..........................................................................................................2

Significance of the Study.........................................................................................2

Organization of the Study ........................................................................................3

2. Review of Literature ........................................................................................................4

Talent Acquisition....................................................................................................4

Elements of a Talent Acquisition Process ...............................................................7

Governing Laws.......................................................................................................9

Human Bias During Talent Acquisition ................................................................11

Talent Acquisition Process Model .........................................................................14

Existing models..........................................................................................14

Proposed model..........................................................................................16

3. Methods..........................................................................................................................23

Research Design.....................................................................................................23

Participants.............................................................................................................23

Data Collection ......................................................................................................24

Data Analysis Procedures ......................................................................................25

Summary................................................................................................................25

4. Results............................................................................................................................27

Participant Demographics......................................................................................27

Interview Findings .................................................................................................28

Problems experienced with current hiring practices..................................28

Validity of process proposed in model ......................................................29

Perceived value of and intent to use proposed model................................31

Summary................................................................................................................32

5. Discussion ......................................................................................................................33

Conclusions............................................................................................................33

Limitations .............................................................................................................34

Recommendations and Suggestions for Research .................................................35

Summary................................................................................................................35

References..........................................................................................................................37

Appendix A: Sample Employment Application ................................................................40

Appendix B: Study Invitation ............................................................................................45

Appendix C: Participant Pre-Interview Presentation.........................................................46

Appendix D: Participant Questionnaire .............................................................................57

Appendix E: Sample Job Descriptions ..............................................................................57

List of Tables

Table Page

1. Laws Governing the Hiring Process ........................................................................... 11

2. Process Compliance with Laws Governing the Hiring Process.................................. 21

3. Participant Demographics ........................................................................................... 28

4. Perceived Problems with Current Hiring Practices..................................................... 29

5. Validity of Proposed Model ........................................................................................ 30

6. Perceived Value and Intent to Use Proposed Model................................................... 31

List of Figures

Figure Page

1. Proposed Talent Acquisition Process Model .............................................................. 17

2. Evaluation of Employee Assessment Scores .............................................................. 19

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Chapter 1

Introduction

Talent acquisition refers to the process of finding and acquiring qualified human

labor to fill open positions and meet other organizational needs and labor requirement

(Morgan, 2014). The process is multifaceted, challenging, time consuming, and fraught

with potential dangers, as organizations expose themselves to substantial legal exposure

and costs in the event of negligent or discriminatory hiring decisions (Caudron, 2002;

“How to Avoid,” 2006). Beyond legal exposure, many traditional hiring processes rely

upon subjective decision making by recruiters and hiring managers, which leaves

substantial room for conscious and unconscious cognitive biases to undermine the

process, potentially resulting in suboptimal hiring decisions (Baron, 2007; Hilbert, 2012;

Kahneman & Tversky, 1972; Mather, Shafir, & Johnson, 2000; Oswald & Grosjean,

2004). It follows that the talent acquisition process has three central aims: improving the

hiring decision (hiring the best candidate), decreasing hiring costs, and decreasing legal

exposure.

Several authors have advocated that companies need to optimize and automate

their talent acquisition processes to hire the best candidates for open position (Miller,

2015; Sahay, 2015). Moreover, it is essential that these processes comply with the many

local, state, and federal regulations that govern hiring processes (Equal Employment

Opportunity Commission [EEOC], 2014; Lindemann, Grossman, & Weirich, 2014).

Two organizations—Gallup and SAP—have emerged as pioneers in the effort to

automate, streamline, and remove biases from the hiring process and have reported

successes in increasing the candidate pool, successfully hiring qualified candidates,

reducing complaints from individuals about the application process, and reducing hiring

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costs (Gallup, 2015; Jeffrey & Woolley, 2015). The present research project focuses on

creating and validating a new talent acquisition process model for one organization.

Study Purpose

The purpose of this study was to create and validate a new talent acquisition

process model that reduces human involvement and the possibilities for human bias in

hiring decisions. The new hiring process was created based on a review of existing theory

and research. The process was presented to legal, management, and hiring professionals

and they were interviewed with respect to three research questions:

1. What problems do legal, management, and hiring professionals believe undermine current hiring processes?

2. What is the validity of the newly proposed hiring process, according to legal, management, and hiring professionals?

3. What is the perceived value of the newly proposed hiring process, according to legal, management, and hiring professionals?

Significance of the Study

Cummings and Worley (2014) asserted, “Organizational development is a system

wide application and transfer of behavioral science knowledge to the planned

development, improvement and reinforcement of the strategies, structures and processes

that lead to organizational effectiveness” (p. 1). This research contributes to the field of

organizational development by proposing a model that will impact an organizations most

valuable asset, its people and provides a framework to make the organization effective in

the manner in which it processes people into the organization.

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Organization of the Study

This chapter provided the background for the study. The study purpose was

identified and the study setting was described. The importance of conducting the study

also was discussed.

Chapter 2 provides a review and examination of past theory and research related

to the study. The chapter reviews theory and research related to talent acquisition, the

talent acquisition process, and human bias and how it affects talent acquisition. The

proposed talent acquisition process model also is presented and explained.

Chapter 3 outlines the methods that were used in this qualitative research project.

The research design along with the procedures related to sampling, data collection, and

data analysis are discussed.

Chapter 4 reports the results of the study. This chapter reviews the results of the

participant interviews regarding the perceived validity and viability of the process model.

Chapter 5 provides a discussion of the study results. Key findings and conclusions

are identified, along with recommendations, limitations of the study, and suggestions for

research.

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Chapter 2

Review of Literature



hiring decisions. This chapter provides a review of the literature that was used to create

the process model. Literature on employment, privacy, and labor laws; adverse impact;

the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures; social media trends; and

hiring practices is reviewed, along with the viewpoints of subject matter experts in the

fields of human resources, talent acquisition, and law.

First, talent acquisition is discussed in terms of its definition, various participants,

timing, importance, and metrics of success. Second, the elements of the talent acquisition

process are discussed, followed by identification of the governing laws that must be

observed during the hiring process. Third, the concept of human bias and how it affects

talent acquisition is discussed. Finally, the new talent acquisition process model is

presented and explained.

Talent Acquisition

Talent acquisition refers to the process of finding and acquiring qualified human

labor to fill open positions and meet other organizational needs and labor requirement

(Morgan, 2014). The talent acquisition process typically is led by the human resources

department, although it is conducted within the oversight of senior leaders and often

involves team members and managers from the affected department who function as

technical interviewers and hiring managers. The process can be challenging, as it requires

the concerted action of multiple organization members and the collection, synthesis, and

analysis of many disparate pieces of information. Moreover, the process needs to be

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conducted efficiently and sometimes urgently to fill organizational needs. This alone can

be quite challenging, as the process of vetting candidates and acquiring talent is time

consuming.

Above all, the process needs to be valid, meaning that suitable candidates are

selected, and legally defensible, meaning it does not increase the employer’s risks of

lawsuits due to (a) harassment and discrimination claims from applicants or terminated

employees or (b) negligence or malpractice claims from customers or the public as a

result of hiring inadequately screened and unqualified applicants. Negligent hiring claims

are a fast-growing area of employment litigation (“How to Avoid,” 2006): “An

organization can be sued for negligence if it hires someone it knew, or, in the exercise of

reasonable care, should have known was dangerous, unfit, or unqualified for the job” (p.

4). Therefore, sound recruiting and hiring practices are essential for protecting the legal

exposure of the organization (Caudron, 2002).

It follows that the talent acquisition process has three central aims: improving the

hiring decision (hiring the best candidate), decreasing hiring costs, and decreasing legal

exposure. First, the talent acquisition process needs to be fine-tuned to help the company

hire the best candidate for the open position (Sahay, 2015). This requires accessing job-

related information about the candidate, rapidly synthesizing and making sense of the

data, and streamlining decision making process when possible. Second, hiring costs need

to be reduced, both in terms of capital investment, human resource investment, and time

invested in the process. Sahay asserted that it is increasingly critical to hire the right

person in a timely manner.

Third, the hiring decision is highly scrutinized and subject to local, state, and

federal regulations. Between 2000 and 2014, the EEOC (2014) reported receiving

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471,876 claims related to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in

Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Equal Pay of 1963 Act, and

Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. Of these, 38,519 claims (8.2%) stemmed

from hiring decisions, 34,520 (7.3%) from promotion decisions, and 318,669 (67.5%)

from termination decisions, the most litigated of all employment actions (Lindemann et

al., 2014). It is important to note that these figures do not include data from state agencies

such as the Department of Federal Employment & Housing in California, which handles

discrimination and harassment claim processing for the state.

Employment decision lawsuits are very costly for organizations and these can

occur as the result of mistakes managers and other company personnel make during

interactions with candidates. For example, in Bruno v. City of Crown Point, a male

interviewer asked a female applicant how her husband would feel about her working 24-

hour shifts and inquired about child care arrangements for her son (Lindemann et al.,

2015). This is an example of inappropriate questions that cannot be asked, as it is not

related to the candidate’s qualifications, skills, or experience.

Legal exposure also can result due to company requirements that inadvertently

conflict with a candidate’s protected status. In Equal Employment Opportunity

Commission v. Abercrombie & Fitch Stores, Inc., the Supreme Court ruled against the

employer for failure to accommodate a job applicant who wore a hijab, a veil covering

the head and chest that some Muslim women outside their homes as a form of modest

attire (Glasse, 2001). In this case, the employer declined to hire complainant Samantha

Elauf as a sales associate because her hijab violated the company's look policy, which at

the time prohibited employees from wearing head coverings (Levine, 2015). Although

Elauf was not informed of the look policy, she believed she was not selected because of

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her religious beliefs. Abercrombie argued that it was up to the applicant to request an

accommodation for religious reasons, which under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act,

employers must provide reasonable accommodation without undue hardship.

Nevertheless, the Supreme Court ruled that it is the employer’s responsibility to provide

an accommodation even when a candidate does not ask for one.

These cases demonstrate the criticality that employers’ hiring practices align with

employment law. Moreover, the cost of terminations (and possibly the cost of lawsuits

concerning alleged wrongful terminations) may also be mitigated through improved

hiring practices that better distinguish qualified applicants. The next section reviews the

components of the talent acquisition process.

Elements of a Talent Acquisition Process

The typical talent acquisition process in a medium to large organization involves

numerous steps, beginning with the hiring manager identifying job opening (Taylor &

Kleiner, 2000). Next, human resources personnel meets the with hiring manager to write

job description and then classifies the job according to internal job classification

standards. A requisition is opened for approval at all levels, including next level manager

and finance. The job is then posted on internal and external sites.

The job opening is reviewed by recruiters (Taylor & Kleiner, 2000). Recruiters

may be internal or external to the organization (Mooney, 2002; Taylor & Kleiner, 2000;

Wang & Kleiner, 2002). The recruiter retrieves the resumes of potential candidates and

ranks these according to the required job qualifications. The recruiter and hiring manager

review the resumes and determine which candidates to pre-screen.

The recruiter pre-screens candidates and then forwards to the hiring manager

those candidates who meet defined criteria (e.g., salary range, experience, qualifications).

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Screening is important to assure that the best employee for the position is selected and

hired (Wang & Kleiner, 2002). The recruiter schedules candidates for the hiring manager

to interview (Taylor & Kleiner, 2000). The hiring manager interviews the candidates and

forwards to the next-level manager those candidates he or she believes are the best fit for

the organization.

The next-level manager reviews and then approves or disapproves the candidates

selected by the hiring manager. Candidates who are identified as meeting the criteria or

being a fit are then scheduled to meet with others from the department or from internal

client groups.

Once a candidate is selected, it is essential to perform a detailed background

investigation, which could include checking the candidate’s criminal history; verifying

his or her social security number, identification, driver’s license, education, employment,

and any professional licenses; checking his or her personal credit history; reviewing his

or her military discharge records; and conducting drug testing (Caudron, 2002; Lavashina

& Campion, 2009). Another important aspect of screening is thoroughly checking one’s

references (Lavashina & Campion, 2009). For positions in the financial industry,

candidates may undergo even further testing (Wang & Kleiner, 2002). Once the candidate

passes the background screening, he or she typically is hired.

Screening potential and current employees is critical to safeguarding the company

and its ongoing existence and success. However, research by the Society for Human

Resource Management (SHRM, 2011) suggests that few employers conduct what might

be considered adequate screening: 53% of respondents stated they do not conduct credit

checks and 14% do not conduct a criminal background check. Absence of adequate

screening and vetting processes increases organizations’ legal exposure, which can

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become quite costly in terms of its financial bottom-line, reputation, performance, and

morale.

Governing Laws

Organizations must comply with numerous employment and labor laws.

Moreover, new laws are made and court decisions continue to be set, making the task of

legal compliance an ongoing challenge. For example, recently passed legislation often

referred to as Ban the Box prohibits employers from inquiring about an applicant's

criminal history on an application for employment (Mora, Fliegel, & Travers, 2013). The

law provides employment-related protection for ex-offenders and provides ex-offenders

with an avenue to re-enter the workforce. Specifically, the law requires employers to

inquire about criminal history only late in the process, after the decision has been made to

interview or extend a conditional job offer to the applicant (Minnesota Department of

Human Rights, 2013). Ban the Box legislation is currently in effect in

Massachusetts, California, Colorado, Connecticut, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Rhode

Island and in the following cities: Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Boston,

Massachusetts; Atlantic City and Newark, New Jersey; San Francisco, California; and

Detroit, Michigan. At least 43 cities and/or counties have additionally passed Ban the

Box legislation.

The intention of these and other laws is to offer fair and equal access to

candidates. The Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures apply to all

selection procedures used to make employment decisions, including interviews, review of

experience or education from application forms, work samples, physical requirements,

and evaluations of performance. The guidelines are designed to aid in the achievement of

the United States goal of equal employment opportunity without discrimination on the

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grounds of race, color, sex, religion or national origin (Lindemann et al., 2014). The

overlaying principle in the Uniform Guidelines is the use of tests and other selection

procedures by employers and it provides a framework for determining the proper use of

the test and other selection procedures without creating an adverse impact.

Adverse impact occurs when a decision, practice, or policy has a

disproportionately negative effect on a protected group. Adverse Impact may be

unintentional (Performance Programs Inc, 2015). Adverse impact occurs when an

employer makes a decision that impacts employment decision that is governed by an

employment law, hence the importance of reviewing the adverse impact of the proposed

assessment to be used by employers if they elect to replace the human factor with

assessments. The Guidelines require employers to have a selection process that is fair and

a proper use of testing or assessment tools without creating an adverse impact.

Employment, labor and privacy laws are implemented and overseen by the U.S.

Department of Labor (Ferguson, 2009). These laws aim to prohibit discrimination against

any applicant based on gender, race, sexual orientation, national origin, color, disability,

or personal practices. Employers often create best practices concerning standards of

conduct and ethics to avoid discrimination on these grounds (Lindemann et al., 2014).

Table 1 describes the predominant employment laws governing the hiring process.

It is important to note that privacy matters are, by nature, a topic that is broad in

scope. Privacy, as defined in the present research project, concerns candidates’ drug

testing, criminal history, posting on social media sites, credit reports, hair and dress, and

off-duty conduct. Privacy is a topic of rapidly growing relevance, given the ubiquity of

social media. Although employers should not ask for access to candidates’ social media

sites and research into candidates’ postings on social media sites should be done with

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utmost care, employers are reportedly reviewing and making hiring and firing decisions

based on these posts (Fair Measures, 1997-2015). This can dramatically increase

employers’ legal exposure, as searching for candidates on social media can lead them to

discover information about candidates’ protected conditions and statuses in this way,

creating grounds for a lawsuit. Attorneys predict that privacy will surpass wrongful

termination as the leading workplace issue of the 21st century.

Table 1

Laws Governing the Hiring Process

Law Description

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin.

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act

Prohibits employment discrimination based on the applicant being pregnant.

The Equal Pay Act of 1963

Prohibits sex-based wage discrimination between men and women in the same establishment who perform jobs that require substantially equal skill, effort and responsibility under similar working conditions.

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967

Prohibits employment discrimination against persons 40 years of age or older.

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

Prohibits private employers, state and local governments, employment agencies, and labor unions from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities in job application procedures, hiring, firing, advancement, compensation, job training, and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.

The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008

Prohibits discrimination on the basis of genetic information when it comes to any aspect of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoffs, training, fringe benefits, or any other term or condition of employment.

The National Labor Relations Act

Guarantees basic rights of private sector employees to organize into trade unions, engage in collective bargaining for better terms and conditions at work, and take collective action including strike. Any collective bargaining agreements go into effect only once the candidate is hired and becomes an employee under the definition of employee between the union and the employer.

Privacy laws Employers must follow strict guidelines so as not to violate candidates’ privacy.1

1Privacy as defined in the present research project concern candidates’ drug testing, criminal history,

posting on social media sites, credit reports, hair and dress, and off-duty conduct.

Human Bias During Talent Acquisition

Cognitive bias is commonly studied within psychology and economics and refers

to the tendency to think in habitual ways that result in systematic deviations from a

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standard of rationality or good judgment (Kahneman & Tversky, 1972). Some biases are

the results of mental shortcuts people use when processing information and making

decisions or judgments (Baron, 2007; Kahneman & Tversky, 1972). Hilbert (2012) added

that biases may be cold (e.g., resulting from such things as mental noise) and/or hot (e.g.,

resulting from specific motivations such as wishful thinking. Many types of cognitive

biases are relevant to the talent acquisition process, such as choice-supportive bias, which

means the tendency to remember one's choices as better than they actually were (Mather

et al., 2000); confirmation bias, which means the tendency to search for, interpret, focus

on and remember information in a way that confirms one's preconceptions; and the

framing effect, which means drawing different conclusions from the same information,

depending on how that information is presented (Oswald & Grosjean, 2004). These and

other cognitive biases have affected how talent acquisition is conducted.

For example, before the Internet, employers solicited candidates by placing a

classified ad in the local newspaper; this was normally printed on Sundays. Each

classified ad often appeared only once. Once the ad was placed, employers waited for

resumes to come in through regular mail. A recruiter would review and organize the

resumes based on skills, experience, and qualifications. The recruiter would then pre-

screen candidates selected utilizing an internal qualifying methodology. From this pool of

pre-screened candidates, a select number of candidates would be selected for in-person

interviews with the hiring manager or interview committee. Thereafter, a decision to hire

or decline a candidate was made. This entire process is subject to substantial human bias,

from the point at which resumes are manually reviewed and organized, to the interviews,

to the point of the hiring/declination decision.

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With the launch of LinkedIn in 2003 (“LinkedIn,” 2015, p. 1), Monster in 1999

(“Monster.com,” 2015, p. 1) and CareerBuilder in 1995 (“CareerBuilder,” 2015, p. 1), the

sourcing process was streamlined to include a detailed job description, the employer’s

contact information, and a link for candidates to apply. This link led candidates to apply

via a database, which easily stored the candidate's personal information, including

experience, skills, employment history, and contact information. This allowed the

recruiter to easily sort and search for specific qualifications, experience and educational

background on all candidates. The interview process in the Internet era remained pretty

much the same as the pre-Internet era, while claims of harassment and discrimination

have basically remained unchanged. It follows that despite increased efficiency in

advertising job openings, receiving candidate applications, and screening and

categorizing candidates, human bias remains prevalent in the process.

One of the reasons for this is that a key step in the hiring process is the interview.

Hiring managers may err during the interview process by asking the wrong or

inappropriate question, leading the candidates to feel they were not selected because of a

trait they possess that is protected by law, such as religion, age, gender, or other reasons

unrelated to their job qualifications. Miller (2015) asserted that hiring managers often do

make hiring decisions unconsciously “based on similarities that have nothing to do with

the job requirements—like whether an applicant has a friend in common, went to the

same school or likes the same sports” (para. 2).

Not only can these biases result in poor decisions (Baron, 2007; Hilbert, 2012;

Kahneman & Tversky, 1972; Mather et al., 2000; Oswald & Grosjean, 2004); but also,

the legal exposure and potential costs of these errors of bias is immense (Burns, 2012;

Greenhouse, 2012). According to the Center for American Progress, workplace

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discrimination costs employers $64 billion annually (Burns, 2012). For example, in

March 2012, FedEx paid $3 million to settle discrimination claims made by job

applicants (Greenhouse, 2012). The potential for costly bias to seep in to every stage of

the hiring process suggests that employers needs to dramatically reshape how the hiring

process is made.

Human biases can be mitigated during talent acquisition by retrieving and making

use of candidate information available online, in public records, on social media, through

academic and employment records, thus minimizing liability (Miller, 2015). Miller

asserted that the talent acquisition process needs to be automated to remove biases even

further. Miller added that an automated process may be more efficient and effective than

traditional approaches, yielding an improved hiring decision with less legal exposure.

The next section reviews existing talent acquisition process models and also presents the

model proposed in the present study.

Talent Acquisition Process Model

Existing models. Two organizations have become pioneers in the effort to

automate, streamline, and remove biases from the hiring process. One such organization

is Gallup, which has fine-tuned their selection processes to include a proprietary

assessment designed to discover candidates’ qualifications and experiences as well as

their patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behavior that help candidates be productive and

deliver excellent performance. The organization has defined a desired employee profile

using their most successful employees as their guide. The organization explains to

applicants, “Gallup's online assessment helps us learn more about your specific talents in

regard to a particular career path at Gallup” (Gallup, 2015, para. 1). Each applicant is

allowed to complete the assessment only once. Applicants who do not match the desired

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talent profile are not allowed to retake the assessment or proceed in the selection process.

Gallup believes that this process allows them to “more accurately predict your future

success at Gallup . . . [and] understand your talents so we can find the role at Gallup that

gives you the opportunity to do what you do best every day” (para. 1).

SAP is a world leader in enterprise application software that endeavored to design

an algorithm that could replace campus recruiters in the process of attracting qualified

college new hires (Jeffrey & Woolley, 2015). SAP began by mapping out its process of

prescreening candidates. Recruiters utilized a traditional approach of recruiting by

considering which university the candidate was attending along with his or her exam

scores, grade point average projection, and work experience. SAP quickly concluded that

this approach introduced substantial biases. Moreover, the organization suspected that its

best sales candidates may not come from the top universities it traditionally targeted. Its

new aim was to open the doors to all students, regardless of the university they attend.

SAP outlined a new process, which included generating applications through

social media and digital marketing campaigns and then driving those interested applicants

to an online assessment tool (Jeffrey & Woolley, 2015). The process of re-routing of

candidates to online assessments removed recruiters from the time intensive process of

pre-screening and sifting through thousands of resumes.

SAP’s process also included an assessments based on behavioral characteristics

employees need to be successful in the company. Following completion of the 10-minute

cultural assessment and a 20-minute situational judgment assessment, the automated

process delivered deliver real-time pass/fail feedback to candidates. This feature not only

helped removed hiring biases and reduce the time to hire; but it also provides job

applicants with timely information about the status of their candidacy. If the graduates

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passed these assessments, they would then be invited to boot camp, which includes a day

of fun-oriented assessments and opportunities to gain insights about the company.

SAP reported the following successes associated with its automated hiring

process: having 1 million site visitors globally; 50,000 individuals having applied and

started the assessment, making 500 hires globally, receiving zero complaints from

candidates about the experience, estimating $389,000 in cost savings in year 1, and

decreasing the dropout rate from 93% to 25%. SAP concluded that the new direction of

their graduate recruitment represented a strategic change, the process was innovative and

some subject matter experts have referred to the process as “potentially industry

redefining” (Jeffrey & Woolley, 2015). The next section describes the talent acquisition

process model proposed in the present study.

Proposed model. The literature examined and discussed in this chapter has led to

a suggested talent acquisition process model that has been designed and will be validated

using subject matter experts as part of the present study. The process begins with the

employer posting a job followed by five key steps (see Figure 1): (a) the Applicant

Pertinent Information (API) process, (b) personality and behavioral assessment, (c) hard

skills testing, (d) background check, and (e) vetting process. Following each of the first

three steps, a pass/fail decision is made. A Pass means the candidate proceeds to the next

step, whereas a Fail leads to a declination letter being sent.

Candidates who pass the hard skills testing are eligible to receive a job offer. If an

offer is extended and accepted, the candidate proceeds to the fourth step of the

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Figure 1

Proposed Talent Acquisition Process Model

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background check. Candidates who fail this step receive a declination letter, whereas

candidates who pass to employee onboarding.

During and following onboarding, candidates undergo continued vetting to

confirm the accuracy of the information provided by the candidate. At this stage,

employees may be legally terminated for falsification of records (Guerin & Nolo, 2015).

For example, candidates may be fired for failing to list a previous employer on a resume,

failing to admit to being terminated, failing to reveal a prior felony conviction, or lying

about their education and experience on a job application. Candidates who pass this step

continue in their positions for the remainder of a 90-day probationary period, at which

time they undergo a performance evaluation. Candidates who fail the performance

evaluation are terminated for poor performance while candidates who pass this phase

proceed into the next phase of employment, at which point the model concludes. The

following sections describe the steps in this process.

Applicant pertinent information. The first step, Collecting API, would involve

gathering the information necessary for the employer to reach a decision on whether or

not to hire a candidate, including the candidate’s resume; educational, military, and

employment history; credit score; criminal background; and application for employment

(see Appendix A). A third party or internal recruiter may help collect and verify this

information.

Personality and behavioral assessment. The Hogan Personality Inventory would

be used to assess candidates. The Hogan Personality Inventory identifies the qualities that

describes how the candidates relate to others when they are at their best (Performance

Programs Inc., 2015). The assessment is written at a fourth-grade reading level, consists

of 206 true-false questions and is organized into 15 scales, including Adjustment,

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Ambition, Sociability, Interpersonal Sensitivity, relationships, Prudence, Inquisitive,

Learning Approach, and occupational scales that predict performance in a specific roles

such as: Service Orientation, Stress Tolerance, Reliability, Clerical Potential, Sales

Potential, and Managerial Potential. The assessment is administered online and takes 15-

20 minutes to complete. Scoring and reporting are instantaneous. The instrument has

been normed on more than 500,000 working adults worldwide and validated for more

than 200 occupations covering all major industries.

The employer may define a profile of low, medium, and high performers in the

organization based on assessment results, thus allowing for better decision making based

on the Hogan assessment results. Figure 2 shows an example of this type of decision

making. The area in green displays the scores low performers reported for 10

competencies, whereas red indicates the average (minimally acceptable) performers, and

blue depicts the competencies of high performers. Each candidate’s scores could be

plotted on this graph to offer a prediction of his or her own future performance at the

company. This approach is similar to that of Gallup’s (2015) process described earlier in

this chapter.

Figure 2

Evaluation of Employee Assessment Scores

20

Hard skills testing. A common hiring practice is to test candidates’ skills to

assure they possess the abilities required in the job. Specific tests used in this phase

would vary based on the job requirements, but may include communication, reading,

language, and technical skills testing.

Background check. The background check, which by law is not conducted until

after the employer has made an offer of employment, typically is performed by a third

party. This phase typically involves gathering, verifying, and reporting the candidate’s

criminal and credit history as well as places of residence, department of motor vehicle

records, and presence on any sex offender registries.

Vetting process. Vetting occurs after employee onboarding and involves further

verification of the information the candidate provided during the hiring process. For

example, age is derived from the I-9 form that must be filled out to legally work in the

U.S. From this, employers can deduce whether the candidate’s claims related to their

years of experience and legal right to work in the U.S. are valid.

Social media check. Although employers are increasingly using applicants' social

media postings to inform their hiring decisions, the talent acquisition process model

advises employers to refrain from asking for access to candidates' social media accounts,

as the law prohibits this. At most, social media research on candidates should be

delegated to a third party that removes any revealing information about candidates'

protected classifications (e.g., race, age, disability).

Legal compliance. The hiring process is heavily scrutinized and regulated.

Throughout this process, organizations are highly vulnerable to legal exposure.

Therefore, it was essential to assure that the proposed model satisfied existing rules and

21

regulations. Table 2 presents the outcome of this analysis. As the table shows, the

proposed model does not violate any U.S. employment, labor, or privacy laws.

Table 2

Process Compliance with Laws Governing the Hiring Process

Law Applicant Pertinent Information

Assessment Background Check Vetting Process

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

No data are gathered regarding the candidate’s race, color, religion, etc.

Assessment does not create an adverse impact against any persons in protected classes

Check not performed until after offer is made

Vetting not performed until after employee is hired

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act

No data are gathered regarding the candidate’s pregnancy status

The Equal Pay Act of 1963

Salary history is not reviewed or verified until after an offer is extended

Salary history is not gathered as part of this process

Candidate must agree to have salary history verified as part of employment verification process

Salary history is not gathered as part of this process

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967

Age is not gathered in this step Age is gathered and verified only after employee has been hired

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

No data are gathered regarding the candidate’s disability status, although API does ask about accommodations candidate would need

No data are gathered regarding the candidate’s disability status

Any information about candidate’s disability status may be uncovered by third party and not shared with employer

Disability status may learned about only after employee has been hired

The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008

No genetic information is gathered from the candidate

Drug testing is performed by a third party and no further genetic information is gathered from the candidate

No genetic information is gathered from the candidate

The National Labor Relations Act

No data about candidate’s past or present union affiliations or labor activities are gathered

Privacy laws No protected data is gathered from the candidate

Personal information (e.g., credit history) is gathered and reviewed by a third party. Details are not shared with employer. These checks are performed only after an offer of employment is extended.

No protected data is gathered from the candidate

Note: Hard Skills Testing is not presented in this table, as it is a standard step in the process and only tests job-related capabilities. Employers also are advised to refrain from asking for access to candidates’ social media sites or reviewing or gather candidate’s social media content to avoid legal exposure by learning about candidates’ protected statuses.

22

The proposed talent acquisition process model is anticipated to mitigate the

impact of human bias during hiring process and improve the hiring decision, while

decreasing legal exposure, hiring costs, and time to fill positions. The next chapter

describes the methods that were used to validate this proposed model.

23

Chapter 3

Methods




and research and was presented in Chapter 2. This chapter describes the methods used in

the study. The research design along with the procedures related to participant selection,

data collection, and data analysis are discussed.

Research Design

This study employed a qualitative research interviewing design. A 24-question

interview script was used to gather participants' perceptions of a proposed hiring model,

which the researcher created based on a review of literature.

Participants

A combination of criterion and convenience sampling strategies were used to

recruit participants for this study. Selection criteria were as follows:

1. Participant held a legal, talent acquisition, employee relations, performance management, or operations management role. This criterion was created to assure that the participant is familiar with the rules, regulations, and procedures that govern and shape hiring practices.

2. Participant held a generalist, human resources manager, director, vice president, or executive level position. This criterion was created to assure that the participant had sufficient responsibility, influence, and visibility to anticipate the possible impacts of the model if used for hiring.

3. Participant had been in his or her position (or similar one) for at least 3 years. This criterion was established to assure that the participant had sufficient experience in the role to anticipate the possible impacts of the model if used for hiring.

24

To begin participant selection, the researcher listed 20 potential interview

participants from within his organization who were believed to satisfy the selection

criteria. An email (see Appendix B) was sent to all prospective participants that explained

the proposed talent acquisition model and the purpose of the research and invited them to

take part in the study. When a prospective participant contacted the researcher, he

confirmed that the individual satisfied the selection criteria and then scheduled a

telephone interview. Of the 20 invitations issued, 10 individuals responded and

completed an interview.

It is important to note that convenience sampling, as used in this study, limits the

scope and range of perspectives only to those found within the researcher's organization

and, furthermore, to those known to the researcher. This may result in findings that are

only applicable to the study organization or to the perspectives of the individuals

involved in the study, thus limiting the transferability of the findings (Glesne, 1999).

Data Collection

Interviews were conducted in person or using WebEx to gather participants'

perspectives about the model regarding its viability for use in their organization. The

interview began with the researcher reiterating the purpose of the study, presenting the

proposed hiring model, the employment application that would be used as part of the

process, and the list of the laws that the model was intended to satisfy. This information,

as presented to participants, is outlined in Appendix C.

Following presentation of the model and supporting information, an interview

script (see Appendix D) was used to gather data. Interviewees were asked about three

topics:

25

1. Problems experienced with current hiring practices. Interviewees were asked eight questions to solicit information about the problems they currently experience during the hiring process. These questions tested for interviewees' awareness of the human errors that can affect the hiring process. For example, Question 4 asked, “As a manager have you ever asked the wrong question or by mistake ask a question that is not appropriate?” Question 8 additionally gauged participants' receptiveness to forgoing interviews as a part of the hiring process.

2. Validity of process proposed in model. Eleven questions were posed to gather participants' evaluation of the validity of the proposed process, relative to applicant information to be gathered, the vetting process, incorporation of social media, incorporation of assessments, compliance with laws, and overall timing and sequencing. For example, Question 18 asked, “Do you agree with the model as mapped is accurate of the talent acquisition process?”

3. Perceived value of and intent to use proposed model. Participants were asked five questions to evaluate whether they found the model valuable and whether they would use it, if available. For example, Question 24 asked, “If given the opportunity, would you implement such a model in your organization?”

Data Analysis Procedures

Participants' responses were recorded using typewritten notes. The number of

affirmative and negative answers was recorded for each answer. Descriptive responses

were analyzed using the following steps, based on Creswell (2009):

1. The researcher read the notes from all the interviews for each question to review the range and depth of data gathered.

2. The researcher created a start list of codes that appeared to reflect the data in the interview notes.

3. Interview notes were coded to reflect which phrases and sentences fit with which codes.

4. Following coding, the codes were reviewed for fit and power. Codes that were lightly used, not used at all, or whose wording did not appear to best reflect the data were revised and the interview notes were recoded accordingly.

Summary

This study utilized a qualitative research interviewing design. A 24-question

interview script was used to gather participants' perceived problems with the hiring

26

process, validity of the proposed process, and value of and intent to use the model, if

available. Ten participants from the study organization were interviewed who held a

legal, talent acquisition, employee relations, performance management, or operations

management role were interviewed. The next chapter reports the results.

27

Chapter 4

Results




and research and was presented in Chapter 2. The process was presented to legal,

management, and hiring professionals and they were interviewed with respect to three

research questions:




This chapter reports the results of the study. Participant demographics are presented first,

followed by a report of the interview findings.

Participant Demographics

Ten participants (five male, five female) were interviewed for this research. All

participants were located in North America and worked for the study organization.

Participants had substantial experience, ranging from 5 to 30 years (M = 22.5, SD = 8.9).

Five participants were from human resources and were involved in sourcing and selecting

candidates, four were in operations and assumed the role of hiring manager when filling

positions, and one was from the legal department and fulfilled the aim of providing legal

counsel regarding employment law. Participant demographics are presented in Table 3.

28

Table 3

Participant Demographics

Gender Ethnicity Position Years Experience

Hiring Responsibility: Sourcing and Selecting Candidates

Female White Human resources manager 25

Female White Certified professional in human resources 30

Male White Chief human resources officer 30

Female Hispanic Human resources manager 15

Female African American

Human resources generalist 5

Hiring Responsibility: Hiring Manager

Male East Indian Vice president manufacturing operations 25

Male White Chief operating officer of manufacturing operations

20

Female African American

Manufacturing supervisor 30

Male East Indian Director of manufacturing 30

Hiring Responsibility: Provide Legal Counsel

Male African American

General counsel 15

Interview Findings

Problems experienced with current hiring practices. Interviewees were asked

eight questions to solicit information about the problems they currently experience during

the hiring process. Results for these questions are presented in Table 4 Participants

answered three questions unanimously and affirmatively. They agreed that employers

may terminate the employment relationship for falsifying records, that interviews should

not be mandated, and that they have observed operations managers asking wrong

questions. Similarly, 80% reported having experienced hiring managers misbehave or act

inappropriately during an interview. The least endorsed questions were those that asked

participants to admit their own mistakes of asking wrong questions or lengthening the

29

interview process to too many interviews. Only half the sample answered these items

affirmatively.

Table 4

Perceived Problems with Current Hiring Practices

Question Yes No No

response

1. As an HR professional have you experienced any operations manager asking the wrong question or information that is not pertinent?

10 (100%)

0 (0%)

7. As a professional, do you agree that an employer may terminate the employment relationship for falsifying records?

10 (100%)

0 (0%)

8. Do you agree that employment and labor laws do not mandate the employer to interview a candidate?

10 (100%)

0 (0%)

2. Have you experienced any hiring manager misbehave or act inappropriately during an interview?

8 (80%)

0 (0%)

2 (20%)

3. Have you ever had to defend a hiring decision you made or one of your hiring managers?

7 (70%)

3 (30%)

5. In your experience have you ever experienced a lengthy interview process?

7 (70%)

3 (30%)

4. As a manager have you ever asked the wrong question or by mistake ask a question that is not appropriate?

5 (50%)

5 (50%)

6. In your experience have you ever been responsible for lengthening the interview process to too many interviews?

5 (50%)

5 (50%)

Validity of process proposed in model. Eleven questions were posed to gather

participants' evaluation of the validity of the proposed process, relative to applicant

information to be gathered, the vetting process, incorporation of social media,

incorporation of assessments, compliance with laws, and overall timing and sequencing.

Results for these questions are presented in Table 5 Participants unanimously and

affirmatively answered 8 of the 11 questions. However, regarding legal compliance,

participants responded, “I'm not a lawyer,” “I cannot tell you it cannot be challenged,”

“That's a lot of laws,” and “Makes sense.” Regarding use of social media, open-ended

comments included, “I don't have time to check social media,” and “People have to be

30

careful what they post.” Regarding assessments, one participant stated, “We need that

here,” while another asked, “Do they take long?” Regarding the vetting process, one

participant shared, “We don't do that once people start.” Regarding the overall process,

operations managers stated they never knew so much went into considering whether or

not to hire an applicant.

Eighty percent of participants reported having experience with Hogan

Assessments. In contrast, only 40% reported receiving an invite via social media sites

from candidates during the talent acquisition process and 20% reported receiving social

media invites from possible candidates even when there was no opening posted.

Table 5

Validity of Proposed Model

Question Yes No

9. In the model, I outlined the "Applicant Pertinent Information" process, do you agree with the data to be collected at this juncture is sufficient in making a hiring decision?

10 (100%)

0 (0%)

10. Do you agree with the vetting process as proposed in the model? 10 (100%)

0 (0%)

11. Do you "Google" for any history on any candidate being considered for employment?

10 (100%)

0 (0%)

12. Have you received an invite via social media sites from candidates during the talent acquisition process?

4 (40%)

6 (60%)

13. Have you ever received social media invites from possible candidates even when there was no opening posted?

2 (20%)

8 (80%)

14. Do you have any experience with Hogan Assessments? 8 (80%)

2 (20%)

15. In your opinion does the subjective criteria match what Hogan Assessments' HPI model assesses?

10 (100%)

0 (0%)

16. Have you utilized assessments to assist you in making a hiring decision?

10 (100%)

0 (0%)

17. Do you agree that the background checks are at the right juncture in the mapped process of the mode?

10 (100%)

0 (0%)

18. Do you agree with the model as mapped is accurate of the talent acquisition process?

10 (100%)

0 (0%)

19. Do you agree that all applicable and employment and labor laws were considered in validating the proposed model?

10 (100%)

0 (0%)

31

Perceived value of and intent to use proposed model. Participants were asked

five questions to evaluate whether they found the model valuable and whether they would

use it, if available. Results for these questions are presented in Table 6 Participants

unanimously agreed they would like the report elements related to social media and

assessment findings and further agreement that the proposed assessment may substitute

the human factor piece. Although 80% agreed the model presented expedites the talent

acquisition process, only 40% agreed they would implement such a model in their

organization. Importantly, the human resources participants additionally expressed the

belief that the proposed process could work well for entry-level, unskilled, and intern

positions that do not require interviews, but that it would not be appropriate for director,

manager, supervisor, and lead roles. Roles that may be effectively filled using this model

include such positions as hotel-housekeeper, manufacturing-operator, retail-retail sales

agent, and customer service agent. Open-ended comments about the model in included

that it was “unusual” and, conversely, “very interesting.” Another asked why this model

was created, while another asked what levels it would be applied to.

Table 6

Perceived Value and Intent to Use Proposed Model

Question Yes No

20. Would you welcome a report summarizing social media findings as part of the items that make up the talent acquisition decision making process?

10 (100%)

0 (0%)

21. Do you agree that the proposed assessment may substitute the human factor piece?

10 (100%)

0 (0%)

22. Would you welcome an assessment report detailing the subjective criteria outlined in Hogan Assessments' HPI model?

10 (100%)

0 (0%)

23. Do you agree that the model presented expedites the talent acquisition process?

8 (80%)

2 (20%)

24. If given the opportunity, would you implement such a model in your organization?

4 (40%)

6 (60%)

32

Summary

Ten experienced human resources, management, and legal professionals were

interviewed for this research. Participants agreed that employers may terminate the

employment relationship for falsifying records and that interviews should not be

mandated. They also agreed that operations managers and hiring managers ask wrong

questions or otherwise act inappropriately during interviews. Participants agreed that the

process was valid, although operations managers stated they never knew so much went

into considering whether or not to hire an applicant and only 20-40% of participants had

received social media invitations from candidates before or during the hiring process.

Participants expressed interest in the outputs of the process (e.g., social media reports,

assessment findings) and 80% agreed the model could expedite the talent acquisition

process. However, only 40% agreed they would implement such a model in their

organization. Importantly, the human resources participants additionally expressed the

belief that the proposed process could work well for entry-level, unskilled, and intern

positions that do not require interviews, but that it would not be appropriate for director,

manager, supervisor, and lead roles. The next chapter provides a discussion of the results.

33

Chapter 5

Discussion




and research and was presented in Chapter 2. The process was presented to legal,

management, and hiring professionals and they were interviewed with respect to three

research questions:




This chapter provides a discussion of the study findings. Key findings and conclusions

are presented first, followed by recommendations for the study organization. Limitations

of the study are then acknowledged and suggestions for continued research are offered.

The chapter closes with a summary.

Conclusions

Participants generally agreed that problems and opportunities for improvement

exist with current hiring practices, as assessed by the interview. For example, participants

agreed that interviews should not be mandated. They also agreed that operations

managers and hiring managers ask wrong questions or otherwise act inappropriately

during interviews. These opportunities for error could be dramatically reduced through

34

the use of the proposed model. Moreover, by reducing the human involvement in the

process, time to hire and hiring costs also may be reduced.

Participants agreed that the process was valid, although operations managers

stated they never knew so much went into considering whether or not to hire an applicant

and only 20-40% of participants had received social media invitations from candidates

before or during the hiring process. Based on these results, it appears that use of the

process may help increase the quality of the hiring decision.

Participants expressed interest in the outputs of the process (e.g., social media

reports, assessment findings) and 80% agreed the model could expedite the talent

acquisition process. However, only 40% agreed they would implement such a model in

their organization. Specifically, participants expressed the belief that the proposed

process could work well for entry-level, unskilled, and intern positions that do not require

interviews, but that it would not be appropriate for director, manager, supervisor, and

lead roles. These results indicate that the process may have limited applicability in the

study organization. For example, roles that may be effectively filled using this model

include such positions as hotel-housekeeper, manufacturing-operator, retail-retail sales

agent, and customer service agent (see Appendix E).

Limitations

Certain limitations affected the present study and need to be acknowledged. First,

the sample size was small; therefore, the findings might not be representative of those of

other hiring, operations, and legal professionals within or outside the study organization.

Second, the data were limited to self-report bias; thus, participants may have consciously

or subconsciously told the researcher what they believed he wanted to hear or provided

answers to present a positive image of themselves. For example, the least endorsed

35

questions were those that asked participants to admit their own mistakes of asking wrong

questions or lengthening the interview process to too many interviews.

Recommendations and Suggestions for Research

Despite the initial positive findings generated in this study, the organization’s

culture and practices as well as hiring professionals’ openness to the new process should

be evaluated before attempting to implement it. For example, an industry norm is for

hiring and recruitment managers to hold in-person interviews to assess candidates’ skills,

traits, and qualifications of candidates (Sahay, 2015). Therefore, personnel involved in

the hiring process may be resistant to letting an assessment tool make hiring decisions.

Additionally, although participants believed the process model satisfied existing

regulations governing the hiring process, it is important for a more thorough legal review

to be conducted before implementing the process to identify possible legal exposure

introduced by the model. Moreover, employment laws are created and updated on an

ongoing basis through legislation and court decisions; therefore, the process should be

subjected to periodic review to assure that it continues to be legally defensible.

A third recommendation is to pilot the process in small business units, particularly

with regard to entry-level, intern, and unskilled positions, as identified by participants.

Conducting small pilots of the process will allow the organization to identify issues and

continually improve it so that it indeed satisfies the aims of reducing hiring costs and

improving the hiring decision.

Summary



hiring decisions. Ten hiring, management, and legal professionals reviewed the model

36

and provided comments regarding existing problems undermine current hiring processes,

and perceived validity and value of the proposed talent acquisition model.

Participants agreed that problems exist in the current process relative to human

bias. They also agreed that the process was valid and could expedite the talent acquisition

process. However, only 40% agreed they would implement such a model in their

organization. Human resources participants believed the proposed process could work for

entry-level, unskilled, and intern positions that do not require interviews, but that it would

not be appropriate for director, manager, supervisor, and lead roles. Based on these

results, organizations are advised to evaluate organizational readiness for implementing

the model; conduct an initial thorough and ongoing periodic review of the model to

assure it satisfies U.S. employment, labor, and privacy laws; and begin piloting the

process in small business units.

37

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Appendix A: Sample Employment Application

APPLICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT

I understand that the organization will rely, in part, on the information I provide in this

Application in considering whether to hire me. I understand that it is important that I

provide complete and accurate information and certify that I have done so. If the

organization discovers at any time that I have failed to completely and honestly provide

any information requested of me in this Employment Application or during the interview

process. I understand that my application will no longer be considered or, if I am

working for the organization, that I will be subjected to disciplinary action, up to and

including termination of employment.

The organization is committed to compliance with the provisions of this nation's

immigration laws regarding verification of employment eligibility. Any offer of

employment will be contingent upon your ability to provide legally sufficient

documentation showing your eligibility to be employed by the organization. Applicants or

employees that present fraudulent documents for employment verification purposes will

be terminated.

I authorize the organization to contact anyone that it deems appropriate to verify the

information I have provided or to further investigate my background, past performance

and suitability for employment. I consent to being discussed by any person contacted by

the organization and waive all rights to bring any action for defamation, invasion of

privacy or any similar claim against anyone that provides information to the

organization with a good faith belief that the information provided is true. I understand

that the organization may choose to obtain background information about me from a

consumer-reporting agency. Before requesting a report from a consumer-reporting

agency, the organization will ask for my authorization. I understand that if I provide such

authorization, my application for employment will not be considered.

[Company] is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against otherwise qualified applicants on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, age, sex, marital status, national origin, disability or handicap, or veteran status.

41

PERSONAL: Name ____________________________________Date __________ Last First Middle Address _______________________________________________________ Number & Street City State Zip Code Position Sought ____________________ _ Full Time _Part Time Date Available _____Salary Desired ____ Phone Number _______ Social Security Number ___________ Are you over 18 years old? __ Yes __ No Are you legally eligible for employment in the USA? _Yes _ No (If offered employment, you will be required to provide documentation to verify eligibility.)

EDUCATION: Please indicate education or training which you believe qualifies you for the position you are seeking. High School: No. of Yrs Completed (circle one) 1 2 3 4 Diploma: __ Yes __ No G.E.D.: __ Yes __ No School(s) __________________ City/State ____________________

College and/or Vocational School: Number of Years Completed (circle one) 1 2 3 4 School(s) ___________________ City/State____________________ Major ____________________ Degrees Earned ____________________

Other Training or Degrees: School(s) ___________________ City/State ____________________ Course ____________ Degree or Certificate Earned ______________

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PROFESSIONAL LICENSE OR MEMBERSHIP: Type of License(s)Held______________________________ State of Virginia License Number ______________________ License Expiration Date _____________________________ Other Professional Memberships ______________________ (You need not disclose membership in professional organizations that may reveal information regarding race, color, creed, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, veteran status or any other protected status.) This application for employment is good for 30 days only. Consideration for employment after 30 days requires a new application. SKILLS : Office: Data Entry/ __ Excel or Typewriter _____ wpm. __ Lotus 1 ,2,3 __ CRT __ Other: Word Processing __ WordPerfect __ MSWord Other ____ Other Software Skills ___________________________________ Have you ever been employed in any facility of [Company]? __ Yes __ No If so, please state facility name and location and dates of employment ______________________________

EMPLOYMENT: List last employer first, including U.S. Military Service. May we contact your present employer? ____ Yes ____ No If any employment was under a different name, indicate name_____________ Employer ____________________ Address _________________________ Telephone _______________ Position _______________ Dates of Employment: From _____ To _____ Mo/Yr Mo/Yr Salary __________ Supervisor __________ Department __________ Duties _________________________________ FT __ PT __ No. of Hrs.___ Reason for Leaving ________________________________________

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Employer _______________ Address _________________________ Telephone _______________ Position ________________________ Dates of Employment: From _____ To _____ Mo/Yr Mo/Yr Salary ________ Supervisor ____________ Department __________ Duties _________________________________ FT __ PT __ No. of Hrs.___ Reason for Leaving _____________________________________ Employer ________________Address ______________________ Telephone _______________ Position _______________ Dates of Employment: From _____ To _____ Mo/Yr Mo/Yr Salary __________ Supervisor __________ Department __________ Duties _________________________________ FT __ PT __ No. of Hrs.___ Reason for Leaving ________________________________________ Employer ________________Address _________________________ Telephone _______________ Position _______________ Dates of Employment: From _____ To _____ Mo/Yr Mo/Yr Salary __________ Supervisor __________ Department __________ Duties ____________________________ FT __ PT __ No. of Hrs.___ Reason for Leaving ________________________________________ If you wish to describe additional work experience, attach the above information for each position on a separate piece of paper. Explain any gaps in work history: _____________________________

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Have you ever been discharged or asked to resign from a job? __Yes __No If yes, explain: ___________________________________________

REFERENCES:

Professional Personal

Name ____________________ Address ___________________ Phone (_____)_____________

Name ____________________ Address ___________________ ___________________ Phone (_____)_____________

Name ___________________ Address ___________________ ___________________ Phone (_____)_____________

Name ____________________ Address ___________________ ____________________ Phone (_____)______________

APPLICANT'S CERTIFICATION AND AGREEMENT

This sample application for employment is courtesy of OSI Systems, Inc.

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Appendix B: Study Invitation

From: Jose Fiallos Date Sent: [date] To: [Participant Name] Subject: Request for Interview: Thesis, The Future of Processing Human Resources Hello everyone as you may recall for the past two years I have been attending Pepperdine University's Graziadio of School Business in my pursuit of my Masters Degree in Organizational Development (MSOD). My last step in completing the requirements for my MSOD is the completion of my thesis and I have identified you as someone whose opinion I value in validating my research and your level of experience is certainly appropriate to provide me with feedback on my proposed models. My thesis is based on my twenty five plus years of experience in the Human Resources profession and I have built a model for how employers may process human resources (people) into (Talent Acquisition) the organization without having to interview the candidate. The purpose of my thesis is to design a model that will allow employers to minimize risk in this step of the employee life cycle as in 2013 employers spent $64 billion in settling and managing harassment and discrimination claims and it is my opinion that most of these claims derive from three phases of the employee life cycle, the Talent Acquisition, Promotion and Termination process. These phases have one common thread, people. People making the decision, determining the subjective aspects and perhaps misrepresenting the employer. Again, your experience is invaluable in proving that the proposed Talent Acquisition model can be implemented and will contribute to the future success of the Human Resources profession and the effectiveness & design of an organization. The results of my interviews will be shared with all interviewees and please know that all information gathered will be aggregated to describe the findings as a whole and will not be attributed to any individual response you may provide. I will follow up with you shortly or please feel free to reach out to me to schedule a time that is best suitable for both of us. Thank you in advance for your time and participation in my research. Sincerely, Jose Fiallos

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Appendix C: Participant Pre-Interview Presentation

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this thesis is to build a model of how employers may process human resources (candidates) in the near future. The talent acquisition phase is one of the most scrutinized decisions an employer can make under the law and the one that begins the employment relationship and it is crucial in establishing the employer as a leader in its field and to a candidate what they experience in this process is a deciding factor on whether they will join the organization or not. The model is based on my 25+ years of experience in the human resources field. The model focuses on Talent Acquisition process of the employee lifecycle and the data available to employers to reach a decision at this juncture of the hiring phase. The data includes employment history, references, public & educational background information, credit and social media history. In addition, included in the model is a review of how employment & labor laws “fit” within the proposed model and their impact. The “Fit” validates whether it is feasible to remove the “Human Factor” piece out of the decision making process in the proposed model. The model outlines how employers can minimize risk in harassment and discrimination claims and demonstrates how all of this information can derive from one source to build an Applicant Pertinent Information (API) profile which will streamline the decision making process and minimize risk. The source of the API profile may be through a third party or the role of the internal recruiter may evolve into a “Fact Finder” role as it is become more and more crucial to hire the right person and in a timely manner.

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THE HIRING PROCESS MODEL

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APPLICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT

I understand that the organization will rely, in part, on the information I provide in this

Application in considering whether to hire me. I understand that it is important that I provide

complete and accurate information and certify that I have done so. If the organization discovers

at any time that I have failed to completely and honestly provide any information requested of me

in this Employment Application or during the interview process. I understand that my

application will no longer be considered or, if I am working for the organization, that I will be

subjected to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

The organization is committed to compliance with the provisions of this nation's immigration

laws regarding verification of employment eligibility. Any offer of employment will be contingent

upon your ability to provide legally sufficient documentation showing your eligibility to be

employed by the organization. Applicants or employees that present fraudulent documents for

employment verification purposes will be terminated.

I authorize the organization to contact anyone that it deems appropriate to verify the information

I have provided or to further investigate my background, past performance and suitability for

employment. I consent to being discussed by any person contacted by the organization and waive

all rights to bring any action for defamation, invasion of privacy or any similar claim against

anyone that provides information to the organization with a good faith belief that the information

provided is true. I understand that the organization may choose to obtain background

information about me from a consumer-reporting agency. Before requesting a report from a

consumer-reporting agency, the organization will ask for my authorization. I understand that if I

provide such authorization, my application for employment will not be considered.

[Company] is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against otherwise qualified applicants on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, age, sex, marital status, national origin, disability or handicap, or veteran status.

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PERSONAL: Name ____________________________________Date __________ Last First Middle Address _______________________________________________________ Number & Street City State Zip Code Position Sought ____________________ _ Full Time _Part Time Date Available _____Salary Desired ____ Phone Number _______ Social Security Number ___________ Are you over 18 years old? __ Yes __ No Are you legally eligible for employment in the USA? _Yes _ No (If offered employment, you will be required to provide documentation to verify eligibility.)

EDUCATION: Please indicate education or training which you believe qualifies you for the position you are seeking. High School: No. of Yrs Completed (circle one) 1 2 3 4 Diploma: __ Yes __ No G.E.D.: __ Yes __ No School(s) __________________ City/State ____________________

College and/or Vocational School: Number of Years Completed (circle one) 1 2 3 4 School(s) ___________________ City/State____________________ Major ____________________ Degrees Earned ____________________

Other Training or Degrees: School(s) ___________________ City/State ____________________ Course ____________ Degree or Certificate Earned ______________

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PROFESSIONAL LICENSE OR MEMBERSHIP: Type of License(s)Held______________________________ State of Virginia License Number ______________________ License Expiration Date _____________________________ Other Professional Memberships ______________________ (You need not disclose membership in professional organizations that may reveal information regarding race, color, creed, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, veteran status or any other protected status.) This application for employment is good for 30 days only. Consideration for employment after 30 days requires a new application. SKILLS : Office: Data Entry/ __ Excel or Typewriter _____ wpm. __ Lotus 1 ,2,3 __ CRT __ Other: Word Processing __ WordPerfect __ MSWord Other ____ Other Software Skills ___________________________________ Have you ever been employed in any facility of [Company]? __ Yes __ No If so, please state facility name and location and dates of employment ______________________________

EMPLOYMENT: List last employer first, including U.S. Military Service. May we contact your present employer? ____ Yes ____ No If any employment was under a different name, indicate name_____________ Employer ____________________ Address _________________________ Telephone _______________ Position _______________ Dates of Employment: From _____ To _____ Mo/Yr Mo/Yr Salary __________ Supervisor __________ Department __________ Duties _________________________________ FT __ PT __ No. of Hrs.___ Reason for Leaving ________________________________________

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Employer _______________ Address _________________________ Telephone _______________ Position ________________________ Dates of Employment: From _____ To _____ Mo/Yr Mo/Yr Salary ________ Supervisor ____________ Department __________ Duties _________________________________ FT __ PT __ No. of Hrs.___ Reason for Leaving _____________________________________ Employer ________________Address ______________________ Telephone _______________ Position _______________ Dates of Employment: From _____ To _____ Mo/Yr Mo/Yr Salary __________ Supervisor __________ Department __________ Duties _________________________________ FT __ PT __ No. of Hrs.___ Reason for Leaving ________________________________________ Employer ________________Address _________________________ Telephone _______________ Position _______________ Dates of Employment: From _____ To _____ Mo/Yr Mo/Yr Salary __________ Supervisor __________ Department __________ Duties ____________________________ FT __ PT __ No. of Hrs.___ Reason for Leaving ________________________________________ If you wish to describe additional work experience, attach the above information for each position on a separate piece of paper. Explain any gaps in work history: _____________________________

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Have you ever been discharged or asked to resign from a job? __Yes __No If yes, explain: ___________________________________________

REFERENCES:

Professional Personal

Name ____________________ Address ___________________ Phone (_____)_____________

Name ____________________ Address ___________________ ___________________ Phone (_____)_____________

Name ___________________ Address ___________________ ___________________ Phone (_____)_____________

Name ____________________ Address ___________________ ____________________ Phone (_____)______________

APPLICANT'S CERTIFICATION AND AGREEMENT

This sample application for employment is courtesy of OSI Systems, Inc.

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COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS The outlined process has been designed to satisfy the following federal employment and labor laws:

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

• The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)

• The Equal Pay Act of 1963

• The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)

• The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008

• The National Labor Relations Act

• Privacy Laws

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Appendix D: Participant Questionnaire

Problems Experienced with Current Hiring Practices

1. As an HR professional have you experienced any operations manager asking the wrong question or information that is not pertinent?

2. Have you experienced any hiring manager misbehave or act inappropriately during an interview?

3. Have you ever had to defend a hiring decision you made or one of your hiring managers?

4. As a manager have you ever asked the wrong question or by mistake ask a question that is not appropriate?

5. In your experience have you ever experienced a lengthy interview process?

6. In your experience have you ever been responsible for lengthening the interview process to too many interviews?

7. As a professional, do you agree that an employer may terminate the employment relationship for falsifying records?

8. Do you agree that employment and labor laws do not mandate the employer to interview a candidate?

Validity of Process Proposed in Model

9. In the model, I outlined the "Applicant Pertinent Information" process. Do you agree with the data to be collected at this juncture is sufficient in making a hiring decision?

10. Do you agree with the vetting process as proposed in the model?

11. Do you "Google" for any history on any candidate being considered for employment?

12. Have you received an invite via social media sites from candidates during the talent acquisition process?

13. Have you ever received social media invites from possible candidates even when there was no opening posted?

14. Do you have any experience with Hogan Assessments?

15. In your opinion does the subjective criteria match what Hogan Assessments' HPI model assesses?

16. Have you utilized assessments to assist you in making a hiring decision?

17. Do you agree that the background checks are at the right juncture in the mapped process of the mode?

18. Do you agree with the model as mapped is accurate of the talent acquisition process?

19. Do you agree that all applicable and employment and labor laws were considered in validating the proposed model?

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Perceived Value of and Intent to Use Proposed Model

20. Would you welcome a report summarizing social media findings as part of the items that make up the talent acquisition decision making process?

21. Do you agree that the proposed assessment may substitute the human factor piece?

22. Would you welcome an assessment report detailing the subjective criteria outlined in Hogan Assessments' HPI model?

23. Do you agree that the model presented expedites the talent acquisition process?

24. If given the opportunity, would you implement such a model in your organization?

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Appendix E: Sample Job Descriptions

1. Housekeeper Job Description

The Housekeeper is responsible for and accomplishes the following: • Maintaining facility by cleaning, dusting, vacuuming, and polishing. • Essential Duties and Responsibilities: • Removing miscellaneous debris by removing trash. • Refreshing bath area by cleaning toilet, and sinks; refilling hand towel and toilet paper

dispensers. • Cleaning floors by washing and vacuuming floors. • Maintaining furnishings by dusting and polishing furniture; cleaning and polishing glass

surfaces. • Keeping supplies ready by restocking housekeeping supplies; ordering new supplies as

needed. • Keeping equipment operating by following operating instructions; troubleshooting

breakdowns; maintaining supplies; performing preventive maintenance; calling for repairs.

• Maintaining safe, secure, and healthy work environment by following and enforcing standards and procedures; complying with security regulations.

• Updating job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities. • Enhancing housekeeping reputation by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and

different requests; exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments. Position Requirements:

• Dependability • Quality Focus • Customer Service • Customer Focus • Thoroughness • Lifting • Housekeeping • Equipment Maintenance • Listening • Verbal Communication

2. Mechanical Assembler or Operator in Manufacturing

US CITIZEN This position will be responsible to assemble and fabricate mechanical parts. Work in a team environment. Use a variety of tools and equipment to assemble units according to required specifications in a specific area of a production line. This involves reading and interpreting blueprints, schematics, hydraulics, sketches and written instructions to assemble the parts or products, read metrics. To ensure quality, an assembler also looks for faulty components during the assemble process and may be required to test assembled parts or products to ensure functionality. Supervision: Reports to Production Floor Manager

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1. Have knowledge of different tools and equipment to assemble units according to required specifications in a particular area of a production line 2. Read and interpret blueprints, sketches and written instructions of engineers etc. and then to assemble the parts or products 3. Assemble brackets, frames or perform minor soldering of component parts to boards or connectors, drill tap, rea, countersink, and spot-face bolt holes in parts, using drill presses and portable power drills 4. Look for faulty parts during the process of assembly and may have to test the assembled parts or products to ensure that they are functioning properly and are of good quality. Repairs, reworks, and calibrates assemblies to meet operation tolerances. 5. Perform standard assembly procedures, perform rework, and repair on manufactured equipment and products 6. Follow established safety procedures 7. Identifying faulty parts during the assembly process and, testing the assembled parts or products to check their quality and function ability 8. Disassemble units to replace parts or to crate them for shipping 9. Operate cranes to transport or position parts 10. Operate or tend automated assembling equipment, such as robotics and fixed automation equipment 11. Field work, repair machines offsite 12. Have final input as to the quality and performance of machines assembled 13. Provide input for continuous improvement and innovation programs. Must look for newer more refines ways of assembling the mechanical parts and components 14. Develop and lead an apprenticeship program, train & mentor new employees High School Degree or GED. 6 years' experience in the manufacturing world, (machine tools assembly a plus). Capable of handling employee job function needs. Demonstrate flexibility in use of shared resources. Demonstrate a positive, “Lead by example” attitude. Ability to troubleshoot and work effectively with a diverse group of people. High attention to detail. Ability to use thinking and reasoning to solve a problem and to think in such a way as to produce a new concept or idea. Solid commitment to quality, process improvement and teamwork.

3. Retail Sales Agent Job Description

Develop and attain customer experience and sales objectives for store. Sell all products and services offered by the Company. Meet all sales objectives. Handle all administrative aspects of the sale including: completing customer contracts and warranties, pulling products from inventory, accepting customer payments and filing the completed orders. Maintain strong knowledge of all products, accessories, pricing plans, promotions and service features. Maintain knowledge of competitive offers and provide critical market feedback to the Store Manager regarding local competition and product/service needs. Handle service inquiries from customers. Provide efficient, courteous customer service and assist in all aspects of product offerings and services. Ensure an extraordinary customer experience. Position may be commissioned and quota based.

GENERAL DUTIES The essential functions listed below are representative of duties performed by this job title. Duties generally include but are not limited to the following:

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GENERAL ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS WHICH ARE NORMALLY REQUIRED: • Possess a competitive spirit and desire to meet and exceed sales goals • Stay up-to-date on the latest data/entertainment technology and devices, such as Wi-Fi, data

devices, TV entertainment tools • Understand customers' needs and help them discover how our products meet those needs • Multi-task in a fast paced team environment • Educate and engage customers through product demonstrations • Interact with customers and provide prompt and courteous customer service to all customers

The successful candidate will be able to perform the following with or without reasonable

accommodation: • Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings, weekends and holidays • Ability to stand for long periods of time • Ability to complete all paperwork completely, accurately, in a timely manner • Ability to lift up to 25 pounds • Ability to operate a personal computer, wireless equipment, copier and fax • Ability to work in the following corporate retail locations as the needs of the business dictate

may be required: Lake Charles Prien Mall Kiosk, Lake Charles Center, Moss Bluff, Sulphur and Lake Charles West.

• Complete all aspects of opening and closing the store in accordance with written procedures. • Submit all transaction journals on a daily basis. • Assists with inventory maintenance • May be required to wear a uniform

Desired Qualifications: • 1-3 years retail/customer facing/sales experience preferred

4. Customer Service Representative Job Description

Position Summary: With an appropriate knowledge of the Company's services and processes, a Customer Service Representative I works under the direct supervision of the Customer Service Supervisor to deliver the highest level of quality service to our customers. The Customer Service Representative I receives and responds to routine residential and commercial customer calls, inquiries, requests and complaints, which are typically general to moderately complex in nature and require limited research and investigation to reach resolution. Working in established guidelines, this position is responsible for delivering superior customer service in a prompt, respectful and courteous manner to ensure concerns are resolved.

Principal Responsibilities: • Successfully complete training to become knowledgeable about the waste services industry and Republic Services' processes, services and policies. • Respond in a timely and accurate manner to routine customer service calls, ensuring that residential customer issues and concerns are treated in a respectful and professional manner. • Effectively respond to routine issues regarding general commercial service changes and contract compliance matters, which may involve outbound calls and other communications to

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resolve simple issues including service level changes, contractual obligations, billing questions, service cancellations, price increases and equipment issues. • Return all internal and external calls, emails and facsimiles in a timely manner to ensure that customers' concerns are understood, addressed and resolved in an efficient and complete manner as possible. • Receive and review individual performance metric reports and action plan with manager to understand individual performance. • Enter service and route data into computer for billing and route scheduling purposes. • Log information about customer service interactions into systems; update in a timely and accurate manner so that associates are able to track services inquiries and resolution. • Perform other job-related duties as required. The statements used herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by an employee in this position, and are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties and skills required by an incumbent so classified. Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the Company.

Preferred Qualifications: • Associate's Degree.

Minimum Qualifications: • High School diploma or GED.

Other Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: • Good time management skills to ensure assigned responsibilities are completed in an efficient manner. • Good communication skills; is able to effectively communicate to all levels of management and customers. • Strong active listening skills; gives full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions when appropriate, and letting others fully state their ideas. • Grasps concepts quickly and has good follow through skills; adheres to work schedule and follows through on challenges as they arise; maintains a positive outlook. • Excellent written and verbal presentation skills. • Excellent self-motivation skills; maintains a feeling of pride in work; has a strong work ethic and strives to achieve all goals. • Is trustworthy and maintains the highest level of confidentiality at all times. • Is high energy, friendly and engaging. • Excellent service orientation; actively looks for ways to help people.

Jose-Fiallos Approved Thesis

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