Selection 2Selection 2MANA 3320MANA 3320

Dr. Jeanne MichalskiDr. Jeanne Michalskimichalski@uta.edu

Sources of Information Sources of Information about Job Candidatesabout Job Candidates

Application FormsApplication Forms

Online ApplicationsOnline Applications

Biographical Biographical Information Blanks Information Blanks (BIB)(BIB)

Background Background InvestigationsInvestigations

Polygraph TestsPolygraph Tests

Integrity and Honesty Integrity and Honesty TestsTests

Medical ExaminationsMedical Examinations

Employment TestsEmployment Tests

InterviewsInterviews

Steps in the Selection Steps in the Selection ProcessProcess

Initial screening of application or resumeInitial screening of application or resume Employment testing, if applicableEmployment testing, if applicable Interview (may include multiple visits for Interview (may include multiple visits for

interviews)interviews) HR HR Supervisor/TeamSupervisor/Team OthersOthers

Contingent OfferContingent Offer Background/Reference ChecksBackground/Reference Checks Medical/Drug screenMedical/Drug screen

Application FormsApplication FormsOnly ask info related to job KSA’s

Link to job performance Use thorough job analysis and validation techniques Consider potential adverse impact

Careful collecting personal characteristics Race, National Origin, Gender, Age etc. Law assumes all questions are used in hiring More is not necessarily better

Different applications for different jobs Instructions and Disclaimers Improve validity through weighted applications

(WAB’s)

Online ApplicationsOnline Applications

An Internet-based automated posting, An Internet-based automated posting, application, and tracking process helps application, and tracking process helps firms to more quickly fill positions by:firms to more quickly fill positions by:

Attracting a broader and more diverse Attracting a broader and more diverse applicant poolapplicant pool

Collecting and mining resumes with keyword Collecting and mining resumes with keyword searches to identify qualified candidatessearches to identify qualified candidates

Conducting screening tests onlineConducting screening tests online Reducing recruiting costs significantlyReducing recruiting costs significantly

ResumesResumes

Applicant controls the informationApplicant controls the information Many examples of fraud or omissionMany examples of fraud or omission Up to 50% contain some inaccuracyUp to 50% contain some inaccuracy

Jobs and education should be verifiedJobs and education should be verified One question honesty testOne question honesty test

Requirements for education and Requirements for education and experiences should be job-related. experiences should be job-related.

Biodata InventoriesBiodata Inventories Generally reliable and validGenerally reliable and valid Series of questions on a wide variety of Series of questions on a wide variety of

subjectssubjects Background (e.g. hobbies, jobs, and education)Background (e.g. hobbies, jobs, and education) Situational questionsSituational questions Personality and ValuesPersonality and Values

Compared to a profile generated from Compared to a profile generated from successful employees or database for successful employees or database for occupations.occupations.

Examples of Biographical Examples of Biographical QuestionsQuestions

How many jobs have you held in the last five years? Were you ever class president? While growing up, did you collect coins? About how many fiction books have you read in the past

year? How many hours a week do you spend studying? At what age did you leave home? How large was the town/city in which you lived as a child? Did you ever build a model airplane that flew? Were sports a big part of your childhood? Do you play any musical instruments?

Employment TestsEmployment Tests

Employment TestEmployment Test An objective and standardized measure of a An objective and standardized measure of a

sample of behavior that is used to gauge a sample of behavior that is used to gauge a person’s knowledge, skills, abilities, and other person’s knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) in relation to other characteristics (KSAOs) in relation to other individuals.individuals.

Pre-employment testing hasPre-employment testing hasthe potential for lawsuits. the potential for lawsuits.

Classification of Classification of Employment TestsEmployment Tests

Cognitive Ability TestsCognitive Ability Tests Aptitude testsAptitude tests

Measures of a person’s capacity to learn or acquire Measures of a person’s capacity to learn or acquire skills.skills.

Achievement testsAchievement tests Measures of what a person knows or can do right now.Measures of what a person knows or can do right now.

Personality and Interest InventoriesPersonality and Interest Inventories ““Big Five” personality factors:Big Five” personality factors:

Extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, Extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness to experience.neuroticism, openness to experience.

Classification of Classification of Employment Tests (cont’d)Employment Tests (cont’d)

Physical Ability TestsPhysical Ability Tests Must be related to the essential functions of Must be related to the essential functions of

job.job. Job Knowledge TestsJob Knowledge Tests

An achievement test that measures a person’s An achievement test that measures a person’s level of understanding about a particular job.level of understanding about a particular job.

Work Sample Tests Work Sample Tests Require the applicant to perform tasks that are Require the applicant to perform tasks that are

actually a part of the work required on the job.actually a part of the work required on the job.

Effectiveness of Selection MethodsEffectiveness of Selection Methods

A survey of 201 HR executives rated selection methods on the effectiveness producing the best employees.

Work samples 3.68Structured interviews 3.42Assessment centers 3.42Specific aptitude tests 3.08Personality tests 2.93General cognitive ability tests 2.89Biographical information blanks 2.84Unstructured interview < 1.00

Common Background Common Background ChecksChecks

Drug testingDrug testing Urinalysis vs. RIAH (Hair testing)Urinalysis vs. RIAH (Hair testing) ADA prohibits pre-employment screening for alcoholADA prohibits pre-employment screening for alcohol Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988

Background checksBackground checks Conducted at 25% of employersConducted at 25% of employers Depends on the job – e.g. cash handling, children.Depends on the job – e.g. cash handling, children. Signed consent to background or credit checks.Signed consent to background or credit checks.

Fair Credit Reporting Act Fair Credit Reporting Act Family Educational Rights Privacy Act Family Educational Rights Privacy Act Privacy Act of 1974Privacy Act of 1974

Employee Polygraph Protection Act (1988)Employee Polygraph Protection Act (1988)

““Screening-out” DevicesScreening-out” Devices

Background ChecksBackground Checks Negligent hiringNegligent hiring

The failure of an organization to discover, via due diligence, The failure of an organization to discover, via due diligence, that an employee it hired had the propensity to do harm to that an employee it hired had the propensity to do harm to othersothers

Sources of InformationSources of Information Social Security verificationSocial Security verification Past employmentPast employment Educational verificationEducational verification Criminal recordsCriminal records Motor vehicle recordsMotor vehicle records Credit checkCredit check Military recordsMilitary records

Negligent HiringNegligent Hiring

The person causing harm was an employee.The person causing harm was an employee. The person was incompetent (rather than a The person was incompetent (rather than a

competent employee acting negligently).competent employee acting negligently). Employer knew or should have known about the Employer knew or should have known about the

incompetence.incompetence. Injury or harm was a foreseeable consequence of Injury or harm was a foreseeable consequence of

hiring the incompetent employee.hiring the incompetent employee. Hiring of the unfit employee was proximate cause Hiring of the unfit employee was proximate cause

of the injury or harm.of the injury or harm.

Reference Checks Reference Checks

Telephone, mail, and e-mail checksTelephone, mail, and e-mail checks Specific job-related informationSpecific job-related information

Letters of referenceLetters of reference Online computerized databasesOnline computerized databases Privacy Act of 1974Privacy Act of 1974

Requires signed requests for reference letters and Requires signed requests for reference letters and signed consent to background checks.signed consent to background checks.

Applies to both educational and private employers.Applies to both educational and private employers.

Employee Polygraph Employee Polygraph Protection Act (1988)Protection Act (1988)

Use of “lie Use of “lie detectors” is largely detectors” is largely prohibited.prohibited.

Act requires Act requires qualified examiners.qualified examiners.

Act requires Act requires disclosure of disclosure of information where information where used.used.

Encouraged Encouraged employers’ use of employers’ use of paper and pencil paper and pencil integrity and integrity and honesty tests.honesty tests.

Background Investigations Background Investigations Organizations using credit reports must:Organizations using credit reports must:

1.1. Check state laws to see if credit reports can legally be Check state laws to see if credit reports can legally be used.used.

2.2. Advise and receive written consent from applicants if a Advise and receive written consent from applicants if a report will be requested.report will be requested.

3.3. Provide a written certification to the consumer reporting Provide a written certification to the consumer reporting agency as to the purpose of the report.agency as to the purpose of the report.

4.4. Provide applicants a copy of the consumer report as well Provide applicants a copy of the consumer report as well as a summary of their rights under the CCRRA.as a summary of their rights under the CCRRA.

5.5. Must provide an adverse-action notice a person if that Must provide an adverse-action notice a person if that person is not hired and contact information related to the person is not hired and contact information related to the reporting agency. reporting agency.

Criminal Background Criminal Background ChecksChecks

Employers can obtain criminal background information by: Employers can obtain criminal background information by: (1) Asking applicants for certain information during the interview (1) Asking applicants for certain information during the interview

process or on a job applicationprocess or on a job application

(2) Obtaining criminal record information from a state agency (2) Obtaining criminal record information from a state agency (with the consent of the applicants)(with the consent of the applicants)

(3) by hiring an investigator or security firm(3) by hiring an investigator or security firm

Before the information is gathered, employers should have Before the information is gathered, employers should have specific guidelines for how they will use the information.specific guidelines for how they will use the information.

Decision CriteriaDecision CriteriaThe hiring official will determine on a case-by-case basis whether The hiring official will determine on a case-by-case basis whether

the individual is qualified based on factors such as:the individual is qualified based on factors such as:

Specific duties of the position; Specific duties of the position; Number of offenses; Number of offenses; Nature of each offense; Nature of each offense; Length of time intervening between the offense and the Length of time intervening between the offense and the

employment decision; employment decision; Employment history; Employment history; Efforts at rehabilitation; and Efforts at rehabilitation; and Accuracy of the information that the individual provided on the Accuracy of the information that the individual provided on the

employment applicationemployment application

Background Investigations Background Investigations (cont.)(cont.)

Medical ExaminationsMedical Examinations Given last as they can be costly.Given last as they can be costly. Ensure that the health of an applicant is Ensure that the health of an applicant is

adequate to meet the job requirements.adequate to meet the job requirements. Provides a baseline for subsequent Provides a baseline for subsequent

examinationsexaminations ADA requires all exams be job-related and ADA requires all exams be job-related and

conducted after an employment offer is made.conducted after an employment offer is made. Testing for illegal drugs is allowed.Testing for illegal drugs is allowed.

Drug TestingDrug Testing

Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 Testing for illegal drugs is required of Testing for illegal drugs is required of

applicants and employees of federal applicants and employees of federal contractors.contractors.

Questions about the efficacy of testingQuestions about the efficacy of testing Why spend large sums on testing when…Why spend large sums on testing when…

testing for drugs doesn’t appear to make the testing for drugs doesn’t appear to make the workplace safer or improve employee performance?workplace safer or improve employee performance?

few applicants actually test positive and alcohol few applicants actually test positive and alcohol abuse creates more problems in the workplace?abuse creates more problems in the workplace?

Most Common Types of Background Checks

Use of Pre-Employment Selection Tools by Fortune 1000 Companies*Use of Pre-Employment Selection Tools by Fortune 1000 Companies*

*Tools that 212 security representatives at Fortune 1000 companies said their companies use consistently.

Source: Top Security Threats and Management Issues Facing Corporate America, Pinkerton Consulting and Investigations, Inc.

Principles of AssessmentPrinciples of Assessment Don’t rely on a single method.Don’t rely on a single method. Use only fair and unbiased instruments. Use only fair and unbiased instruments. Use only reliable instruments.Use only reliable instruments. Use only valid instruments for a specific purpose.Use only valid instruments for a specific purpose. Use only tools designed for a specific group.Use only tools designed for a specific group. Use instruments with understandable instructions.Use instruments with understandable instructions. Ensure test administration staff are properly trained.Ensure test administration staff are properly trained. Ensure test conditions are suitable for all test takers.Ensure test conditions are suitable for all test takers. Provide reasonable accommodation.Provide reasonable accommodation. Maintain confidentiality of results.Maintain confidentiality of results. Ensure proper interpretation of results.Ensure proper interpretation of results.

Variables in the Employment Interview

Variables in the Employment Interview

Better hide the tattoo if you Better hide the tattoo if you want the jobwant the job

Once associated with drunken sailors, felons and Hells Angels, tattoos Once associated with drunken sailors, felons and Hells Angels, tattoos have gone nearly mainstream, putting employers in a bind. How to have gone nearly mainstream, putting employers in a bind. How to write rules that won't alienate un-hip customers on the one hand or write rules that won't alienate un-hip customers on the one hand or eliminate talented workers on the other?eliminate talented workers on the other?

Nearly 50% of Americans between 21 and 32 have at least one tattoo or Nearly 50% of Americans between 21 and 32 have at least one tattoo or a piercing other than in an ear, according to a 2006 study by the a piercing other than in an ear, according to a 2006 study by the University of Chicago and Northwestern University. University of Chicago and Northwestern University.

Men and women alike say their tattoos make them feel sexy and Men and women alike say their tattoos make them feel sexy and rebellious, a 2003 Harris Poll found, while the unadorned of both rebellious, a 2003 Harris Poll found, while the unadorned of both genders see body art as unsightly and think those with tattoos and genders see body art as unsightly and think those with tattoos and piercings are less intelligent and less attractive.piercings are less intelligent and less attractive.

…….the law gives employers broad latitude to establish dress and .the law gives employers broad latitude to establish dress and grooming standards consistent with the images they want to convey.grooming standards consistent with the images they want to convey.

LA Times 7.6.07LA Times 7.6.07