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VII. Recruiting Evaluation and Metrics
To evaluate recruiting, organizations can see how their recruiting efforts compare with past
patterns and with the recruiting performance of other organizations. Measures of
Information about job performance, absenteeism, cost of training, and turnover by
A. Evaluating the Cost of Recruiting
Different formulas can be used to evaluate recruiting costs. The calculation most often
used to measure such costs is to divide total recruiting expenses for the year by the
number of hires for the year:
Recruiting expenses
Number of recruits hired
The problem with this approach is accurate identification of details that should be
The costs can be allocated to various sources to determine how much each hire from
B. Increasing Recruiting Effectiveness
Evaluation of the following recruiting activities should be done to make recruiting more
effective:
Résumé mining—a software approach to getting the best résumés for a fit from a
Applicant tracking—an approach that takes an applicant all the way from a job
Employer career website—a convenient recruiting place on an employer’s website
Internal mobility—a system that tracks prospects in the company and matches
Realistic job previews—a process that persons can use to get details on the
Responsive recruitment—whereby applicants receive timely responses
Recruiting effectiveness can be increased by using the evaluation the data to target
different applicant pools, tap broader labor markets, change recruiting methods,
VIII. Selection and Placement
Selection is the process of choosing individuals with the correct qualifications to fill jobs
The ultimate purpose of selection is placement, or fitting a person to the right job.
Placement of human resources should be seen primarily as a matching process. How well
Selection and placement activities typically focus on applicants’ knowledge, skills, and
A. Selection, Criteria, Predictors, and Job Performance
At the heart of an effective selection system must be the knowledge of what constitutes
good job performance. When one knows what good performance looks like on a
particular job, one needs to identify what it takes for the employee to achieve successful
To determine whether candidates might possess certain selection criteria, employers try
to identify predictors of selection criteria, which are measurable or visible indicators
of those positive characteristics (or criteria). The information gathered about an
B. Combining Predictors
When an employer uses predictors such as three years of experience, possesses a
college degree, and acceptable aptitude test score, job applicants are evaluated on all of
these requirements and the multiple predictors combined in some way. Two approaches
for combining predictors are as follows:
Multiple hurdles—a minimum cutoff is set on each predictor, and each minimum
Compensatory approach—scores from individual predictors are added and
combined into an overall score, thereby allowing a higher score on one predictor
IX. The Selection Process
Most organizations take a series of consistent steps to process and select applicants for
jobs. Company size, job characteristics, the number of people needed, the use of
electronic technology, and other factors cause variations on the basic process. Selection can
A. Applicant Job Interest
Individuals wanting employment can indicate interest in many ways. Traditionally,
individuals have submitted résumés by mail or fax, or applied in person at an
Regardless of how individuals express interest in employment, the selection process has
an important public relations dimension. Discriminatory hiring practices, impolite
interviewers, unnecessarily long waits, unreturned telephone inquiries, inappropriate
B. Pre-employment Screening
Many employers conduct pre-employment screening to determine if applicants meet the
minimum qualifications for open jobs before they have the applicants fill out an
C. Application Forms
Some employers do not use pre-employment screening prior to having applicants fill
out an application form. Instead, they have every interested individual complete an
Application forms, which are used universally, can take on different formats. Properly
prepared, the application form serves four purposes:
It is a record of the applicant’s desire to obtain a position.
It provides the interviewer with a profile of the applicant that can be used during
D. Security Concerns and Immigration Verification
Businesses are required to review and record identity documents, such as Social
Security cards, passports, and visas, and to determine if they appear to be genuine
because it is illegal to knowingly hire employees who are not in the country legally.
X. Selection Testing
Literacy tests, skill-based tests, psychological measurement tests, and honesty tests are
However, selection tests must be evaluated extensively before being utilized as a recruiting
tool. The development of the test items should be linked to a thorough job analysis.
A. Ability Tests
Tests that assess an individual’s ability to perform in a specific manner are grouped as
ability tests. These are sometimes further differentiated into aptitude tests and
achievement tests. Cognitive ability tests measure an individual’s thinking, memory,
reasoning, verbal, and mathematical abilities. Valid tests such as the Wonderlic
Physical ability tests measure individual’s abilities such as strength, endurance, and
muscular movement. Many organizations use situational tests, or work sample tests,
Situational judgment tests are designed to measure a person’s judgment in work
settings. The candidate is given a situation and a list of possible solutions to the
An assessment center is not a place but an assessment exercise composed of a series of
evaluative tests used for selection and development. Most often used in the selection
B. Personality Tests
Personality is a unique blend of individual characteristics that can affect how people
interact with their work environment. Many organizations use various personality tests
Faking is a major concern for employers using personality tests. Many test publishers
C. Honesty/Integrity Tests
Companies are utilizing different tests to assess the honesty and integrity of applicants
and employees. Employers use these tests as a screening mechanism to prevent the
The polygraph, more generally and incorrectly referred to as a lie detector, is a
mechanical device that measures a person’s galvanic skin response, heart rate, and
breathing rate. The idea behind the polygraph is that if a person answers a question
D. Controversies in Selection Testing
Two areas in selection testing generate controversies and disagreements. One is the
General mental ability testing is well established as a valid selection tool for many jobs,
but since some minority groups tend to score lower on such exams, there is considerable
Personality testing for selection flourished during the 1950s. But the use of these tests
dropped drastically. In the 1990s, interest in research on personality as a selection tool
XI. Selection Interviewing
Interviewing of job applicants is done both to obtain additional information and to clarify
information gathered throughout the selection process. Interviews are commonly
A structured interview uses a set of prepared, job-related questions that are asked of all
applicants so that comparisons can be executed more easily and better selection decision
can be made. The structured interview is useful in the initial screening because many
The structured format ensures that a given interviewer has similar information on each
A biographical interview focuses on a chronological assessment of the candidate’s past
In the behavioral interview technique, applicants are asked to describe how they have
The situational interview contains questions about how applicants might handle specific
job situations. A variation is termed the case study interview, which requires a job
Situational interviews assess what the interviewee would consider to be the best option, not
A. Less-Structured Interviews
Some interviews are unplanned and are not structured at all. Such interviewing
A stress interview is designed to create anxiety and put pressure on applicants to see
how they respond. In a stress interview, the interviewer assumes an extremely
B. Who Conducts Interviews?
Job interviews can be conducted by an individual, by several individuals sequentially, or
by panels or teams. For some jobs, such as entry-level jobs requiring lesser skills,
applicants might be interviewed solely by a human resource professional. For other
jobs, employers screen applicants by using multiple interviews, beginning with a human
In a panel interview, several interviewers meet with the candidate at the same time so
that the same responses are heard by all. In a team interview, applicants are
C. Problems in the Interview
Operating managers and supervisors are more likely than HR personnel to use poor
interviewing techniques because they do not interview often or lack training. Several
problems anyone may exhibit include the following:
Snap judgments—some interviewers decide whether an applicant is suitable within
Negative emphasis—when evaluating suitability, unfavorable information about an
Halo effect—the halo effect occurs when an interviewer allows a positive
characteristic such as agreeableness to overshadow other evidence. The phrase
Biases and stereotyping—“similarity” bias occurs when interviewers favor or select
people whom they believe to be like themselves on the basis of a variety of
Cultural noise—interviewers must learn to recognize and handle cultural noise,
XII. Background Investigations
Background information can be obtained from many sources. Some of these sources
include past job records, credit history, testing records, educational and certification
Failure to check the backgrounds of people who are hired can lead to embarrassment and
A. Negligent Hiring and Retention
Lawyers say that an employer’s liability hinges on how well it investigates an
Negligent hiring occurs when an employer fails to check an employee’s background
and the employee later injures or harms someone while performing job duties. There is
a potential negligent hiring problem when an employer hires an unfit employee, a
B. ADA and Medical Inquiries
The ADA prohibits the use of pre-employment medical exams, except for drug tests,
until a job has been conditionally offered. Also, the ADA prohibits a company from
C. Drug Testing
Drug testing, a widely used selection tool, may be conducted as part of a medical exam,
or it may be done separately. If drug tests are used, employers should remember that the
accuracy of tests varies according to the type of test used, the drug tested, and the
quality of the laboratory where the test samples are sent. Because of the potential impact
D. Previous Employment Checks/Personal References
Work-related references from previous employers and supervisors can provide a
valuable snapshot of a candidate’s background and characteristics. Previous
employment checks protect the company from negligent hiring claims, provide an
overview of job candidates’ past performance and generalized honesty, and verify work
credentials. Good questions to ask previous supervisors or employers include the
following:
What were the dates of employment?
What was the position held?
What were the job duties?
What strengths/weaknesses did you observe?
Were there any problems?
Would you rehire this person?
XIII. “Soft Skills” and Selection
Selection in its “scientific” form is about finding valid predictors of what will be needed on
a job and picking people who score high on those predictors. Valid predictors measure
“hard skills” that include cognitive skills, the acquiring of knowledge through education,
and technical skills. Alternatively, “soft skills,” which include interpersonal, human
