The document describes the typical selection process used to hire employees. It consists of 8 main steps: 1) initial screening, 2) application, 3) testing, 4) interviews, 5) conditional offer, 6) background check, 7) medical exam, and 8) final offer or rejection. It emphasizes the importance of validity, reliability, and establishing appropriate cut-off scores for selection tools and tests to accurately predict job performance.

1. Chapter
Foundations of Selection
Source: Adapted from Fundamentals of Human Resource
Management, 10/e, DeCenzo/Robbins

2. Source: Adapted from Fundamentals of Human Resource Management, 10/e, DeCenzo/Robbins
The Selection Process
initial screening
completed application
employment test
comprehensive interview
conditional
job offer
medical/physical examination
(conditional job offer made)
permanent
job offer reject applicant
background examination
if required
Passed
Passed
Able to perform essential
elements of the job
Passed
Passed
Passed
Problems encountered
Failed to impress interviewer and/or
meet job expectations
Failed test
Failed to complete application or
failed job specifications
Failed to meet minimum qualifications
Unfit to do essential
elements of job
The selection
process typically
consists of 8
steps.

3. Source: Adapted from
Fundamentals of Human
Resource Management, 10/e,
DeCenzo/Robbins
The Selection Process
Comprehensive selection puts applicants through all the
steps in the selection process before making a decision.
• assesses both strengths and weaknesses, and is considered
more realistic
The Comprehensive Approach

4. Source: Adapted from Fundamentals of Human Resource
Management, 10/e, DeCenzo/Robbins
1. initial screening
interview
The Selection Process
• weeding out of applicants who don’t meet general job
requirements

5. Source: Adapted from Fundamentals of Human Resource Management, 10/e, DeCenzo/Robbins
The Selection Process
2. completing
the application
Gives a job-performance-related synopsis
Legal considerations
1. omit items that are not job-related; e.g., religion
2. includes statement giving employer the right to
dismiss an employee for falsifying information
3. asks for permission to check work references
4. typically includes “employment-at-will” statement

6. Source: Adapted from Fundamentals of Human Resource Management, 10/e, DeCenzo/Robbins
The Selection Process
Weighted application forms
• individual pieces of information are validated against performance and
turnover measures
• data must be collected for each job to determine how well a particular item
(e.g., years of schooling, tenure on last job) predicts success on target job
2. completing
the application

7. Source: Adapted from
Fundamentals of Human
Resource Management, 10/e,
DeCenzo/Robbins
The Selection Process
• performance simulation tests require applicants to engage in job behaviors
necessary for doing the job successfully
• work sampling uses job analysis to develop a miniature replica of the job so
the applicant can demonstrate his/her skills
• assessment centers give tests and exercises, (individual and group), to assess
managerial potential or other complex skills
3. pre-employment testing

8. Source: Adapted from
Fundamentals of Human
Resource Management, 10/e,
DeCenzo/Robbins
The Selection Process
• assesses motivation, values, ability to work under pressure, attitude, ability to fit
in. They can be traditional, panel, or situational
• impression management, (applicant’s desire to project the “right” image), may
skew interview results
• realistic job previews (brochures, videos, plant tours, work sampling) help reduce
turnover rates
• behavioral interviews are much more effective at predicting job performance
than traditional interviews
4. comprehensive
interviews

9. Source: Adapted from Fundamentals of Human Resource Management, 10/e, DeCenzo/Robbins
The Selection Process
• The way they differ is that behavioral questions specifically ask you to describe a past
situation that actually happened to you. For example, “Tell me about a time you
demonstrated leadership”.
• Situational interview questions, on the other hand, are always purely hypothetical.
Although they also require you to refer to past experiences to describe the action
and result. For example, “How would you react if a coworker asked you to cover for a
mistake they made?”
4. comprehensive
interviews
Video: Justin Menkes, Interviewing for Executive Intelligence

10. STAR technique
• The STAR technique is a helpful tool for structuring your answers to situational interview
questions. The acronym works as follows:
• S = Situation. Choose a situation that presents similar issues to the question at hand.
• T = Task. What problems or challenges arose which required you to take action?
• A = Action. What action did you take? What skills did you use and develop? Did you
consider any alternative solutions?
• R = Result. What was the result? What did you learn? What were the reactions of others
around you?
Source: Adapted from Fundamentals of Human Resource
Management, 10/e, DeCenzo/Robbins

11. Source: Adapted from
Fundamentals of Human
Resource Management, 10/e,
DeCenzo/Robbins
The Selection Process
• HR manager makes an offer of employment, contingent on
successful completion of background check, physical/medical
exam, drug test, etc.
5. conditional
job offer

12. Source: Adapted from
Fundamentals of Human
Resource Management, 10/e,
DeCenzo/Robbins
The Selection Process
Verifies information from the application form.
6. background
investigation
references
former employers
education
credit references
criminal records

13. Source: Adapted from
Fundamentals of Human
Resource Management, 10/e,
DeCenzo/Robbins
The Selection Process
• used only to determine if the individual can comply with
essential functions of the job e.g. X-Ray, Drug Test, Alcohol
Tests, MRI-Scan, Blood Tests etc
• Americans with Disabilities Act requires that exams be given
only after conditional job offer is made
7. medical investigation

14. Source: Adapted from
Fundamentals of Human
Resource Management, 10/e,
DeCenzo/Robbins
The Selection Process
• actual hiring decision generally made by the department
manager, not HR manager
8. job offer

15. Source: Adapted from
Fundamentals of Human
Resource Management, 10/e,
DeCenzo/Robbins
The Selection Process
After the Offer…….
• most people want jobs compatible with their personality
• management should assure the selection process leaves
them with a favorable impression of the company

16. Source: Adapted from
Fundamentals of Human
Resource Management, 10/e,
DeCenzo/Robbins
Key Elements for Successful
Predictors
What test elements help predict which applicants will
be successful on the job?
reliability
validity
cut scores

17. Source: Adapted from
Fundamentals of Human
Resource Management, 10/e,
DeCenzo/Robbins
Key Elements for Successful
Predictors
The ability of the selection tool to measure an attribute
consistently.
 HR managers need reliable tests to make sure the
applicant will perform satisfactorily
reliability
There are companies that specialize in employment testing. For
example, watch the demo at www.eSkill.com

18. Source: Adapted from
Fundamentals of Human
Resource Management, 10/e,
DeCenzo/Robbins
Key Elements for Successful
Predictors
The relationship between scores on a selection tool and a relevant criterion, such as job performance.
•There are three types:
• content
• construct
• criterion-related
• Construct validity: Does the test measure the concept that it’s intended to measure?
• Content validity: Is the test fully representative of what it aims to measure?
• Face validity: Does the content of the test appear to be suitable to its aims?
• Criterion validity: Do the results correspond to a different test of the same thing?
validity

19. Source: Adapted from Fundamentals of Human Resource Management, 10/e, DeCenzo/Robbins
Key Elements for Successful
Predictors
1. Content validity: refers to the extent to which a measure represents all facets of a given
construct. For example, a depression scale may lack content validity if it only assesses
the affective dimension of depression but fails to take into account the behavioral dimension. Content
validity requires the use of recognized subject matter experts to evaluate whether test items assess
defined content
2. Construct validity: the degree to which a test measures what it claims, or purports, to be measuring.
If you develop a questionnaire to diagnose depression, you need to know: does the questionnaire
really measure the construct of depression? Or is it actually measuring the respondent’s mood, self-
esteem, or some other construct?
validity

20. 3. Criterion-related validity: degree to which a selection device accurately predicts important
elements of work behavior. There are two types of criterion validity; concurrent and predictive.
• Concurrent validity correlates test scores of current employees with measures of their job
performance
a. If you create a new test for depression levels, you can compare its performance to previous
depression tests (like a 42-item depression level survey) that have high validity. Concurrent means
“as the same time”, so you would perform both tests at about the same interval: you could test
depression level on one day with your test, and on the next day with the established test.
A statistically significant result would mean that you have achieved concurrent validity.
b. a group of nursing students take two final exams to assess their knowledge. One exam is a
practical test and the second exam is a paper test. If the students who score well on the practical
test also score well on the paper test, then concurrent validity has occurred
Source: Adapted from Fundamentals of Human Resource
Management, 10/e, DeCenzo/Robbins

21. • Predictive validity uses test scores of applicants to compare with their
future job performance
• Grade Point Average, SAT/ACT scores and other criterion are used to
predict a student’s likely success in higher education. To test this
theory, university students have been studied by their thousands and
it’s been confirmed by hundreds of studies that there is
a correlation between GPA/ACT/SAT and educational success.
Therefore, the predictive validity is high for these measurements.
Source: Adapted from Fundamentals of Human Resource
Management, 10/e, DeCenzo/Robbins

22. Source: Adapted from
Fundamentals of Human
Resource Management, 10/e,
DeCenzo/Robbins
Key Elements for Successful
Predictors
The cut score separates successful
from unsuccessful performers.
• cut scores on a selection device can be determined by validity
studies
• applicants scoring below the cut score are predicted to be
unsuccessful on the job and are rejected
cut scores

23. Source: Adapted from
Fundamentals of Human
Resource Management, 10/e,
DeCenzo/Robbins
Selection From a Global Perspective
• selection criteria for international assignments:
1. interest in working overseas
2. ability to relate to different cultures and environments
3. supportiveness of the candidate’s family
• female executives have done well abroad in Asia and Latin America, despite
past reluctance to assign them to these countries

24. Source: Adapted from Fundamentals of Human Resource Management, 10/e,
DeCenzo/Robbins
Excelling at the Interview
Suggestions for making your interviews as an
applicant successful:
1. do some homework on the company
2. get a good night’s rest the night before
3. dress appropriately
4. arrive for the interview a few minutes early
5. use a firm handshake
6. maintain good eye contact
7. take the opportunity to have practice interviews
8. thank the interviewer in person, and send a thank-you note