2. The Selection Process
• The most important HR decision is whom to
hire
Initial
Selection
Substantive
Selection
Contingent
Selection
Applicants who don’t meet
basic requirements are
rejected.
Applicants who meet basic
requirements, but are less
qualified than others, are
rejected.
Applicants who are among best
qualified, but who fail
contingent selection, are
rejected.
Applicant receives job
offer.
3. Stage 1: Initial Selection
• Initial selection devices are used to determine if basic
qualifications for the job are met
• Devices include:
– Application Forms
• Good initial screen
• Must be careful about questions asked – legal issues
– Background Checks
• Most employers want reference information, but few
give it out – litigation worries
• Letters of recommendation are of marginal worth
• May use criminal record or credit report checks
4. Stage 2: Substantive Selection
• These devices are the heart of the selection process
– Written Tests
• Testing applicants for: intelligence or cognitive ability,
personality, integrity, and interests
• Intelligence tests are the best predictor across all jobs
– Performance-Simulation Tests
• Based on job-related performance requirements
• Work Sample Tests
– Creating a miniature replica of a job to evaluate the
performance abilities of job candidates
• Assessment Centers
– A set of performance-simulation tests designed to
evaluate a candidate’s managerial potential
5. Another Substantive Selection
Device
• Interviews
– Are the most frequently used selection tool
– Carry a great deal of weight in the selection process
– Can be biased toward those who “interview well”
• Types of Interviews
– Unstructured (randomly chosen questions)
• Most common, least predictive, and prone to bias
– Structured (standardized sets of questions)
• More predictive of job success; less chance for bias
– Behavioral structured (asking how specific problems were
handled in the past)
• Past behaviors may be good predictors of future behavior
• Interviews most often used to determine organization-individual
fit
6. Stage 3: Contingent Selection
• Final checks before hiring
– Drug testing
• Controversial: perceived to be unfair or invasive
• Supreme Court ruled that this is not an invasion of
rights
• Expensive but accurate
• Alcohol not generally tested for
