Personnel Selection and Employee Performance

This article summarizes the practical and theoretical implications of 85 years of research in personnel selection. On the basis of meta-analytic findings, this article presents the validity of 19 selection procedures for predicting job performance and training performance and the validity of paired combinations of general mental ability (GMA) and Ihe 18 other selection procedures. Overall, the 3 combinations with the highest multivariate validity and utility for job performance were GMA plus a work sample test (mean validity of .63), GMA plus an integrity test (mean validity of .65), and GMA plus a structured interview (mean validity of .63). A further advantage of the latter 2 combinations is that they can be used for both entry level selection and selection of experienced employees. The practical utility implications of these summary findings are substantial. The implications of these research findings for the development of theories of job performance are discussed.

Handbook of industrial, work and organizational psychology, 2001

Predictors Used for Personnel Selection: An Overview of Constructs, Methods and Techniques Predictors used for personnel selection: An overview of constructs, methods and techniques We review and summarize the literature on personnel selection as well as provide an overview of global trends in practice. The first section of our review covers different predictors (constructs and methods) that have been used in and studied in personnel selection contexts. Cognitive ability tests, psychomotor and perceptual ability tests, personality inventories, assessment centers, biodata, interviews and so forth are reviewed. In reviewing each, we cover: (1) prevalence of use, (2) measurement and construct validity issues, (3) criterion-related validity, (4) issues of incremental validity, and (5) group differences. In the second section of this chapter, we include a brief discussion of some issues in designing and administering selection systems. Personnel selection is one of the central topics in the study of work behavior (Guion, 1998), and aims to identify the individuals who will constitute the workforce in an organization. 'People make the place' (Schneider, 1987) and selecting the right people for the right jobs constitutes a source of competitive advantage for organizations. Matching individual abilities and needs to organizational rewards and demands has been a concern for human resource development experts. The financial health of an organization is predicated on the optimal selection and placement of employees (Hunter, Schmidt & Judiesch, 1990). In this chapter we review and summarize the literature on personnel selection as well as provide an overview of global trends in the practice of personnel selection. The organization of the chapter is as follows. There are two main sections. The first section reviews the different predictors that have been used and studied in personnel selection contexts. Cognitive ability tests, psychomotor and perceptual ability tests, personality tests, assessment centers, biodata, interviews and so on are reviewed. A separate subsection is devoted to each predictor. In reviewing each predictor, we organize the available literature into five main areas covering the following topics: (1) prevalence of use, (2) measurement and construct validity issues, (3) criterion-related validity, (4) issues of incremental validity, and (5) group differences. The existing literature for some predictors is sparse and in some instances this results in very short subsections (e.g., group differences in assessment centers). For these, we merely note the lack of empirical evidence and conclude with calls for more research.

Annual Review of Psychology, 2008

We review developments in personnel selection since the previous review by in the Annual Review of Psychology. We organize the review around a taxonomic structure of possible bases for improved selection, which includes (a) better understanding of the criterion domain and criterion measurement, (b) improved measurement of existing predictor methods or constructs, (c) identification and measurement of new predictor methods or constructs, (d ) improved identification of features that moderate or mediate predictor-criterion relationships, (e) clearer understanding of the relationship between predictors or between predictors and criteria (e.g., via meta-analytic synthesis), ( f ) identification and prediction of new outcome variables, (g) improved ability to determine how well we predict the outcomes of interest, (h) improved understanding of subgroup differences, fairness, bias, and the legal defensibility, (i ) improved administrative ease with which selection systems can be used, ( j ) improved insight into applicant reactions, and (k) improved decision-maker acceptance of selection systems. 419 Annu. Rev. Psychol. 2008.59:419-450. Downloaded from arjournals.annualreviews.org by RIJKSUNIVERSITEIT GENT on 03/10/08. For personal use only.

Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2005

For many decades, the focus of personnel selection research was on developing selection tests that maximized prediction of job performance; the approach was typically lacking in theoretical bases. The past two decades saw significant shifts in research to a focus on the nature of constructs and their interrelationships, characterized by an approach that emphasizes theoretical understanding of the phenomena under investigation. This article provides an overview of how a construct-oriented approach underlies major current directions in scientific research on personnel selection. Emerging trends that are likely to constitute issues of enduring importance are discussed.

International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 2007

2014

Identifying and hiring the highest performers is essential for organizations to remain competitive. Research has provided effective guidelines for this but important aspects of these evidence-based processes have yet to gain acceptance among practitioners. The general aim of this thesis was to help narrowing the gap between research and practice concerning personnel selection decisions. The first study compared the validity estimates of general mental ability (GMA) and the five factor model of personality traits as predictors of job performance, finding that, when the recently developed indirect correction for range restriction was applied, GMA was an even stronger predictor of job performance than previously found, while the predictive validity of the personality traits remained at similar levels. The approach used for data collection and combination is crucial to forming an overall assessment of applicants for selection decisions and has a great impact on the validity of the decision. The second study compared the financial outcomes of applying a mechanical or clinical approach to combining predictor scores. The results showed that the mechanical approach can result in a substantial increase in overall utility. The third study examined the potential influences that practitioners' cognitive decisionmaking style, accountability for the assessment process, and responsibility for the selection decision had on their hiring approach preferences. The results showed that practitioners scoring high on intuitive decision-making style preferred a clinical hiring approach, while the contextual aspects did not impact practitioners' preferences. While more research may be needed on practitioner preferences for a particular approach, the overall results of this thesis support and strengthen the predictive validity of GMA and personality traits, and indicate that the mechanical approach to data combination provides increased utility for organizations.

Blackwell Publishing Ltd eBooks, 2017

An important construct in Industrial, Work and Organizational (TWO) psychology, organizational behavior, and human resources management (personnel selection, training, and performance evaluation) in general, and personnel selection in particular, is the construct of job performance. Job performance is the most important dependent variable in TWO psychology (Schmidt & Hunter, 1992). A general definition of the construct of job performance reflects behaviors (both visually observable and non-observable) that can be evaluated (Viswesvaran, Ones, & Schmidt, 1996). In other words, job performance refers to scalable actions, behaviors, and outcomes that employees engage in or bring about that are linked with and contribute to organizational goals (Viswesvaran & Ones, 2000). To date, most researchers focusing on the construct of job performance have confined themselves to particular situations and settings with no attempt to generalize their findings. Also, there has been an emphasis on prediction and practical application rather than explanation and theory building. The consequence of these two trends has been a proliferation of the various measures of job performance in the extant literature. Virtually every measurable individual differences dimension thought to be relevant to the productivity, efficiency, or profitability of the unit or organization has been used as a measure of job performance. Absenteeism, productivity ratings, violence on the job, and teamwork ratings are some examples of the variety of measures used to measure job performance. There are multiple uses for job performance data. In selection contexts, measures of job performance are used to validate predictors. 'Thus, the choice of the job performance measure has important substantive implications for our practice and science of personnel selection. Measures of individual job performance play a central role at each step of the personnel selection function. Consider the first step in selection: recruitment of qualified applicants. One question in recruitment is whether the different sources of recruitment result in attraction of individuals who differ in job performance levels (Barber, 1998). Following successful recruitment efforts, attempts are made to identify individual differences variables that are related to individual differences in job performance, and select individuals based on those characteristics (Guion, 1998). Individual differences in job performance are assessed and those assessments are used in placement and promotion decisions.

Personnel …, 2007

While employers recognize the utility, convenience, and efficiency of unproctored testing, implementing unproctored high-stakes tests (such as an Internet-administered intelligence test used for selection) face multiple hurdles. As the percentage of high-complexity jobs continue to increase in the United States, intelligence measures will continue to be in demand for personnel selection purposes. This study further established the validity of a general intelligence measure, the Unobtrusive Knowledge Test (UKT) in support of unproctored and Internet-based personnel employee selection. UKT performance was significantly correlated to an established personnel selection test, the Wonderlic Personnel Test (WPT), while being perceived as survey, though participants had been told otherwise. Implications are discussed.

International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 2007

With the increasing use of personality, several measurement issues have been raised. The papers included in the special section of this journal, across three issues, address some of these concerns. In this post-script, we summarize some of the major themes and conclusions that appear across papers published in the special issue. Questions around the magnitudes of validity coefficients associated with personality measures, the efforts to enhance the usefulness of personality assessments, the strategies on administering, scoring and analyzing personality tests, etc., are addressed. Promising directions for future research are delineated.