Chapter 6

Employee Testing
and Selection

Part Two | Recruitment and Placement

Copyright
Copyright ©© 2011
2011 Pearson
Pearson Education,
Education, Inc.
Inc. PowerPoint
PowerPoint Presentation
Presentation by
by Charlie
Charlie Cook
Cook
publishing
publishing as
as Prentice
Prentice Hall
Hall The
The University
University of
of West
West Alabama
Alabama
 Why Careful Selection is Important

The Importance of Selecting

the Right Employees

Organizational Costs of recruiting Legal obligations

performance and hiring and liability

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 6–2

Avoiding Negligent Hiring Claims
• Carefully scrutinize information on employment
applications.
• Get written authorization for reference checks, and
check references.
• Save all records and information about the applicant.
• Reject applicants for false statements or conviction
records for offenses related to the job.
• Balance the applicant’s privacy rights with others’
“need to know.”
• Take immediate disciplinary action if problems arise.

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 6–3

Basic Testing Concepts
• Reliability
 Describes the consistency of scores obtained by the same
person when retested with the identical or alternate forms of the
same test.
 Are test results stable over time?
• Validity
 Indicates whether a test is measuring what it is supposed to be
measuring.
 Does the test actually measure what it is intended to measure?

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 6–4

How Do Employers Use Tests at Work?
• Major Types of Tests
 Basic skills tests

 Job skills tests

 Psychological tests

• Why Use Testing?

 Increased work demands = more testing

 Screen out bad or dishonest employees

 Reduce turnover by personality profiling

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 6–5

Computerized and Online Testing
• Online tests
 Telephone prescreening
 Offline computer tests
 Virtual “inbox” tests
 Online problem-solving tests

• Types of Tests
 Specialized work sample tests
 Numerical ability tests
 Reading comprehension tests
 Clerical comparing and checking tests

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 6–6

 Types of Tests

What Different Tests Measure

Cognitive Motor and Personality Current

abilities physical abilities and interests achievement

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 6–7

 The “Big Five”

Extraversion

Emotional stability/
Conscientiousness
Neuroticism

Openness to
Agreeableness
experience

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 6–8

 Work Samples and Simulations

Measuring Work Performance

Directly

Management Video-based Miniature job

Work
assessment situational training and
samples
centers testing evaluation

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 6–9

 TABLE 6–2 Evaluation of Assessment Methods on Four Key Criteria

Costs (Develop/
Assessment Method Validity Adverse Impact Administer) Applicant Reactions
Cognitive ability tests High High (against minorities) Low/low Somewhat favorable
Job knowledge test High High (against minorities) Low/low More favorable
Personality tests Low to Low Low/low Less favorable
moderate
Biographical data inventories Moderate Low to high for different High/low Less favorable
types
Integrity tests Moderate to Low Low/low Less favorable
high
Structured interviews High Low High/high More favorable
Physical fitness tests Moderate to High (against females and High/high More favorable
high older workers)
Situational judgment tests Moderate Moderate (against High/low More favorable
minorities)
Work samples High Low High/high More favorable
Assessment centers Moderate to Low to moderate, High/high More favorable
high depending on exercise
Physical ability tests Moderate to High (against females and High/high More favorable
high older workers)

Note: There was limited research evidence available on applicant reactions to situational judgment tests and physical ability tests. However,
because these tests tend to appear very relevant to the job, it is likely that applicant reactions to them would be favorable.

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 6–10

Background Investigations and
Other Selection Methods
• Investigations and Checks
 Reference checks
 Background employment checks
 Criminal records
 Driving records
 Credit checks

• Why?
 To verify factual information provided by applicants
 To uncover damaging information

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 6–11

Background Investigations and
Reference Checks

Former Employers

Current Supervisors

Sources of Commercial Credit

Information Rating Companies

Written References

Social Networking Sites

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 6–12

 Limitations on Background Investigations
and Reference Checks

Legal Issues:
Defamation

Background
Employer Legal Issues:
Guidelines
Investigations and Privacy
Reference Checks

Supervisor
Reluctance

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 6–13

Making Background Checks More Useful
1. Include on the application form a statement for
applicants to sign explicitly authorizing a background
check.
2. Use telephone references if possible.
3. Be persistent in obtaining information.
4. Compare the submitted résumé to the application.
5. Ask open-ended questions to elicit more information
from references.
6. Use references provided by the candidate as a source
for other references.

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 6–14

The Polygraph and Honesty Testing
• Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988
 Generally prohibits polygraph examinations by all private
employers unless:
 The employer has suffered an economic loss or injury.
 The employee in question had access to the property.
 There is a reasonable prior suspicion.
 The employee is told the details of the investigation, as well
as questions to be asked on the polygraph test itself.
 Private business exceptions:
 Private security employees
 Employees with access to drugs
 Ongoing economic loss or injury investigations

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 6–15

Honesty Testing Programs:
What Employers Can Do
• Antitheft Screening Procedure:
 Ask blunt questions.
 Listen, rather than talk.
 Do a credit check.
 Check all employment and personal references.
 Use paper-and-pencil honesty tests and psychological tests.
 Test for drugs.
 Establish a search-and-seizure policy and conduct searches.

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 6–16

 FIGURE 6–9 “The Uptight Personality”

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 6–17

Physical Examinations
• Reasons for preemployment medical examinations:
 To verify that the applicant meets the physical requirements of
the position.
 To discover any medical limitations to be taken into account in
placing the applicant.
 To establish a record and baseline of the applicant’s health for
future insurance or compensation claims.
 To reduce absenteeism and accidents.
 To detect communicable diseases that may be unknown to the
applicant.

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 6–18

Substance Abuse Screening
• Types of Screening
 Before formal hiring
 After a work accident
 Presence of obvious behavioral symptoms
 Random or periodic basis
 Transfer or promotion to new position

• Types of Tests
 Urinalysis
 Hair follicle testing

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 6–19

 Substance Abuse Screening Issues

Safety:
impairment vs.
presence

American with Recreational use

Disabilities Act vs. addiction
Ethical and
Legal Issues
Drug Free
Intrusiveness of
Workplace Act of
testing procedures
1998

Accuracy of tests

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 6–20