BASIC TESTING CONCEPTS
Effective selection is very important and depends upon basic testing concepts of Reliability and Validity: Reliability. It refers to the consistency of scores obtained by the same person when retested with the identical tests or with alternate forms of the same test. In the absence of consistency, the test would not be trustworthy/ not acceptable. Validity. It is the second major requirement for a test and refers to ascertaining whether the test (or yardstick) is measuring what is actually to be measured. As such, test should be relevant to the job
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BASIC TESTING CONCEPTS
position. It is of further two types: o Criterion Validity. A type of validity based on showing that scores on the test (predictors) are related to job performance (criterion). We demonstrate that those who do well on the test should also do well on the actual job. For an athlete/ player, physical strength is more relevant to measure. o Content Validity. A content valid test is the one that contains a fair sample of the tasks and skills actually needed for the job in question. To hire a clerk for data entry, a data entry test would
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BASIC TESTING CONCEPTS
be relevant. The validation process consists of following five steps: 1. Analyze the job. 2. Choose the tests. 3. Administer the tests. 4. Relate the test scores and criteria - expectancy chart can be used. 5. Cross- validate and re- validate.
TYPES OF SELECTION TESTS
Tests of Cognitive Abilities: Intelligence Quotient Tests. IQ tests measure a range of (not a single traits) general intellectual abilities, including memory, vocabulary, verbal fluency & numerical ability. Specific Cognitive abilities tests. These tests measure specific mental abilities (aptitude tests) such as inductive & deductive reasoning, verbal comprehension & numerical ability.
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TYPES OF SELECTION TESTS
Tests of Motor & Physical Abilities: Motor abilities such as finger dexterity, manual dexterity and reason time are measured by these tests. Similarly, tests for measuring physical abilities include static strengths (in weight lifting), dynamic strengths (in pull-ups), body coordination (in jumping rope) etc. Measuring Personality & Interests: Along with required education, experience & skills, the individuals motivation and inter-personal skills are also very important. A motivated employee having excellent inter-personal skills can be of immense value to the organization; for instance, showing the candidates a clouded picture and then
TYPES OF SELECTION TESTS
asking them to interpret it or react to it. Some of the important personality dimensions are: Extroversion assertive, active. tendency to be sociable,
Emotional stability/ neuroticism tendency to exhibit poor emotional adjustments, & experience negative effects. Agreeableness tendency to be trusting, compliant, caring, Conscientiousness, achievements & dependability.
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TYPES OF SELECTION TESTS
Openness to experience always open to new experience & ready to accept new challenges. Interest Inventory: A personal development and selection device that compares the individuals current interests with those of others now in various occupations so as to determine the preferred occupation for the individual. Achievement tests: Used to measure what a person has learnt e.g. typing speed; include job knowledge, in areas like economics, marketing or human resource.
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TYPES OF SELECTION TESTS
Drug Tests: Drug screening is carried out to know that candidate is not drug addict. Honesty Tests: These tests are administered to predict the applicant proneness to dishonesty & other forms of counterproductivity. Web- based Tests: Ready made tests are available on various web sites for the benefits of the firms. These tests, however, be scrutinized and customized, if required, before their institution.
WORK SAMPLE/ SIMULATION TESTS
Work Sampling for Employee Selection: Work Samples. Actual job tasks/ simulators used in testing applicants performance. Work Sampling Technique. A testing method based on measuring performance on actual basic job tests (on the job test). Management Assessment Centers: A two to three-days simulation in which 10 to 12 management candidates are asked to perform realistic tasks in hypothetical situations and are scored on their performance. It usually also involves testing and the use of management games.
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WORK SAMPLE/ SIMULATION TESTS
The center may be a plain conference room or a special room designed for the purpose. Typical simulated exercises are: The in- basket. A candidate is exposed to an accumulation of reports, memos, notes of incoming calls, letters and his/ her response is notes. Leaderless Group Discussion. Participants are given a discussion question/ problem to arrive at a solution. Interpersonal skills, leadership ability and individual influence of the members are measured. Management Games. Participants solve realistic problems as members of simulated companies
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WORK SAMPLE/ SIMULATION TESTS
competing in a market. They have to decide, e.g., how to advertise & manufacture, how much inventory to stock etc. Individual Presentations. Communication skills and persuasiveness of the individuals are measured through oral presentations.
OTHER SELECTION TOOLS
Reference Checks. By knowing the credibility of referrals, appropriateness of the candidate may be ascertained to a large extent. Pre- employment Information Services. Preemployment services use data basis to collect information such as workers compensation and credit histories and conviction and driving records. Graphology (Handwriting Analysis). It refers to use of handwriting analysis to determine the writers basic personality traits.
SELECTION INTERVIEWS
TYPES OF SELECTION INTERVIEWS
Structured/ Directive Interview. An interview following a set sequence of pre-decided questions; the questions and acceptable responses are specified in advance and responses are rated for appropriateness of contents. A set of standard Qs is asked from all. Behavioral Interviews. A series of job related questions that focus on how the candidate reacted to actual situations in the past. For example; can you think of a time when you faced a strike; how you tackled it ? Situational Interview. A series of job related questions that focus on how the candidate would behave in a given job situation.
TYPES OF SELECTION INTERVIEWS
Un- structured: A conversational style interview in which the interviewer pursues points of interest as they come up in response to questions. Such an interview can take any direction in the absence of a set format to follow. Nondirective Interview. Interview in which questions are developed from the answers to previous questions.
Pressure/ Stress Interviews: An interview in which the applicant is made uncomfortable by a series of often rude questions. This technique helps identify hyper- sensitive applicants and those with low or high stress tolerance.
WHO DOES INTERVIEWS ?
Panel Interview. An interview in which a panel/ group of interviewers interview the candidate at the same time. Team Interview. An interview in which applicants are interviewed by the team members with whom they will work. Video Interviewing. Applicants are asked to go to video conferencing facilities scheduled by the employer. Both the interviewers & the applicants are video linked at pre-decided time. It is the most cost effective method of conducting selection interviews.
HOW TO INCREASE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN INTERVIEW
Interviewing is not an innate talent; rather it can be developed with training & experience. Control it, i.e. decide what to ask after reading resume & application form. Plan & prepare for an interview. Establish rapport with applicant & ask resultsoriented questions. Put the applicant at ease in first few minutes. Use the right questioning technique describe who, what, when, why, tell me, which are all good ways. Conti
HOW TO INCREASE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN INTERVIEW
Problems to be avoided:
Snap judgments. Dont be ruled by snap judgment (initial impression). Negative emphasis. Any negative characteristic displayed by the interviewee may bar an individual from being accepted. Halo effects. Allowing one positive characteristic overshadow the others (assuming all others as positive). Devils horns effects. Allowing one negative characteristic overshadow the others (assuming all others as negative). Conti
Biases and Stereotyping. Personal biases and stereotyping must be avoided do not favor those considered to be like interviewer and vice versa. Cultural noise. Interviewer must learn to recognize and handle the cultural noise response that applicant believes is acceptable. Reliability. A reliable interview must exhibit consistency in the ability of interviewer to pick the same capability again and again. It is of two types: Intra-rater reliability. When interviewer is same. Inter-rater reliability. When interviewer is different. Conti
Validity. An interview should be valid i.e. candidate should perform well in the job, if he did well during the interview. As such, job related questions should be asked from the candidates. Dont underestimate the power of silence. Close the interview with care & courtesy. Note: Use of Structured Interview increases its validity and is often most effective.
COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
General Questions: What are your strengths & weaknesses?
Why did you leave your last job? Why should we hire you? What is most important to you in a job?
Problem Solving Questions: What is the most creative idea you have?
Describe a problem that you have faced & solved. What problem-solving approach works best for you. Describe a sale you did not make, and explain Conti
Motivation: What have you done that shows initiative? What career objective have been met? How do you measure success? What rewards mean most to you? Working with others: What kind of people do you like to work with? Tell me about a conflict with a fellow worker; how was it resolved? Describe your management style? How do others see you? Conti
Integrity indicators: Tell me about a time when you were not honest. How would you react, if were asked to do something unethical? If you saw a coworker doing something dishonest, what would you do? When did you last break a rule? When I call your previous employer, what comments will I get?
GUIDELINES FOR AN INTERVIEWEE
Appearance to be taken care of. Know the job & the interviewers special interests. Know the problems interviewer wants to solve. Stress on enthusiasm and motivation to work. Understand how your own objectives match with that of the organization. Remain cool & calm. Be truthful at every cost. Dont leave any doubt unclear.
PLACEMENT OF EMPLOYEES
Placement refers to fitting a person to a job. The ultimate aim of selection is placement. How well an employee is matched to a job affects the amount and quality of the employee job. Poor performers (misfit) would cause loss of money and time. Person- Job Fit. Matching the KSAs of employees with the characteristics of jobs. Person- Organization Fit. It refers to the congruence between individuals and organizational factors.
