Lecture 4 - Applicant Screening

Question 1

What does the term volume management refer to?

Answer 1

• A company’s job to manage the sheer amount of job applications they receive
• A relatively new problem due to the prevalence of online applications

Question 2

What are structural access limitations?

Answer 2

• A volume management strategy
• Reduced access to the application process, making it harder for people to fins

Question 3

What are quotas?

Answer 3

• A volume management strategy
• Only allowing a certain number of people to apply for the position
• Usually on a first come first serve basis
  The downside is that people who are unemployed will usually access the application first

Question 4

How does targeted recruiting impact volume management?

Answer 4

• Usually involves internal hiring or union hiring.
• Hiring from a specific pool of applicants

Question 5

How can short advertising periods impact volume management?

Answer 5

• Only getting a short but possibly limited pool of applicants

Question 6

How can RJP’s (realistic job previews) help with volume management?

Answer 6

• Won’t be so overrun with applicants, still may not get the best applicants though
• Emphasis on P-O fit

Question 7

What are the benefits of screening applicants?

Answer 7

• Save costs
• Improve efficiency
• Ensure applicants are adequate and reach a certain standard
• Usually minimum requirements only

Question 8

What are the advantages and disadvantages of application forms?

Answer 8

• Advantages: Simplest form; most common; can concentrate on specific skills
• Disadvantages: A lot of people misrepresent and distort their previous experience cause they’re self-reporting; also doesn’t correlate to how long they are employed for; people may inflate what their previous salary was

Question 9

What are Weighted Application Blanks (WAB)?

Answer 9

• A technique for scoring applicants
• Decisions on how to weigh responses (not all the same)
• A total score is then calculated on how well the applicant filled out the application and determines how well they fit the job
• Valuable when: there’s a large number of employees, adequate personnel records; turnover is high; low selection ratio; costly training

Question 10

What are Behavioural Information Blanks (BIBs)?

Answer 10

• Cover much broader content than application forms
• Ex. Health, family background, SES, hobbies, interests, etc.

Question 11

What are common BIB dimensions?

Answer 11

• School achievement
• Drive/ambition
• Leadership and group participation
• Financial responsibility
• Situational stability

Question 12

What are the advantages/disadvantages of using BIBs?

Answer 12

• Advantages: One of the most valid predictors; inexpensive
• Disadvantages: Can be offensive; can be illegal; can be faked

Question 13

Are reference checks useful?

Answer 13

• Personal references are not good
• Often poor reliability and validity
• Better to call references and ask for behavioural evidence of target behaviours