Personnel Attraction and Selection

Question 1

What is an Assessment Center (AC) and what are its origins?

Answer 1

An Assessment Center involves several exercises and tests, including simulated situations to evaluate candidates’ behaviors in a standardized way. This method was initially developed in the German military between World War I and II for selecting officers.

Question 2

Name two typical exercises used in Assessment Centers

Answer 2

1. Leaderless Group Discussion: Candidates discuss a topic among peers without a designated leader.
2. In-basket Exercise: Candidates sort and respond to a series of documents within a set time frame.

Question 3

What is faking in the context of personnel selection, and how is it viewed?

Answer 3

Faking involves candidates distorting their responses (e.g., in personality tests) to appear more suitable for a position. It is a contentious issue, with some viewing it as morally wrong and others as a necessary adaptation. Studies show mixed results regarding its impact on selection decisions and job performance.

Question 4

What current societal changes are impacting personnel selection?

Answer 4

1. Aging Populations: Fewer applicants on the market, giving more power to applicants in job selection.
2. Increasing Diversity: Organizations focus not only on hiring the best candidates but also on creating a diverse workforce to better serve diverse customers and to ensure fairness in selection processes.

Question 5

What is the main focus of personnel selection in work, organizational, and business psychology?

Answer 5

Personnel selection primarily focuses on pragmatic outcomes, aiming to find the best match for a job. It concentrates on predictive validity of selection procedures to ensure they can forecast job performance.

Question 6

What are predictive and concurrent validity in the context of personnel selection?

Answer 6

Predictive validity connects the results of selection procedures (like tests) to future job performance. Concurrent validity involves testing prediction tools and simultaneously collecting job performance data from current job holders.

Question 7

What does the “past behavior predicts future behavior” principle imply in personnel selection?

Answer 7

This principle assumes that an individual’s past behavior is a reliable indicator of future performance. Common practices based on this principle include reference checks and behavioral interview questions.

Question 8

Describe the “show me what you can do” principle in personnel selection.

Answer 8

This principle emphasizes observing actual skills through actions rather than descriptions, supporting the use of practical tests or simulations (e.g., plays) in the selection process.

Question 9

What is signaling theory and how does it apply to personnel selection?

Answer 9

Signaling theory addresses the communication between employers and applicants, suggesting that trustworthy signals are those hard to fake or costly to produce. It deals with the divergence in interests between both parties, emphasizing the strategic presentation of skills and attributes.

Question 10

What is ATIC and why is it important in personnel selection?

Answer 10

ATIC stands for the Ability to Identify Criteria. It refers to an applicant’s capacity to detect subtle hints about what assessors value during selection processes. High ATIC scores correlate with better performance both in selection processes and on the job.

Question 11

What are the theoretical models that explain faking and self-presentation?

Answer 11

1. Levashina and Campion’s model of faking likelihood which includes capacity to fake, willingness to fake, and opportunity to fake.
2. Marcus’s process model of self-presentation which involves assessing organization’s expectations, adjusting self-presentation strategies, and utilizing behavioral skills to meet those expectations.

Question 12

What does the ASA (attraction-selection-attrition) model propose in recruitment and selection?

Answer 12

The ASA model suggests that applicants are attracted to, selected by, and remain with organizations that are similar to them. This results in organizational homogeneity but might hinder necessary changes within the organization.

Question 13

What is the problem with only trying to change structures and processes in highly homogeneous organizations?

Answer 13

fail to notice that »people make the place«

Question 14

What is the general problem with highly homogeneous organizations?

Answer 14

could mean that they fail to notice that change is required

Question 15

Why are meta-analyses crucial in personnel selection research?

Answer 15

Meta-analyses help summarize varying research findings, correct for sampling errors and other variances in studies, and establish stronger estimates of true correlations between selection procedures and job performance.

Question 16

What should be considered about predictive validity in personnel selection? (with focus on using insights of meta analyses)

Answer 16

1. Don’t expect very high correlations as multiple factors influence job performance.
2. Interpret correlations cautiously due to the variability in data.
3. Comparisons between meta-analyses need consideration of underlying study differences.
4. Methodological choices in conducting meta-analyses can influence outcomes.

Question 17

What needs to be done in the Preparation Phase of personnel selection?

Answer 17

You should conduct a thorough job analysis using tools like the Fleishman Job Analysis Survey or the critical incident technique to understand the necessary KSAOs (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Other characteristics) for the job.

Question 18

What is the critical incident technique?

Answer 18

e.g., by asking other team leaders which behaviors separate good from bad leaders

Question 19

What considerations should be made during the recruitment phase?

Answer 19

One can choose between internal and external recruitment, considering the firm-specific KSAOs from internal candidates and using various advertisement strategies for external sourcing to ensure a good candidate pool.

Question 20

Was sind GMA Tests?

Answer 20

General Mental Ability Tests

Question 21

Was sind SJTs?

Answer 21

Situational Judgement Tests

Question 22

What are the four major caveats to keep in mind when considering personnel selection practices?

Answer 22

1. Construct Validity Problems: Often it is unclear exactly what is being measured in selection procedures, and whether the intended constructs are truly assessed.
2. Subgroup Differences: Variations in performance between different demographic groups (e.g., gender, race) are documented, raising questions about fairness and accuracy of selection measures.
3. Overreliance on Entry-Level Jobs: Research and validity studies often focus disproportionately on entry-level positions, possibly skewing understanding of selection effectiveness in higher-level positions.
4. Scientist-Practitioner Gap: A significant disconnect exists between the evidence-based findings of research and the actual practices implemented by practitioners, often influenced by commercial interests and existing biases.