Personnel Selection Methods Research Articles

Situational judgment tests: An overview of current research

article i nfo a bstract Situational judgment tests (SJTs) are popular personnel selection tests. To aid researchers, the paper summarizes the current knowledge and where knowledge gaps exist. To guide practice, the paper provides evidence-based recommendations. The paper begins with a brief history of SJTs, presents likely reasons for the resurgence of SJTresearch and practice, and summarizes the theoretical basis of SJTs. Then, the distinction between personnel selection methods and constructs is reviewed as it is particularly important in understanding SJTs. SJT research relevant to reliability and validity is summarized as is research relevant to the implementation of SJTs. The paper concludes with recommendations for practice and an agenda for future research.

Is good character good enough? The effects of situational variables on the relationship between integrity and counterproductive work behaviors

The literature on integrity testing in personnel selection has reported impressive validities for predicting counterproductive work behaviors (CWB), but has seldom taken into consideration the possible influences of situational variables once job applicants are hired. This study examined the main effects and interaction effects of two situational variables, employee engagement and security control norms, on the relationship between integrity and CWB admissions. Based on data collected from a census sample of job incumbents from a large international retail company, all three variables were found to be moderately related to CWB, incrementally valid when aggregated, and together led to a lower rate of false positives than that yielded by integrity alone. In addition, employee engagement and security control norms each moderated the relationship between integrity and CWB when integrity was low, but did not influence CWB when integrity was high. The implications of these findings on personnel selection methods are discussed.

Psychological Testing in Personnel Selection, Part III: The Resurgence of Personality Testing

This article is the third in a three-part series examining the development of selection testing. Part I focused on the historical development of personnel selection testing from the late 19th century to the present, with particular attention given to personality testing. Attention was given to the efforts of early industrial psychologists that shaped and defined the role of testing in the scientific selection of employees. Part II examined the development of methods and standards in employment testing, with particular emphasis on selection validity and utility. We also explored the issues of selection fairness and discrimination in selection as they relate to psychological testing. Part III explores the development and application of personality testing with a particular emphasis on the development of the Big Five personality model and the utility of adding personality testing to the menu of choices for personnel selection methods. The transient nature of models of personality is noted, and current paradigms and the utility and fairness of personality testing for modern organizations is discussed.

Fairness Reactions to Personnel Selection Methods: An international comparison between the Netherlands, the United States, France, Spain, Portugal, and Singapore

This paper reports reactions to employee selection methods in the Netherlands and compares these findings internationally against six other previously published samples covering the United States, France, Spain, Portugal, and Singapore. A sample of 167 participants rated 10 popular assessment techniques using a translated version of Steiner and Gilliland's measure. In common with other country samples, we found that the most popular methods among applicants were interviews, work sample tests, and resumes. Least popular methods were graphology, personal contacts, and honesty and integrity tests. Generally, method favorability was found to be highly similar to the US and other published studies internationally. Across the six countries mean process favorability correlated at .87 and mean cross‐national procedural justice correlated .68. Process dimension ratings correlated at between .79 and .97 between the United States and the Netherlands. Only medium effect size differences (Cohen's d) were found between Dutch and US reactions to resumes and personality tests, the former being more favorably rated in the United States (d=.62) and the latter being more positively rated in the Netherlands (d=−.76). Implications for the design of selection procedures are discussed, especially implications for likely similarities and differences in applicant reactions internationally.

Fairness Reactions to Personnel Selection Techniques in Greece: The role of core self‐evaluations

The current study examines fairness reactions to personnel selection methods and the role of core self‐evaluations (CSE) in Greece using two samples of employees (N=158) and students (N=181). Interviews, résumés, and work samples were the best‐rated and most favourably appraised methods across students and employees. Students demonstrated more positive attitudes towards psychometric (i.e., ability, personality, honesty) tests than did employees. As far as the procedural dimensions are concerned, similarly to previous studies, face validity and opportunity to perform were the strongest correlates of considering personnel selection methods favourably. Overall, the relationship between fairness reactions and CSE was weak. Our findings are compared with the results from studies of other countries using similar methodologies.

Fairness Reactions to Selection Methods: An Italian study

This study examined the fairness reactions to 10 personnel selection methods in a sample of Italian students. University students (N=137) were asked to rate the favorability of these selection procedures and then to evaluate them on eight procedural justice dimensions. Work‐sample tests were the most favorably rated of the selection methods, followed by résumés, written ability tests, interviews and personal references. Graphology was perceived negatively. Opportunity to perform and the perceived face validity of selection procedures were the strongest procedural justice dimensions for predicting the process favorability ratings. The results of this study are compared with those from similar studies conducted in other countries. Similar results have been found in the various countries where such research has been conducted to date.

Fairness Reactions to Personnel Selection Techniques in Spain and Portugal

This paper examines the reactions to personnel selection methods in Spain and Portugal using a sample composed of 125 and 104 students, respectively. The results found are very similar in both countries. The best rated and most favorable methods are interviews, résumés and work sample tests, while contacts, integrity tests and graphology were the least favorable ones. With regard to the process dimensions used, face validity and opportunity to perform are the most important bases for considering personnel techniques favorably. The results show some similarities with the ones found by Steiner and Gilliland (1996) in French and American samples. The similarities among the countries are examined and directions for future research are discussed.

Attitudes Towards Personnel Selection Methods: A Partial Replication and Extension in a German Sample

Cette recherche qui fait appel à un échantillon de 213 étudiants allemands porte sur les attitudes envers un ensemble de méthodes utilisées dans la sélection professionnelle. Son but premier était d’apporter un nouvel éclairage sur les différences culturelles qui marquent les réactions des candidats devant les techniques de sélection en reconstituant partiellement une étude de Steiner & Gilliland (1996) qui recueillirent des évaluations de l’acceptation du processus pour dix procédures différentes auprès d’étudiants français et américains. Des divergences significatives sont apparues au niveau des moyennes, mais aucune structure sous‐jacente ne put rendre compte de ces différences. En général, les sujets des trois nations ont note les plus favorablement les méthodes répandues (l’entretien et le C.V.), ainsi que les procédures en rapport évident avec le travail (les tests d’échantillon de travail), puis les tests papier‐crayon, tandis que les contacts personnels et la graphologie étaient négativement appréciés. Autre objectif important: éprouver la validité des courtes descriptions des instruments de sélection généralement utilisées dans les études comparatives portant sur ce thème. On a évalué deux fois les attitudes envers quatre types de tests imprimés, une premiére fois après la présentation de la description et une seconde fois à l’issue de la passation du test. La convergence prétest‐posttest, de basse à moyenne, met en évidence de sérieux problémes en ce qui concerne ces descriptions des tests papier‐crayon. On aborde aussi les leçons à en tirer quant aux jugements sur les pratiques de sélection du point de vue des candidats et pour les recherches à venir.This research examined attitudes towards a variety of personnel selection methods in a German student sample (N= 213). Its first objective was to shed further light on cultural differences in applicant reactions to selection techniques by partially replicating a study by Steiner and Gilliland (1996), who obtained ratings of process favorability for ten different procedures from two groups of French and American students. Results indicated a number of significant mean discrepancies but no systematic pattern appeared to underlie these differences. In general, subjects in all three nations rated widespread methods (e.g. interview, résumés) or obviously job‐related procedures (work sample tests) most favorably, followed by paper‐and‐pencil tests, whereas personal contacts and graphology appeared in the negative range. A second major objective was to examine the validity of the brief descriptions of selection instruments often used in comparative studies on this topic. Attitudes towards four different types of written tests were assessed twice for this purpose, once after presenting descriptive information, and a second time after actual test administration. Low to moderate pretest–posttest convergence pointed to serious problems with these descriptions for paper‐and‐pencil tests. Implications for current evaluations of selection practices from the applicants’ perspective and for future research are discussed.

Personnel selection

The main elements in the design and validation of personnel selection procedures have been in place for many years. The role of job analysis, contemporary models of work performance and criteria are reviewed critically. After identifying some important issues and reviewing research work on attracting applicants, including applicant perceptions of personnel selection processes, the research on major personnel selection methods is reviewed. Recent work on cognitive ability has confirmed the good criterion‐related validity, but problems of adverse impact remain. Work on personality is progressing beyond studies designed simply to explore the criterion‐related validity of personality. Interview and assessment centre research is reviewed, and recent studies indicating the key constructs measured by both are discussed. In both cases, one of the key constructs measured seems to be generally cognitive ability. Biodata validity and the processes used to develop biodata instruments are also critically reviewed. The article concludes with a critical evaluation of the processes for obtaining validity evidence (primarily from meta‐analyses) and the limitations of the current state of the art. Speculative future prospects are briefly reviewed.

A critique and standardization of meta‐analytic validity coefficients in personnel selection

In personnel selection, variations in the interpretation and application of the Hunter and Schmidt meta‐analytic procedures often preclude a meaningful comparison between validity coefficients estimated by different meta‐analyses. In order to increase the comparability and accuracy of these coefficients, a standardized set of procedures and cumulated artifact distributions were used to correct 20 widely reported meta‐analytic validity coefficients estimated for six personnel selection methods (using job performance as the criterion). Structured interviews and cognitive ability tests demonstrated the highest operational validity. Seventeen of the 20 coefficients were found to be affected by moderators according to the Hunter and Schmidt 75% rule. On average, around 50% of variance in the meta‐analytic coefficients was explained by the correctable experimental artifacts of sampling error, direct range restriction in the predictor variable, and criterion unreliability. Limitations of this exercise and its implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Simulation Methodology for Crisis Management Support

This paper briefly reviews the classic and more recent literature on crisis simulations. After discussing the essence of simulations, as opposed to scenarios and games, five functions of simulations are highlighted: a research tool; a teaching and training instrument; a planning method; a tool for designing decision support systems; and a personnel selection method. Different design dimensions of educational and research simulations are brought to the fore.

ET GO HOME? THE SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT OF EXPATRIATE TRANSFERS

Discusses research in the literature about the expatriate manager as a unit of resource. The research to date has largely addressed concerns for the high failure rate and costs of expatriate assignments, suggestions for improving methods of personnel selection; comparative studies of expatriate and local managers; and recommendations for improving expatriate success. Notes that rarely are the problems of expatriate personnel addressed collectively, particularly with a focus on Asia. Discusses effectiveness of expatriate assignments within the totality of four distinctive phases: selection; preparation; acculturation; and repatriation. Provides a valuable foundation for providing organizational recommendations to enhance the success of future expatriate placements.

The Validity of the Employment Interview: A Meta‐Analysis

The interview is the most widely used personnel selection method, but has revealed low reliability and validity compared with other selection methods (Mayfield 1964; Ulrich and Trumbo 1965; Schmitt 1976; Arvey 1979). Thirty‐one studies on the validity of the interview were meta‐analyzed. The result was an average validity coefficient of .27. The estimated true validity of the interview was calculated to be .38. These values indicated that the interview has moderate validity as a personnel selection device. Six characteristics of the interview were also examined in relation to the validity of the interview: structure of the interview; number of interviewers; length of the interview; gender of the applicant pool; blue‐collar/white‐collar jobs; and use of college students versus job applicants. The six study characteristics accounted for 30.9% of the variance in the validity of the interview. Structure of the interview appeared to be the only characteristic that moderated the validity of the interview. The relationship of this study to other meta‐analyses of the employment interview is discussed.

The Impact of Personnel Selection and Assessment Methods on Candidates

Evidence will be presented of the impact of the assessment and selection techniques used in a management development program in a major UK financial services organization. The assessment techniques involved are situational interviews and two different assessment centers. Drawing on a questionnaire study of 141 managers, data are presented concerning the impact of such techniques on organizational commitment and job and career withdrawal cognitions. The results suggest that assessment procedures and decisions have some impact on candidates' post-assessment attitude to the organization and their intention to leave their jobs and careers. The article also presents data on the reactions of the participants to the selection and assessment process. A preliminary theoretical view of the impact process is presented and discussed.

The Impact on Utility, Race, and Gender Using Three Standard Methods of Scoring Selection Examinations

This study examined the utility implications of three commonly used personnel selection methods in terms of social and economic equity. The comparative analysis stemmed from the controversial issues of weighing social policy as identified by EEOC standards and affirmative action guidelines against an employer's right to hire the most productive job applicants. How the social equity and productivity issues are addressed, according to an organization's desired outcomes, can help determine the type of selection procedure adopted. In terms of productivity, the top-down raw score approach was by far the best, followed by the minimum cutoff procedure and the within-group standardized score method produced the greatest selection of minority groups, followed by the minimum cutoff procedure and the top-down raw score approach. The top-down raw score approach clearly showed a disparate impact on minority groups, while the within-group standardized scoring method demonstrated adverse impact on the white group, indicating a potential for reverse discrimination. The results from comparing these selection strategies in terms of the gain in productivity and in social equity are of enormous assistance when making a final decision as to the appropriate selection strategy.

Methods of Personnel Recruitment and Selection

This article discusses methods of recruiting and selecting new employees. Topics covered include: manpower planning; promotional material; campus interviews; group recruiting; summer employees; experienced personnel; selection program; evaluation of applicants; interviewing process; and, the final selection.