HR Policies Practices

Human Resource Policies and
Practices

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The Selection Process
The most important HR decision is whom to

hire

Initial
Selection

Substantive
Selection

Contingent
Selection
Applicant receives job offer.
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Applicants who don’t meet basic requirements are rejected. Applicants who meet basic requirements, but are less qualified than others, are rejected. Applicants who are among best qualified, but who fail contingent selection, are rejected. Stage 1: Initial Selection
Initial selection devices are used to determine

if basic qualifications for the job are met

Devices include:
Application Forms
 Good initial screen
 Must be careful about questions asked – legal issues
Background Checks
 Most employers want reference information, but few give it out – litigation worries
 Letters of recommendation are of marginal worth
 May use criminal record or credit report checks

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Stage 2: Substantive
Selection

These devices are the heart of the selection

process

Written Tests
 Testing applicants for: intelligence or cognitive ability, personality, integrity, and interests
 Intelligence tests are the best predictor across all jobs
Performance-Simulation Tests
 Based on job-related performance requirements
 Work Sample Tests
 Creating a miniature replica of a job to evaluate the performance abilities of job candidates
 Assessment Centers
 A set of performance-simulation tests designed to evaluate a candidate’s managerial potential
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Another Substantive Selection
Device
 Interviews

Are the most frequently used selection tool
Carry a great deal of weight in the selection process
Can be biased toward those who “interview well”

 Types of Interviews

Unstructured (randomly chosen questions)
 Most common, least predictive, and prone to bias
Structured (standardized sets of