HRM (Subject) / Personnel Selection (Lesson)

Processes and instruments in HRM

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• Characteristics of Employees different requirements for employees: in different industries in different organizations in different functions specific jobs economical argument: different characteristics of an employee result in different gains How to describe the characteristic of employees? economic literature: talent, human, capital, social preferences personnel psychology: knowledge, skills, abbilities and other atributes in practical management: competencies
• Talent, human capital and social preferences Critical distrinction on personell economics: innate abilities Human capital: general human capital vs. specific human capital social preferences (altruism, inquality aversion...)
• KSAO Distrintion in personnel psychological literature between: knowledge - possesed by a candidate which can directly contribute to solving tasks skills - trained competences, e.d. typing abilities - fundamental and permanent traits of a person contributing to the success in various tasks other characteristics - work ethics, values, integrity
• Competencies Term often used in corporate praxis Various definitions of competencies: "A mixture of knowledge, skills, abilities, motivation, beliefs, values and interests" "A written description of measurable work habits and personal skills" Many companies define competency models Goal: defining a homogeous framework Deriving competency profiles for single positions derived based on framework
• Companies as internal labor markets Function of the internal labor market as opposed to the external labor market: wages are not distinct by supply and demand wages mainly tied to position instead of the person companies have limited number of ports od entry often predetermined career paths administration by rules and routines
• Job description and requirements Job description - description of the tasks and the work context Requirement profile: required KSAOs general requirements of the organization requirements of the position Goal of selection process: identification of applicants suitable for the position
• contents of job description and requirement profile Job description: name of the position and goal/main task organizational unit task, possibly structured by task dimension indicators for the importance of the task dimension description of the work context Requirement profile: name of the position organizational unit specification of the tasks required competencies, possibly structured by dimension indicators for the importance of the competencies/KSAOs
• personnel questionnaire Screening instrument to establish basic information on the applicant Deployment as a selection instrument, especially if other procedures are too costly: marginal emplyment short period possible contents include: specifications on family status, place of residence previous postitions and experiences knowledge and skills health records
• Application documents Consists of: Cover letter CV Credentials and references In most cases used in combination or as a preselection tool In praxis, often an intuitive evaluation rather than systematic approach Criteria: formal aspects position-specific cover letter qualifications appropriate to the position gaps in the CV good grades  
• Interview Panel Very frequently used tool Different forms: structured interview unstructured interview semi-structured interview Task of the interview allows getting to know each other social validity allows realistic job preview possibly negotiation of job conditions
• Multimodal interview Standardized interview process Applicant is rated on behaviorally anchored rating scale Trimodal approach Trait approach (intelligence) Biographical approach Behavioral approach
• Components of the Multimodal Interview 1. Start of the conversation 2. Applicant's self-introduction 3. Free part 4. Professionals interest 5. Questions concerning biography 6. Realistic job preview 7. Situational questions 8. End of conversation
• 5 Factor Model Neuroticism Extraversion Openness Agreeableness Conscientiousness Measures by different test-posibilities: NEO-FFI BFI-10 deeper: FPI-R BIP - Bochumer Inventar zur berufsbezogenen Persönlichkeitsbeschreibung
• BIP Goal of the BIP is the standardized capturing of the candidate's self-perception regarding relevant descriptive dimensions out of professionals life Comprises 17 personality traits in four dimensions: Professional orientation Work habits Social Competencies Mental constitution
• Integrity tests to measures applicants' integrity assumption: integrity influences undesired behavior Origin: prevent selection of recruits with criminal background Results positively correlated with conscientiousness, emotional stability and agreeableness; no realtionship with intelligence Often used in the US, hardly ever used in Germany
• Possibilities and constraints of interviews and personality tests They deliver informatioin which go beyond the scope of cognitive performance Personality tests: only use valid instruments Application only appropriate if measured dimensions of personality are relevant for the respective workplace Interviews: Structured procedure to ensure comparability Applicant can gain insight into company
• Cognitive Performance tests Measurements of general mental abilities Intelligence tests are performance test: further tests: concentration test, learning test, language test Assumption: differences in cognitive abilities have influence on work performance Different models: General factor of intelligence Crystalline (knowledge, capabilities...) and fluid intelligence (problem-solving abilities) as factors of general intelligence multi-factor models
• Hypothesized impact of intelligence on performance and career success direct effect: people with higher cognitive abilities perform better indirect effect: people with higher cognitive abilities aquire task-relevant skills faster people with higher cognitive abilities aquire more task-relevant skills people with more task-relevant skills perform better Schmidt and Hunter: indirect effect more important direct effect higher in leadership position
• Pros & Cons of evaluation Pros: relatively low costs strong theoretical foundation good psychometric properties best predictor for learning of task-relevant contents and the performance in trainings programs Cons: low social validity in practice make sure to use validated procedures
• Assessment Center A seminar over 1-3 days 8-12 appicants, who are observed and evaluated by executives and HR-professionals in role plays and case studies Objectives: Evaluation of strengths and weaknesses in terms of certain job requirements Application for personnel selection and personnel development
• Underlying Principles of an AC Simulation role plays and cases from work situation Variety of methods broad range of different practices in an AC Requirements analysis tasks of AC stem from a job requirements analysis principle of observation by executives of the company participants are observed and evaluated by executives Transparency exercises and requirements are communicated to the participants
• Exercises in ACs presentation role-plays in-basket exercises group discussions interview methods personality tests and ability tests performance test case studies
• In-basket exercises (Postkorbübungen) Simulates the processing of in-baskets process: 15-25 documents have to be dealt with under time pressure sometimes additional documents and calls between partly contradictory or complementary information Measurements of organizational skill, ability to work under pressure and comprehension
• role-play mostly one-to-one dialogues selection of situations depends on the job sales conversation for sales employee job interviews for recruiter Appraisal interview for executives "professional" role-player or second applicant as counterpart can be supplemented by short post-talks
• Group discussions Participants discuss a certain topic with regard to content high reference to the job and the appicants Variations: with or without instructions with or without moderation
• Pros and Cons of ACs Pros plurality of different procedures and situations over a longer period tasks simulate real tasks in the vacant positions can also be used for potential analysis high social validity Cons Possibility of impression management to positively influence the raters' perception high costs
• Further practices and national differences in personnel selection Further practices Screening or aptitude test (contains elements of various personality or performance tests) graphologic report National differences letter of motivation common in Germany and the US, however not in Eastern Europe in the US, most current entries come first in the CV, no age or photo
• Quality of selection instruments General: which selection tools are most suitable? How can one establish the quality of the selection tool? Reliability (Is the tool reliable, influencing facors...) Validity (measures the tool what it should measures...) Efficiency Social validity Legality
• Different types of reliability In general: refers to the consistency of a measure or a test --> Is the measure or the test reliable/consistent?   Test-retest reliability - test is repeated after some time Parallel-forms reliability - test is repeated with another version of the test Inter-rater reliability - relationship between different raters' evaluations Split-half reliability - relationship between two halves of a test Internal consistency - Assesses homogeneity of a scale
• Different types of validity In general: refers to the degree to which evidence and theory support interpretations of test scores entailed by proposed uses of test   Content validity - extent to which a measures represents all facets of a given construct Construct validity Convergent validity - high correlation between different tools measuring the same construct Discriminant validity - small correlation between tools measuring different constructs Multitrait-Multimethod-Matices Criterion validity - is the result correlated to the applicant's success in the position?
• Criterion Validity in general: captures the relationship between a predictor and a criterion Can be captured by the correlation coefficient between observed values of predictors and criterion Concurrent validity - predictor and criterion surveyed at the same time Predictive validity - the predictor is surveyed first, criterion is surveyed later Incremental validity - increase of validity if further test are added
• Further criteria for quality Efficiency - cost-benefit ratio Social validity applicants' acceptance of the tool factors increasing social validity: if current performance is captured, related to actual job tasks, based on social interaction Legality - adherence to applicants' legally guaranteed rights and interests    
• Meta Analysis Aggregate data from many different studies Steps in a meta-analysis: Formulation of the problem Search of literature Selection studies model selection --> results of meta analyses: measure for the relationship, aggregated over a large number of studies
• Big 5 and work performance Meta analysis on the connection between personality and performance Personality measures by big 5 Performance measures by job abilities training abilities personnel data

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