71

PART TWO STAFFING: WORKFORCE PLANNING AND

EMPLOYMENT

C H A P T E R T S i x

Selecting Employees

Lecture Outline
6

Copyright 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

 72

Introduction
The Basics of Testing and Selecting
Employees
Why Careful Selection Is Important
Reliability
Validity
How to Validate a Test
Types of Tests
Tests of Cognitive Abilities
Tests of Motor and Physical Abilities
In Brief: This chapter gives an
Measuring Personality
Achievement Tests
overview of the selection process,
Computerized and Online Testing testing concepts, types of tests, and
Work Samples and Simulations selection techniques. It also addresses
Situational Judgment Tests the factors that can undermind an
Management Assessment Centers interviews usefulness, background
Value-based Situational Testing checks, and how to develop and
The Miniature Job Training & Evaluation
extend a job offer.
Approach
Computerized Multimedia Candidate
Assessment Tools
Interviewing Candidates Interesting Issues: Reference
Types of Selection Interviews checking is part of the care an
How Useful Are Interviews? employer must take to ensure that the
How to Avoid Common Interviewing Mistakes potential employee will not pose a
Using Competencies Models and Profiles in
Employee Interviews
threat to current employees or
Using Other Selection Techniques customers. Employers who fail to
Background Investigations and Reference exercise due diligence in checking a
Checks job candidates background may find
Honesty Testing themselves legally liable if the
Graphology candidate is hired and subsequently
Medical Exams
uses the job to commit a crime.
Drug Screening
Realistic Job Previews
Liability may even extend to offenses
Tapping Friends and Acquaintances that occur outside of work time.
Making the Selection Decision
How Useful Are Testing and Selection
Devices?
Complying with Immigration Law
Developing and Extending the Job Offer
Employee Engagement Guide for Managers
Building Engagement: A Total Selection
Program
The Toyota Way

Copyright 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

 73

ANNOTATED OUTLINE

I. The Basics of Testing and Selecting Employees

A. Why Careful Selection Is Important Selecting the right employees is

important for four main reasons. 1) improved employee and
organizational performance; 2) your own performance depends partly on
your subordinates; 3) can help reduce dysfunctional behaviors at work;
and 4) it is costly to recruit and hire.

B. Legal and Negligent Hiring Violating discrimination laws is one legal

implicaiton of selection. Negligent hiring is hiring workers with criminal
records or other such problems without proper safeguards.

C. Reliability Refers to the consistency of scores obtained by the same

person when retested with identical or equivalent tests.

D. Validity Refers to evidence that performance on a test is a valid

predictor of subsequent performance on the job. It answers the question,
Does this test measure what its supposed to measure?

1. Criterion validity shows that scores on the test (predictors) are

related to job performance (criterion).

2. Content validity shows that the test contains a fair sample of the
tasks and skills actually needed for the job in question.

3. A test that is construct valid is one that demonstrates that a selection

procedure measures a construct and that construct is important for
successful job performance.

E. How to Validate a Test (See Figure 6.2)

Step 1: Analyze the job and write job descriptions and job specifications.

Step 2: Choose the tests that measure the attributes (predictors)

important for job success.

Step 3: Administer the test selected to old or new employees for

concurrent and predictive validation.

Step 4: Relate test scores and criteria through a correlation analysis,

which shows the degree of statistical relationship between (1) scores on
the test and (2) job performance.

Step 5: Cross-validate and revalidate by performing Steps 3 and 4 on a

new sample of employees.

II. Types of Tests

A. Tests of Cognitive Abilities Cognitive tests include tests of general

reasoning ability (intelligence) and tests of specific mental abilities like
memory and inductive reasoning. Intelligence tests are tests of general
intellectual abilities, ranging from memory, vocabulary, and verbal fluency

Copyright 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

 74

to numerical ability. Specific cognitive abilities (aptitude) tests include

inductive and deductive reasoning, verbal comprehension, memory, and
numerical ability.

B. Tests of Motor and Physical Abilities Employers may use various tests
to measure such motor abilities as finger dexterity, manual dexterity, and
reaction time. They may also want to measure such physical abilities as
static strength, dynamic strength, body coordination, and stamina.

C. Measuring Personality Can be used to assess personal characteristics

such as attitude, motivation, and temperament. Personality tests
measure basic aspects of an applicants personality, such as
introversion, stability, and motivation.

1. Interest Inventories Compare ones interests with those of people

in various occupations.

2. Personality Test Effectiveness Industrial psychologists emphasize

five personality dimensions as they apply to personnel testing:
extroversion, emotional stability, agreeableness, conscientiousness,
and openness to experience.

D. Achievement Tests Measure what a person has learned.

E. Computerized and Online Testing is increasingly replacing pencil-and-

paper and manual tests.

F. Improving Performance through HRIS Data analysitics is using new

numbercrunching software to dig through (mine) existing employee
data to better idenftify what types of people succeed or fail and therefore
whom to hire.

G. Work samples and simulations Focus on measuring job performance

directly.

H. Situational Judgment Tests Personnel tests designed to assess an

applicants judgment regarding a situation encountered in the workplace.

I. Management Assessment Centers Provide simulations in which

candidates perform realistic management tasks under the observation of
experts who appraise each candidates potential. Simulated exercises
include in-basket, leaderless group discussions, management games,
individual presentations, objective tests, and interviews.

J. Video-based situational testing Presents examinees with scenarios

representative of the job, each followed by a multiple choice question.

K. The miniature job training and evaluation approach A selection

procedure in which the employer trains candidates to perform a sample
of the jobs tasks, and then evaluates their performance.

L. Computerized mulitmedia candidate assessment tools Using

multimedia to design a work sample test.

III. Interviewing Candidates

Copyright 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

 75

A. Types of Selection Interviews

1. Structure Structured or directed interview. Acceptable answers

could be predetermined and rated according to appropriateness of
content.

2. Type of Questions Interviews can be classified according to the

nature or content of their questions, such as situational interviews,
job-related interviews, behavioral interviews, and stress interviews.
Puzzle questions are also popular today, and are used to see how
candidates think under pressure.

3. How to Administer One-on-one where two people meet alone and

one interviews the other by seeking oral responses to oral inquiries.
Sequential interviews occur when several interviewers question the
candidate in a sequence before a selection is made. Panel
interviews occur when a group (panel) interviews several candidates
simultaneously. Video or phone interviews are often conducted
entirely by phone or videoconferencing, saving time and travel costs.
Phone can also be more accurate as it is able to eliminate bias of
appearances.

B. Improving Performance through HRIS

1. Online and computer-based interviews Using functionalities such

as Skype, web-based in-person interviews are becoming more
common.

C. Diversity Counts Managing the New Workforce: Bias Against Working

Mothers Some managers may view working mothers negatively.

D. How Useful Are Interviews? Studies confirm that the validity of

interviews is greater than previously thought. Structured interviews are
more valid than unstructured interviews for predicting job performance.
Some traits, however, cannot be accurately assessed in an interview.

E. How to Avoid Common Interviewing Mistakes

1. Snap judgments One of the most consistent findings is that

interviewers tend to jump to conclusions about candidates during the
first few minutes of the interview.

2. Negative emphasis Interviewers tend to have a consistent

negative bias and are generally more influenced by unfavorable than
favorable information about the candidate.

3. Not knowing the job Interviewers who dont know precisely what
the job entails and what sort of candidate is best suited for it usually
make their decisions based on incorrect or incomplete stereotypes of
what a good applicant is.

4. Pressure to hire Pressure to hire can undermine an interviews

usefulness.

5. Candidate order (contrast) error Means that the order in which

you see applicants affects how you rate them.

Copyright 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

 76

6. Influence of nonverbal behavior Can have a surprisingly large

impact on an applicants rating. Inexperienced interviewers may try to
infer the interviewees personality from vocal and visual cues, such
as energy level, voice modulation, and level of extraversion.

7. Attractiveness Interviewers have to guard against letting an

applicants attractiveness and gender play a role in their rating.

8. Research insight Studies have found that managers may

stigmatize applicants based on features.

9. Ingratiation Agreeing with the interviewers opinions, and self-

promotion to create an impression of competence are used by clever
interviewees in order to manage the impression they present.

10. Nonverbal implications Interviewers should endeavor to look

beyond behavior to who the person is and what they are saying, as
candidates are trained to act right.

F. Steps in Conducting an Effective Interview

1. Structure the interview procedure as follows: Step 1: Study the job

description; Step 2: Use job knowledge, background, and situational
or behavior questions for sizing up the candidate; Step 3: Train
interviewers; Step 4: Use the same questions with all the candidates;
Step 5: Use rating scales to rate answers; Step 6: Use multiple
interviewers; and Step 7: Use a structured interview form.

2. Review background The interview should take place in a private

room where interruptions can be minimized. Prior to the interview,
the interviewer should review the candidates application and
resume, as well as the job duties and required skills and traits.

3. Establish rapport The interviewer should put the interviewee at

ease so he or she can find out the necessary information about the
interviewee. Studies show that people who feel more self-confident
about their interviewing skills perform better in interviews.

4. Ask questions The interviewer should follow the interview guide.

5. Close the interview Leave time to answer any questions the

candidate may have and, if appropriate, advocate your firm to the
candidate. Try to end the interview on a positive note.

6. Review the interview Once the candidate leaves, and while the
interview is fresh on the interviewers mind, he or she should review
his or her notes and fill in the structured interview guide.

G. Using Competencies Models and Profiles in Employee Interviews

Using the same competencies model/profile for recruiting, training,
appraising, and compensating the employee.

IV. Using Other Selection Techniques

Copyright 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

 77

A. Background Investigations and Reference Checks Most employers

check and verify an applicants background information and references,
including driving record, a check for criminal charges or convictions, and
a credit check.

1. What to Verify The main reasons for conducting investigations into

an applicants background are to verify factual information and to
uncover damaging information in order to help prevent losses.

2. Collecting Background Information Typically, the applicants

current or former position and salary are verified. Commercial credit
rating companies and other services can provide information about
credit standing, criminal, employment, and educational history.

3. Checking Social Networking Sites Employers often check social

networking site postings online, such as Facebook.

a. Social Media Policy Employers increasing use of

Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social media injects new legal
risks into the screening process. For example, applicants
usually dont list race, age, disability, or ethnic origin on their
resumes but their Facebook pages may very well reveal
such information, setting the stage for possible EEO claims.

2. Reference Check Effectiveness Reference letters are not viewed

as very useful. Fewer than half of HR managers state that they were
able to obtain adequate information about candidates.

5. Using Preemployment Information Services Various federal and

state laws govern how employers acquire and use applicants and
employees background information. Compliance involves: 1) making
sure the vendor complies with relevant laws; 2) applicant-signed
release authorizing the background check; and 3) making sure
vendor provides accurate and complete information.

B. Honesty Testing

1. Polygraph Tests (lie detector) Is a device that measures

physiological changes, such as increased perspiration. Current law
prevents most employers engaged in interstate commerce from
using these tests for preemployment screening or during the course
of employment. Local, state, and federal government employers can
continue to use the tests.

2. Paper-and-Pencil Honesty Tests Paper-and-pencil honesty tests

are psychological tests designed to predict job applicants proneness
to dishonesty and other forms of counter-productive behavior.

C. Graphology

The use of graphology (handwriting analysis) assumes that handwriting

reflects basic personality tests.

D. Medical Exams

Copyright 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

 78

Once an offer is made and the person is hired, a medical exam is usually
the next step in the selection process.

E. Drug Screening

Because drug abuse is a serious problem for employers, it is common

practice for most employers to conduct drug screening just before
employees are formally hired.

1. Problems Drug testing does not always correlate closely with

actual impairment levels.

F. Realistic Job Previews Being explicit about work schedules,

preferences, and other job standards at the point of interview can help
reduce turnover later.

G. Tapping Friends and Acquaintances Dont ignore the opinions of

people you trust who have direct personal knowledge of the candidate.

H. Making the Selection Decision You may use one predictor such as a
test score, you may use an intuitive (clinical) approach, a mechanical
(mathematical) approach, or a combined approach.

I. How Useful are Testing and Selection Devices Evidence suggests that
a well-designed program can improve performance and a firms bottom
line. Effectiveness depends on the validity of its components.

J. Complying with Immigration Law Under the Immigration Reform and

Control Act of 1986, prospective employees must prove they are eligible
to work in the United States.

1. How to comply Employers must have new employees complete

the govenrments I-9 Employment Eligibility Verficiation form and
provide documentation that proves identity and employment
eligibility.

K. Improving Performance through HRIS

1. Comprehensive applicant tracking and screening systems Can be

sued to screen out applicants that do not meet minimum,
nonnegotiable job requirements.

L. Developing and Extending the Job Offer The employer must

determine the financial and other terms of the offer. A job offer letter
includes job information and clearly states that the employment is at-
will. A contract may be in order for some positions (such as executive).
A contract will typically specify a duration.

V. Employee Engagement Guide for Managers

A. A manager should formulate several behavioral and/or situational

questions to determine if a candidate has the traits to become an
engaged employee.

Copyright 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

 79

B. Building engagement: A total selection program A total selection

program is aimed at selecting candidates whose totality of attributes best
fit the employers total requirements.

C. The Toyota Way Toyotas hiring process is aimed at finding an

engaged candidate. The process takes about 20 hours in six phases
over several days.

Key Terms

Negligent hiring Hiring workers with criminal records or other such problems
without proper safeguards.

Reliability The characteristic that refers to the consistency of scores

obtained by the same person when retested with identical or
equivalent tests.

Test validity The accuracy with which a test, interview, and so on, measures
what it purports to measure or fulfills the function it was designed
to fill.

Criterion validity A type of validity based on showing that scores on the test
(predictors) are related to job performance (criterion).

Content validity A test that is content-valid is one in which the test contains a fair
sample of the tasks and skills actually needed for the job in
question.

Construct validity A test that is construct valid is one that demonstrates that a
selection procedure measures a construct and that construct is
important for successful job performance.

Validity generalization The degree to which evidence of a measures validity obtained in

one situation can be generalized to another situation without
further study.

Utility analysis The degree to which the use of a selection measure improves
the quality of individuals selected over what would have
happened if the measure had not been used.

Interest inventories Test that compares ones interests with those of people in
various occupations.

Data analytics Using new number-crunching software to dig through (mine)

existing employee data to better identify what types of people
succeed or fail, and therefore whom to hire.

Management assessment A facility in which management candidates are asked to

center make decisions in hypothetical situations and are scored on their
performance.

Miniature job training A selection procedure in which the employer trains candidates to
and evaluation perform a sample of the jobs tasks, and then evaluates their
performance.

Copyright 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

 80

Interview A procedure designed to solicit information from a persons oral

responses to oral inquiries. A selection interview is a selection
procedure designed to predict future job performance on the
basis of applicants oral responses to oral inquiries.

Structured situational A series of job-relevant questions with predetermined answers

interview that interviewers ask of all applicants for the job.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

6-1. Explain what is meant by content validity and construct validity in selection tests.
With respect to employee selection tests, the term validity often refers to evidence that
the test is job relatedin other words, that performance on the test is a valid predictor of
subsequent performance on the job. A selection test must be valid because, without proof
of its validity, there is no logical or legally permissible reason to continue using it to
screen job applicants. Content validity is a demonstration that the content of a selection
procedure is representative of important aspects of performance on the job. For example,
employers demonstrate the content validity of a test by showing that the test constitutes a
fair sample of the jobs content. In selecting students for dental school, many schools give
applicants chunks of chalk, and ask them to carve something that looks like a tooth. If the
content you choose for the test is a representative sample of what the person needs to
know for the job, then the test is probably content valid. Clumsy dental students need not
apply. Construct validity is another possible approach. It means demonstrating two things:
that a selection procedure measures a construct (something believed to be an underlying
human trait or characteristic, such as honesty); and that the construct is important for
successful job performance.

6-2. Discuss at least four basic types of personnel tests. Examples could include:
This item can be assigned as a Discussion Question in MyManagementLab. Student
responses will vary.

6-3. What types of tests do you think are most effective in predicting a candidates
performance in an executive role in a banks loan department? Support your
answer using examples.
Requirements of executives working in a loan department in a bank will most probably be
at least a degree graduate in banking, basic knowledge about banking procedures, high
detail to attention, meticulous (very careful and particular), and independent workers.
Relevant types of test:
i. Employers often want to assess a candidates cognitive or mental abilities. A
bank executive candidate for a loan department for example may be tested for
his/her numeric aptitude. It usually reflects a persons fit for jobs.
ii. Personality test that measure basic aspects of an applicants personality, such as
introversion, stability, and motivation. This is due to the belief that non
performance is usually the result of personal characteristics, such as attitude,
motivation, and especially, temperament. For example, a person who possesses
high conscientiousness personality dimension will most probably more
dependable and trustable in dealing with jobs and paperwork that requires high
attention to detail in a bank.
An achievement test is a measure of what someone has learned. Most tests in school are
achievement tests. They measure knowledge in areas such as economics, marketing, or
accounting. In addition to job knowledge, achievement tests can measure applicants
abilities; a typing test is one example.

Copyright 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

 81

6-4. For what sorts of jobs do you think computerized interviews are most appropriate?
Why? This item can be assigned as a Discussion Question in MyManagementLab.
Student responses will vary.

6-5. Discuss the management assessment centers selection test. What are the typical
simulated exercises used for such selection tests?
A management assessment center is a two- to three-day simulation in which 10 to 12
candidates perform realistic management tasks (like making presentations) under the
observation of experts who appraise each candidates leadership potential. The center
itself may be a plain conference room, but it is often a special room with a one-way mirror
to facilitate observation. The candidate takes appropriate action on each of these
materials; a group discussion without a leader. The raters then evaluate each group
members interpersonal skills, acceptance by the group, leadership ability, and individual
influence; individual presentations where a participants communication skills and
persuasiveness are evaluated.

6-6. Apart from selection tests, discuss other ways to investigate a candidates
integrity, past work-performance, and their credibility as a prospective employee.
i. Call the previous employers for validation. However, the comments may be biased and
the truth may not be revealed by the previous employer.
ii. Police records validation that needs rigorous procedures.
iii. Tap the opinions of people you trust who have direct personal knowledge of the
candidate.
iv. Checking social networking sites such as Facebook or LinkedIn for more information etc.

6-7. Write a short (one-page, double-spaced) essay on the topic, How Equal
Employment Law Affects Employee Selection. Please include at least five specific
examples. Students can discuss several legal issues related to employee selection.
Students might discuss violating discrimination laws, negligent hiring, giving references,
and immigration laws.

6-8. You own a small business. How would you go about finding a selection test for a
job you want to fill, and what practical and legal issues would you want to keep in
mind before choosing a test to use? A small business owner could develop their own
work sample test. Or, there are many tests available that are easy to administer. A small
business owner should make sure the test is simple to administer and they can interpret
the results. From a legal perspective, the test should be job-related and all applicants
should be given the test at the same point in the selection process.

INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP ACTIVITIES

6-9. Working individually or in groups, develop a list of selection techniques that you
would suggest your dean use to hire the next HR professor at your school. Also,
explain why you chose each selection technique. The students should use the
selection information presented in the chapter to list their selection techniques of choice
with their supporting rationale.

6-10. Working individually or in groups, contact the publisher of a standardized test

such as the Scholastic Assessment Test and obtain from them written information
regarding the test's validity and reliability. Present a short report in class
discussing what the test is supposed to measure and the degree to which you

Copyright 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

 82

think the test does what it is supposed to do, based on the reported validity and
reliability scores. Encourage students to contact different sources; it may be a good
idea to have a sign-up sheet so that no two students or groups are gathering information
on the same instruments. Students should be able to clearly relate validity and reliability
scores to effectiveness.

6-11. Give a short presentation entitled How to Be Effective as an Interviewer. First, it is

important to carefully choose the type of interview to conduct. It is best to choose the type
based on evidence of its effectiveness and accuracy in selection, rather than your comfort
level with that type. Then, practice and seek training until you are comfortable and
effective with that type of interview. Take steps to avoid the common interviewing
mistakes, such as snap judgments, negative emphasis, not knowing the job, pressure to
hire, candidate-order error, and influence of nonverbal behavior. Plan your interview
carefully, establish rapport, ask only appropriate questions, end the interview on a
positive note, and take time to review the interview.

6-12. Write a short essay discussing some of the ethical and legal considerations in
testing. State and federal laws, EEOC guidelines, and court decisions require that you
be able to prove that your tests are related to success or failure on the job and that they
are not having an adverse impact on members of a protected group. Test takers also
have certain basic rights to privacy and information. The test taker also has the right to
expect that the test is equally fair to all test takers.

6-13. Give some examples of how interest inventories could be used to improve
employee selection. In doing so, suggest several examples of occupational
interests that you believe might predict success in various occupations, including
college professor, accountant, and computer programmer. Interest inventories can
improve employee selection by identifying individuals with similar interests to those
reported by a substantial percentage of successful incumbents in an occupation. This
should clearly increase the likelihood that the applicants will be successful in their new
jobs. Interests that one might expect: accountant: math, reading, music; college
professor: public speaking, teaching, counseling; computer programmer: math, music,
computers. Remind students that however logical the application of an interest inventory
may be to an occupation, establishing the validity of the inventory is required before it can
be used legally.

6-14. The PHR and SPHR Knowledge Base appendix at the end of this book (pages 483-
491) lists the knowledge someone studying for the HRCI certification exam needs
to have in each area of human resource management (such as in strategic
management, workforce planning, and human resource development). In groups of
four to five students, do four things: (1) review that appendix now; (2) identify the
material in this chapter that relates to the required knowledge in the appendix lists;
(3) write four multiple-choice exam questions on this material that you believe
would be suitable for inclusion in the HRCI exam; and (4) if time permits, have
someone from your team post your teams questions in front of the class, so the
students in other teams can take each others exam questions. The material in this
chapter that relates to the HRCI certification exam includes several items in the
Workforce Planning and Employment area. A sample question, answer, and explanation
is available from http://www.certgear.com/products/preview/sphr_certification/index.html.
Multiple-choice questions should reflect material in this chapter and should have answer
choices, which could appear plausible.

Students can find the following assisted-graded writing questions at mymanagementlab.com:

6-15. Explain the factors and problems that can undermine an interviews usefulness

Copyright 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

 83

APPLICATION EXERCISES
and techniques for eliminating them.

6-16. Why is it important to conduct preemployment background investigations? How

would you go about doing so?

HR in Action Case Incident 1: Ethics and the Out-of-Control Interview

6-17. How would you explain the nature of the panel interview Maria had to endure?
Specifically, do you think it reflected a well-thought-out interviewing strategy on
the part of the firm or carelessness (or worse) on the part of the firms
management? If it was carelessness, what would you do to improve the interview
process at Apex Environmental? Marias interview does not sound as if it were ethical.
In fact, at least some of the questions were illegal. Most people tend to think theyre
better interviewers than they really are. The management team could have done several
things to improve the process. These include: planning for the interview, structuring the
interview, establishing rapport, and not interrogating Maria.

6-18. Do you consider the managers treatment of Maria ethical? Why? If not, what
specific steps would you take to make sure the interview process is ethical from
now on? Marias interview was not ethical. The interviewers should be trained, questions
should be reviewed and corrected for legality and relevance, and the job description
should be the base for the interview.

6-19. Would you take the job offer if you were Maria? If youre not sure, is there any
additional information that would help you make your decision, and if so, what is
it? Students answers will vary. Many students would want to know if the interview was
intentional or not before deciding whether to take the job offer.

6-20. The job of applications engineer for which Maria was applying requires (a)
excellent technical skills with respect to mechanical engineering, (b) a commitment
to working in the area of pollution control, (c) the ability to deal well and
confidently with customers who have engineering problems, (d) a willingness to
travel worldwide, and (e) a very intelligent and well-balanced personality. List 10
questions you would ask when interviewing applicants for the job. Students
answers will vary. Many students will pull sample interview questions from Figure 6.7.

HR in Action Case Incident 2: Honesty Testing at Carter Cleaning Company

6.21. What would be the advantages and disadvantages to Jennifers company of

routinely administering honesty tests to all its employees? Polygraph testing raises
a large number of legal and moral issuesissues Carter Cleaning would best avoid. Use
of some of the available paper-and-pencil honesty tests may be a possibility. In general,
these have been shown to be reasonably reliable and valid. They are still controversial
however. The costs associated with these tests may also make them prohibitive to a
small operation such as Jennifers.

6.22. Specifically, what other screening techniques could the company use to screen out
theft-prone employees, and how exactly could these be used? More thorough
background checks are a recommended technique to eliminate potential thieves. Some
firms choose to contract this out to a private security agency (cost may be an issue to
Jennifer). However, the company can quickly check to see if savings from reduced theft
would offset the cost of an outside agency. As part of the job preview, Carter must

Copyright 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

 84

communicate that dishonesty and theft will not be tolerated. Further company policies
regarding theft should be clearly communicated to new and existing employees.

6.23. How should her company terminate employees caught stealing, and what kind of
procedure should be set up for handling reference calls about these employees
when they go to other companies looking for jobs? Terminating employees for theft
should include the involvement of the proper authorities and should only be done when
there is absolute proof of the theft and who committed it. Such an action will also send a
message to the other employees that you will not tolerate theft of company resources.
Although many employers are reluctant to prosecute employees for theft, developing
evidence with police and through the courts can be beneficial in providing future
employers of the individual with truthful and factual information.

Experiential Exercise: The Most Important Person Youll Ever Hire

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to give you practice using some of the interview
techniques you learned from this chapter.

Required Understanding: You should be familiar with the information presented in this chapter
and read this:

For parents, children are precious. Its therefore interesting that parents who hire nannies to take
care of their children usually do little more than ask several interview questions and conduct what
is often, at best, a perfunctory reference check. Given the often questionable validity of
interviews, and the (often) relative inexperience of the father or mother doing the interviewing, its
not surprising that many of these arrangements end in disappointment. You know from this
chapter that it is difficult to conduct a valid interview unless you know exactly what youre looking
for and, preferably, also how to structure the interview. Most parents simply arent trained to do
this.

How to Set Up the Exercise:

6-24. Set up groups of five or six students. Two students will be the interviewees, while
the other students in the group will serve as panel interviewers. The interviewees
will develop a form for assessing the interviewers, and the panel interviewers will
develop a structured situational interview for a nanny.

6-25. Instructions for the interviewees: The interviewees should leave the room for about
20 minutes. While out of the room, the interviewees should develop an interviewer
assessment form based on the information presented in this chapter regarding
factors that can undermine the usefulness of an interview. During the panel
interview, the interviewees should assess the interviewers using the interviewer
assessment form. After the panel interviewers have conducted the interview, the
interviewees should leave the room to discuss their notes. Did the interviewers
exhibit any of the factors that can undermine the usefulness of an interview? If so,
which ones? What suggestions would you (the interviewees) make to the
interviewers on how to improve the usefulness of the interview?

6-26. Instructions for the interviewers: While the interviewees are out of the room, the
panel interviewers will have 20 minutes to develop a short, structured situational
interview form for a nanny. The panel interview team will interview two candidates
for the position. During the panel interview, each interviewer should be taking
notes on a copy of the structured situational interview form. After the panel
interview, the panel interviewers should discuss their notes. What were your first
impressions of each interviewee? Were your impressions similar? Which
candidate would you all select for the position and why?

Copyright 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

 85

This exercise provides students with an opportunity to learn more about interviewing.
The interviewers should develop a job-related interview form for the nanny. The
interviewees should be observant of the of the interviewers behaviors. The students
should take notes during the process in order to learn about effective interviews.

WEB-es (Web exercises)

1. Describe in one page or less with examples how you would use www.secondlife.com
to help orient or train employees in your company. The Web site Secondlife.com is an
excellent example of simulated learning. Therefore, the students should outline how they
could utilize simulated learning in helping employees become oriented or trained in an
organization.

2. Use sites such as www.HRDQ.com to list three programs you could use to develop a
project management training program for a company. Project management is the
discipline of planning, organizing, and managing resources to bring about the successful
completion of specific project goals and objectives. The Web site HRDQ.com identifies
excellent examples of programs in communication, leadership, diversity, or conflict resolution.

3. Based on http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/index.html, how would you use Cisco

products to build a worldwide training program for employees in a company? Cisco
products are an excellent source to deliver effective Internet-based learning and
development. Students should cite some of the specific products that Cisco has available on
their Web site that could be used for training.

ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENTS

1. Use the Internet to find employers who now do preliminary selection interviews via the
Web. Print out and bring examples to class. Do you think these interviews are useful?
Why or why not? How would you improve them? The students should use the Internet to
search the Web sites of various companies to find examples of companies that use the Web
for preliminary selection interviews. They should provide the pros and cons of using the Web
for preliminary selection interviews. Challenge students to identify ways to improve the
examples they have presented based on what has been discussed in this chapter.

2. In groups, discuss and compile examples of the worst interview I ever had. What
was it about these interviews that made them so bad? If time permits, discuss as a
class. Based on their experiences, the students should come up with various examples. They
should also discuss what they would suggest to have improved the interview.

3. In groups, prepare an interview (including a sequence of at least 20 questions) youll

use to interview candidates for a job teaching a course in Human Resources
Management. Each group should present theirs in class. The students should use this
opportunity to design their own interview questions using the suggestions given in the
chapter.

Copyright 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.