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Article Summaries: Recruitment and Selection
It is utterly obvious that a vital step in talent management is the accurate identification of talent. Assessment centres have the potential to be the best method for this task but there is a wealth of research to show that designing assessment centres is easier said than done. This month's newsletter consideres one of the latest pieces of research that will help ensure your assessment centre really pinpoints the most talented people.
The articles are listed in the order they were originally published on our website. If you would like further information on any of the areas please contact our consultants on +44(0)20 7434 2122 or by email at enquiries@humanassets.co.uk
33. Predicting Integrity and Ethical Decision - Making
Should the Big 5 of personality be the Big 6? This newsletter reports research that advocates adding the dimension of 'honesty-humility' and using this as a predictor of integrity and ethical decision making.Some people are more restless and harder to retain than others. Should you, therefore, select for retention? This month's newsletter considers the personality variables that are associated with people tending to stay or to leave.
This month's Human Assets newsletter deals with the issue of faking at interviews - a problem that is more prevalent than you might care to believe. The article also contains the interesting finding that some forms of probing by interviewers actually increase faking by signposting to interviewees what is particularly important to the organisation.
This month's Human Assets Newsletter concerns the adverse impact on some underrepresented groups of widely-used selection procedures. It confronts the dilemma that some of the most valid forms of assessment (e.g. cognitive testing) also carry the greatest disadvantage in terms of adverse impact and contains suggestions on how to square this particular circle.
Finding and keeping the best people is top of the agenda for most organisations. This means not being in the least bit restricted in where you look for talent: Diversity is absolutely crucial to winning the talent war. This month we feature two articles that show how careful organisations must be if they are to capture all available talent. The first looks at prejudice against parents , particularly mothers. The second examines the phenomenon of the 'corporate flight' of females and ethnic minorities from large organisations.
Personality inventories have proven an extremely popular product for their publishers. However, a recent article by the editors of the main applied psychology journals states very clearly that the 'relationship between personality and job performance is generally very low and often close to zero'. Human Assets believes this evidence supports our scepticism about using personality inventories as part of a screening process to select people. Yet that is precisely how many employers use them. We urge organisations to concentrate on obtaining information about how people actually perform rather than relying on self-reports of qualities presumed to lie behind performance.
When creating a team is it better that the team members are similar to one another or different? Both is the answer! This month's newsletter looks at research showing that teams will be more effective when they contain people mixed in terms of extroversion-introversion but similar in their conscientiousness.
Organisations are becoming more concerned with ensuring that their selection processes are not discriminating against or adversely impacting on a particular group of individuals. The most widely utilised method of determining adverse impact is a basic principal known as 4/5ths rule . This month, we looked at recent US-based research which has called this method into question and discuss the potential problems this presents for organisations.
In today's competitive environment, organisations are placing increasing importance on how fair applicants perceive assessment processes to be. In previous literature, the 'job relatedness' of exercises or tests within the selection process has been emphasised as an important predictor of perceived fairness. This month we take a look at the latest research which suggests that it is just as important for candidates to feel they had the opportunity to perform during the process.
Despite their increasing popularity, situational judgement tests have been criticised for being too closely related to measures of cognitive ability. This month we examine research to clarify whether situational judgement tests add value to selection or development processes and offer suggestions on how organisations can ensure they get the most from these tools.
21. Targeted Recruitment: How to increase the diversity of job applicants
Many organisations want to encourage applications from ethnic minority and female job seekers. This month we summarise an article on Organisational Impression Management that offers a clear direction on how this can be achieved.
Many organisations want to encourage applications from ethnic minority and female job seekers. This month we summarise an article on Organisational Impression Management that offers a clear direction on how this can be achieved.
20. Cross-cultural Interviewing - How to avoid discrimination
Over the past few decades, there has been substantial and continuous change in workforce demography. As a consequence, individuals have different work expectations, values and beliefs. This presents new issues for recruiters and managers, who must effectively match individuals to jobs whilst demonstrating equal treatment for all and remaining sensitive and responsive to their diverse needs. This month, we review a recent article on cross-cultural interviewing strategies for recruitment, selection and career development, and explain how managers and practitioners can identify and avoid the potential impact of discrimination caused by cultural misunderstanding.
Over the past few decades, there has been substantial and continuous change in workforce demography. As a consequence, individuals have different work expectations, values and beliefs. This presents new issues for recruiters and managers, who must effectively match individuals to jobs whilst demonstrating equal treatment for all and remaining sensitive and responsive to their diverse needs. This month, we review a recent article on cross-cultural interviewing strategies for recruitment, selection and career development, and explain how managers and practitioners can identify and avoid the potential impact of discrimination caused by cultural misunderstanding.
Many organisations use personality questionnaires as part of their selection process, especially when selecting for leadership or leadership potential. Candidates want to be successful and faking can be a real concern for organisations but the use of forced-choice questions (e.g. are you more hard-working or creative?) has appeared to offer a solution. This month we examine research that suggests that such questionnaires may be susceptible to faking after all, and consider what organisations can do to help ensure they are making the right selection decisions.
The effectiveness of teams is absolutely vital to the success of today's organisations. This month we review research which highlights the increased complexity and size of organisations and, therefore, the closer coordination required through teamworks to achieve objectives. Many tasks have become more complicated and thus a combination of knowledge, skills and abilities are needed if they are to be performed successfully. Such qualities are rarely found in one person alone, the tasks are only likely to be performed effectively with the right team of people in place.
We consider what organisations can do to ensure the right team members are selected to optimise performance.
This month we look at research that suggests online versions of ability tests might sometimes be biased against older candidates, in comparison to traditional paper and pencil versions. This has clear implications in light of the popularity of such tests to screen candidates and the new age discrimination legislation that comes into force in the UK in a year's time. We describe what organisations should consider when choosing a test and how to make sure that all candidates are treated fairly and objectively
This month's newsletter addresses research into the vital issue of social desirability - or the degree to which responses on a personality inventory can be distorted by a candidate's desire to present a more favourable image - and the methods for avoiding such problems.
15. Structured Reference Checking: Increase your confidence in selection decisions
This month's newsletter highlights the research behind structured reference checking processes and how Human Assets can help design effective, reliable and valid reference checking procedures.
This month's newsletter highlights the research behind structured reference checking processes and how Human Assets can help design effective, reliable and valid reference checking procedures.
14. Applicant Reactions to Selection Procedures
This months article explores the impact of applicant reactions and to what extent they affect the selection procedure. Strategies are considered for designing selection procedures so that they meet the needs of all applicants, and to attempt to prevent applicants' preconceptions from affecting their behaviour during assessment.
This months article explores the impact of applicant reactions and to what extent they affect the selection procedure. Strategies are considered for designing selection procedures so that they meet the needs of all applicants, and to attempt to prevent applicants' preconceptions from affecting their behaviour during assessment.
13. Personality and Career Success
This month's article looks at personality and career success and discovers that the relationships between certain personality traits and career outcomes are not as obvious or clear cut as we might expect.
This month's article looks at personality and career success and discovers that the relationships between certain personality traits and career outcomes are not as obvious or clear cut as we might expect.
12. Revealing ourselves without knowing it: Implicit Testing
This article considers the benefits of implicit testing over more traditional forms of psychmetric testing, where answers can be more easily distorted an manipulated.
This article considers the benefits of implicit testing over more traditional forms of psychmetric testing, where answers can be more easily distorted an manipulated.
11. Assessment Centre Design: Easier said than done
This month we summarise an article that shows how vital it is that your assessment centre is comprehensive and accurate. The set of exercises must fully cover the role you are selecting people for and they must be tailor-made if they are to give accurate prediction of performance. An assessment centre that does not have these qualities is quite likely to be a waste of time and money.
This month we summarise an article that shows how vital it is that your assessment centre is comprehensive and accurate. The set of exercises must fully cover the role you are selecting people for and they must be tailor-made if they are to give accurate prediction of performance. An assessment centre that does not have these qualities is quite likely to be a waste of time and money.
10. The Power of Intellect
This month's newsletter considers the balance you should strike between intellectual and emotional qualities as selection criteria. The emphasis for the last few years has been on emotional qualities but an article in a recent issue of the leading personality journal reminds us that it is intellect that has been consistently shown to be the most powerful predictor of performance.
This month's newsletter considers the balance you should strike between intellectual and emotional qualities as selection criteria. The emphasis for the last few years has been on emotional qualities but an article in a recent issue of the leading personality journal reminds us that it is intellect that has been consistently shown to be the most powerful predictor of performance.
9. Telephone and Video Interviews: A Recruitment Barrier?
As recruitment methods are becoming increasingly innovative, and moving away from the traditional face to face interview, we explore an article which compared candidates' perceptions of three alternative interview methods: by video link, over the telephone, and face to face. The results are discussed in terms of both opportunities and risks that organisations may face by moving away from the traditional face to face interview.
As recruitment methods are becoming increasingly innovative, and moving away from the traditional face to face interview, we explore an article which compared candidates' perceptions of three alternative interview methods: by video link, over the telephone, and face to face. The results are discussed in terms of both opportunities and risks that organisations may face by moving away from the traditional face to face interview.
8. Selecting for Overseas Assigments: Maximising the likelihood of getting it right
In this article we consider how organisations can take steps to ensure the people they send on international assignments will succeed in their role and are able to adjust to working in different cultures. Up to date research on the topic is reviewed, and the findings are discussed in relation to organisation's selection procedures.
In this article we consider how organisations can take steps to ensure the people they send on international assignments will succeed in their role and are able to adjust to working in different cultures. Up to date research on the topic is reviewed, and the findings are discussed in relation to organisation's selection procedures.
7. The Impact of Psychological Fairness on Assessment Centres
We review several articles which consider how the fairness of assessment centre processes and procedures can influence candidate perceptions of the organisation, and discuss how perceptions of fairness can be maximised in assessment centres.
We review several articles which consider how the fairness of assessment centre processes and procedures can influence candidate perceptions of the organisation, and discuss how perceptions of fairness can be maximised in assessment centres.
6. Ensuring business success by choosing the best people
Two articles are reviewed which help to ensure that you reap the business benefits of using assessment centres for best practice selection.
Two articles are reviewed which help to ensure that you reap the business benefits of using assessment centres for best practice selection.
5. The Selection Interview: Comparing 'can do' versus 'will do' questions
This article looks at what effect the type of questions asked in a structured interview has on predicting job performance.
This article looks at what effect the type of questions asked in a structured interview has on predicting job performance.
4. The use of Self-Assessment in Selection
This article looks at how self-assessment can be used as an effective selection tool.
This article looks at how self-assessment can be used as an effective selection tool.
3. Accuracy of candidates' self assessment and assessment centre decisions
This article examines the role of self-assessment in assessment centres. Do people who are more accurate in their self-assessments gain higher ratings at the centre? Is there good reason to suppose that people who are more accurate in their self-assessment will perform more highly at work?
This article examines the role of self-assessment in assessment centres. Do people who are more accurate in their self-assessments gain higher ratings at the centre? Is there good reason to suppose that people who are more accurate in their self-assessment will perform more highly at work?
2. Job fit and organisation fit
How recruiters assess two forms of fit, and how they can influence hiring decisions. We look at what this means to organisations in terms of selection criteria, recruiting people who will change with the organisation, and retaining talent.
How recruiters assess two forms of fit, and how they can influence hiring decisions. We look at what this means to organisations in terms of selection criteria, recruiting people who will change with the organisation, and retaining talent.
1. Deciding whether to use psychometrics
Do they add value to the selection decision?
Will candidates see them as fair?
Do they add value to the selection decision?
Will candidates see them as fair?