Recruitment and Placement: Employee Testing and Selection
Introduction
- Focus on methods to select the best candidates for a job.
- Importance of careful selection:
- Organizational Performance: Employee skills affect manager and company performance.
- Cost: Recruitment and hiring are costly processes.
- Legal Obligations: Avoid unlawful discrimination and negligent hiring.
Importance of Careful Selection
- Organizational Performance:
- Managers' performance is linked to the skills of their subordinates.
- Screen out undesirable employees before they are hired.
- Cost:
- Hiring is expensive (advertising, training, etc.).
- Example: Hiring a manager can be 10 times costlier than hiring a clerk.
- Legal Obligations:
- Avoid unlawful discrimination based on sex, race, disability, etc.
- Avoid negligent hiring (e.g., hiring employees with criminal records).
Basic Testing Concepts
- Reliability: Consistency of test results over time.
- Validity: Measures what it is intended to measure.
Types of Tests
- Cognitive Ability Tests:
- General Reasoning: Intelligence tests like IQ.
- Specific Abilities: Memory, reasoning, etc.
- Motor and Physical Abilities Tests:
- Measure dexterity, reaction time (e.g., for pilots, lifeguards).
- Personality and Interest Tests:
- Evaluates personality traits (introversion, stability, motivation).
- Example: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.
- Achievement Tests:
- Assess learned skills and job knowledge (e.g., typing tests).
Background Investigations and Reference Checks
- Essential to avoid hiring mistakes.
- Includes verifying employment history, criminal records, etc.
- Importance highlighted by examples of companies that failed to conduct thorough checks.
- Tailor checks to the position being filled (e.g., accountants vs. security guards).
Conclusion
- Importance of using various tools for selecting the best candidates.
- Next session will cover effective interview techniques.
Stay tuned for more insights into recruitment and placement.