1341 Recruitment and Selection

Author: Professor Mary Jo Ducharme, School of Human Resources Management York

University and Mark Podolsky

Instructor: Paul Proulx

Required Text: V.M. Catano, W.H. Wiesner, R.D. Hackett. Recruitment and Selection in
Canada, Eighth Edition, 2021. ISBN13: 9781774128459

Brief Description: This course provides an introduction to the current issues and
procedures that are used in recruitment, selection and appraisal of employees in
Canadian organizations. We will be reviewing such topics as Canadian legal standards,
the utility of scientific approaches to selection and the steps involved in developing and
validating a selection system.

Overall Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of the course you will be able to:

1. Describe the importance and centrality of recruitment and selection to an

organization’s HR System.
2. Explain the necessity and importance of establishing the reliability and validity of
selection systems.
3. List and explain the major legal issues surrounding recruitment and selection in
Canada.
4. List and describe the major types of job analysis techniques and their various
outputs.
5. Describe the importance of job analysis in developing reliable and valid selection
systems.
6. Describe the importance of developing and using scientifically sound subjective
and objective measurements of job performance in selection and performance
assessment.
7. Describe the importance of developing a recruitment strategy that aligns with
the selection system and with organizational objectives.
8. List and describe the various approaches to screening job applicants.
9. Describe the role of psychological tests in selection and the legal standards that
govern their use.
10. List and explain the steps in developing an effective and valid selection interview.
11. Describe the various ways in which data acquired from various selection tools
can be used to inform hiring decisions.
12. Explain the concepts of reliability and validity and describe how an HR
professional can ensure their selection system is valid and reliable.
Unit 1. Introduction
In a general overview of the entire course, the processes of recruitment and selection
are introduced, as well their centrality and importance to the organization and HR
system.

Module 1: Recruitment and selection are very important for an HR professional to

understand as these processes can mean the difference between success and failure for
an organization.
Module 2: HR managers must coordinate their efforts with other units and think in
terms of a systems view of the organization.
Module 3: There are several different career paths toward and professional
associations involved in recruitment and selection practices.
Module 4: There are important ethical considerations when hiring new employees. HR
professionals need to be very familiar with the ethical implications of their hiring
practices.

Learning Objectives:
 Explain the difference between and the importance of recruitment and selection.
 Explain why is it important that HR works in unison with other units in the
organization.
 List and describe the professional bodies in Canada who are involved in recruitment
and selection.
 List and describe the ethical issues involved in recruitment and selection practices.
Explain how these issues can be addressed.

Readings: Chapter 1

Unit 2. Measurement, Reliability and Validity.

The importance of developing a selection strategy which is based on scientific methods
rather than on intuition or feelings is discussed. Basic methods and concepts related to
measurement and research are introduced.

Module 1: There are basic components of every selection system.

Module 2: The concept of reliability is central to the development of a sound selection
system.
Module 3: The concept of validity is central to the development of a sound selection
system.
Module 4: Bias, or systematic errors in measurement that are related to group
membership such as sex or race, can occur when developing selection systems. HR
professionals must be very familiar with bias and fairness issues
Learning Objectives:
 Define reliability and explain why it is a central concept to the development of a
selection system.
 Define validity and explain why it is a key concept in the development of a selection
system.
 Explain how bias affects a selection system, how it can be detected and how it can be
overcome.

Readings: Chapter 2

Unit 3. Legal Issues.

In an overview of the legal issues that affect the practice of recruitment and selection in
Canada, relevant legislation, policies, key legal concerns and concepts are presented.

Module 1: It is important for an HR professional to be very familiar with the legal

requirements for selection systems as based on the four legal means in Canada.
Module 2: There are several key legal concepts in recruitment and selection
Module 3: Within the field of HR there are best practices for nondiscriminatory
recruitment and selection.

Learning Objectives:
 List and describe the four legal means in Canada.
 List and define the key legal concepts that relate to hiring in Canada.
 Explain the best practices for nondiscriminatory hiring.

Readings: Chapter 3

Unit 4. Job Analysis and Competency Models.

The importance and relevance of job analysis and competency modeling to HR systems
is discussed. Specific job analysis techniques are introduced. Competencies and
competency modeling are playing an increasingly significant role in HR and in selection
systems. The role of competencies in selection systems is discussed.

Module 1: Job analysis plays a central role in ensuring a selection system is legal. Job
analysis can also be used for job evaluation and plays a role in organization analysis.
Module 2: There are various job analysis techniques available and each one is best
suited to particular organization circumstances and needs.
Module 3: Since some organizations find themselves in rapidly changing environments,
they may require the flexibility of a competency-based approach. Module 4: Both job
analysis and competency modeling are geared to a similar end purpose but there are
important differences in these processes.
Learning Objectives:
 Explain the link between job analysis and the law.
 Explain the role of job analysis in job evaluation and organization analysis.
 Define job analysis.
 List and describe the various job analysis techniques available to HR professionals,
including a description of the circumstances under which it would be appropriate to
use each one.
 Explain what a competency model is.
 Outline the difference between job analysis and competency modeling.

Readings: Chapter 4

Unit 5. Recruitment, Selection and Job Performance.

This unit stresses the importance of developing sound measures of job performance.
This practice is key not only to the development and measurement of a valid selection
system, but is also vital to ensure the quality of all HR initiatives.

Module 1: It is important for HR professionals to understand performance on the job in

terms of the job performance domain and performance dimensions.
Module 2: A Multidimensional Model of Job Performance.
Module 3: Measuring performance involves ensuring the relevancy, reliability and
practicality of the measures used.
Module 4: HR professionals need to be aware of the various ways in which job
performance criteria can be conceptualized.
Module 5: Various factors can affect the consistency of job performance.
Module 6: Job performance criteria and performance appraisal.
Module 7: Knowledge of the various performance measures available, as well as the
strengths and weaknesses of each, and the conditions under which they are well-suited
is essential to developing a sound performance measurement tool
Module 8: Performance appraisal can also have important legal implications.

Learning Objectives:
 Explain nontask behaviors and their role in performance measurement.
 Describe performance domains and performance dimensions.
 Explain why performance measurement is key to the successful implementation of
selection system.
 Describe a multidimensional model of job performance.
 Outline and describe the challenges involved in developing a sound criterion
measurement.
 List and describe the various ways job performance criteria can be conceptualized,
such as ultimate, global, etc.
 List and describe the various methods for job performance measurement available,
including the various strengths and weaknesses of each approach.
 Describe the legal implications in performance appraisal.

Readings: Chapter 5

Unit 6. Recruitment.
Recruitment can have a major impact on the success of a hiring endeavor. The types of
factors that attract applicants to an organization, as well as the various recruitment
methods available to HR professionals is essential knowledge. Positive and negative
aspects of various methods are discussed.

Module 1: The first step is to attract job applicants. Aspects of the organization, and
how these aspects are presented to potential applicants are key factors in the decision
to apply.
Module 2: Applicant expectations and how they are managed play a role in developing
a fit between the organization and person.
Module 3: Recognizing the key factors that may be impacting your recruitment strategy
is important.
Module 4: There are various ways that HR can source potential job candidates.
Module 5: Realistic job previews, expectation lowering methods, and decision-making
training are all beneficial ways to increase person-organization fit.
Module 6: Like most aspects of HR, evaluating the effectiveness of recruitment efforts
will improve practices over time.

Learning Objectives:
 Explain the characteristics of organizations that potential applicants tend to pay
attention to.
 Describe the role of applicant expectations in the selection process.
 List and describe the factors that could potentially affect your recruitment strategy.
 List and describe the various sources of applicants.
 Define and present the pros and cons of realistic job previews, expectation lowering
procedures, and decision-making training.
 Explain how a recruitment practice can be evaluated.

Readings: Chapter 6

Unit 7. Applicant Screening.

The early stages of the selection system usually involve quick ways for removing less
appropriate candidates from the pool of potential employees. This unit involves a
review of the more commonly used screening procedures, including biographical data,
resumes, and reference checks.

Module 1: Once you have some job applicants, screening is the first step toward
choosing the right candidate.
Module 2: There are various screening methods available, each with pros and cons,
including legal implications. Application forms, weighted application blanks,
biographical data are very common methods of screening.
Module 3: Screening interviews and reference checks are also commonly used and have
their own strengths and weaknesses.

Learning Objectives:
 Explain the purpose of screening.
 List and describe the various methods for screening, including their strengths and
weaknesses.

Readings: Chapter 7

Unit 8. Testing.
Choosing selection tests that are reliable, valid, practical, and best suited to the
organization, job, and applicant pool can be difficult, and can mean the difference
between success and failure. This unit discusses the choice of selection tests and the
technical, ethical, and legal issues governing the use of these tests.

Module 1: Psychological testing is commonly used in employment decisions. Module 2:

There are reliability and validity issues involved in any type of application requirement,
including employment tests.
Module 3: Tests developed in the United States are usually considered appropriate for
use in Canada
Module 4: There are many factors to consider in selecting and appropriate employment
test.
Module 5: Many tests have been developed to measure for various aptitudes and
abilities that may be relevant to particular jobs.
Module 6: Physical fitness and medical tests can also be an important part of selection
systems.
Module 7: There are several important issues regarding drug and alcohol testing in the
workplace.
Module 8: Work samples and simulation tests.
Module 9: Assessment centres can be a useful part of a selection system.
Module 9: There are many different personality tests that may be appropriate in some
situations.
Module 10: There are many factors to consider when comparing the efficacy of the
various selection predictors we have discussed so far.

Learning Objectives:
 Define psychological testing.
 Explain the various legal and professional guidelines surrounding the use of testing in
the workplace.
 Outline the issues involved with the reliability and validity of testing practices.
 Describe the issues surrounding using a test developed in the United States.
 List and describe the issues involved in choosing the appropriate test.
 List and describe the ability and aptitude tests available, including their pros and cons.
 Describe when it is appropriate to use a physical fitness or medical test for hiring
purposes.
 Explain the issues involved in using drug and alcohol testing in organizations.
 Explain work samples and simulation tests, and when it is appropriate to use them.
 Explain the purpose of an assessment centre, and when it is appropriate to use one.
 Define personality tests and explain when it is appropriate to use one.
 Describe the issues involved in determining which selection procedure is appropriate
for a given situation.

Readings: Chapter 8

Unit 9. Interviewing.
This unit focuses on interviewing methods. There has been a great deal of HR research
in this area which can help to shed light on which interviewing methods are best in
certain situations and how to maximize the effectiveness of interviews.

Module 1: There are several uses and purposes of selection interviews.

Module 2: Interviewers face many difficult challenges in trying to make assessments
about candidates.
Module 3: Unstructured interviews come with several problems and issues that could
impact effectiveness.
Module 4: Structured Interviews are an attempt to improve interview effectiveness.
Module 5: There are several different structured interview approaches to be aware of.
Module 6: Interviewing practices have an impact on fairness, bias and employment
equity.
Module 7: Designing interview questions stems from the job analysis.
Module 8: Interviewer training is an important aspect of successful interviewing.
Module 9: There are several new developments in interviewing.

Learning Objectives:
 Explain the purpose of an employment interview.
 Describe the issues that interviewers face in trying to make assessments about
candidates.
 List and describe the types of errors that can be made when using unstructured
interviews.
 Explain what an employment interview is and how it increases hiring effectiveness.
 List and describe the various types of structured interviews.
 Explain the issues related to fairness and bias in interviewing.
 Describe how to develop interview questions.
 Explain interviewer training and how it improves the effectiveness of interviewing.
 Outline the various new developments in interviewing.

Readings: Chapter 9

Unit 10. Decision Making.

This section discusses ways to reduce subjectivity and errors in decision-making when
combining all the knowledge gained from recruitment, screening, and selection.

Module 1: The context of selection decisions, such as organizational fit and hire-from-
within policies, have an impact on how decisions are made.
Module 2: Selection errors include not only hiring the wrong person, but also not hiring
the right person.
Module 3: There are several different methods for compiling all of the information from
the various selection tools used in a selection tool.
Module 4: Employers often have a hard time moving toward statistical approaches to
making hiring decisions.
Module 5: There are several issues that can make group decision-making more difficult.
Module 6: Incremental Validity: How is selection information combined to provide new
and unique information about the applicant's suitability?
Module 7: A cut-off score can be used in conjunction with the selection ratio to make
the selection process more efficient.
Module 8: There are several different models used to combine selection test
information to arrive at a ranking of job applicants.
Module 9: There are two basic approaches to decide which applicant to hire.
Module 10: Utility analysis can tell us about the return on or usefulness of a selection
system.
Module 11: The utility of best practices in staffing.

Learning Objectives:
 Outline the contextual factors involved in selection decisions.
 List and describe the sources of common decision-making errors in employee
selection.
 List and describe the advantages and disadvantages of various decision-making
models.
 Explain the issues involved in group decision making.
 Define statistical and non-statistical approaches to decision-making.
 Explain the issues in statistical decision-making.
 Describe the basic principles of cut-off scores, banding and top-down selection.
 Explain utility analysis and why it is used.
 Outline and describe the best practices in staffing.

Readings: Chapter 10
Learning Aids
Interactive questions within the multimedia lecture streams. Self help quiz attached to
each unit of the course.

Participation
Discussion board moderated and graded by the instructor. Students are required to post
at least 3 substantial submissions (400 words or more) during the course on assigned
questions (topical and case study based) that demonstrate knowledge and skills
congruent with the Learning Objectives. There will be instructor feedback on all
submissions.

There will also be a General Discussion Board moderated by the instructor in which
questions can be asked on any course topic.

Midterm Paper
A midterm paper of approximately 1500 to be submitted online approximately 6 weeks
after the start of the course. The instructor shall grade and comment on each paper,
which shall be returned to the student.

Final Examination
Proctored, opened book, online examination consisting essay question(s). Any part of
the entire course content may be examined. Government issued photo identification
will be required to verify the student’s identity.

Grade Weightings of Course Components

Participation in Discussion Board: Weighting 10%
Midterm Paper: Weighting 35%
Final Examination: Weighting 55%: (It is required to pass the final examination with a
grade of at least 65% in order to pass the course, regardless of grades earned in other
components.)

Passing Grade for the Course: 65%