UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MINDANAO

EMPLOYEE TESTING AND

SELECTION

Monalyn Grace Bansil

3 AB Psych-A
Topic Outline
I. Significance of employee selection
II.Selection process
III.Preliminary screening
IV.Reviews of application and reviews of
resume
V.Use of tests in the selection process
VI.The Basics of testing and Selecting
employees

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Intended Learning Outcomes
At the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

A. Answer the question: Why is it important to test and

select employees?
a. Explain the significance of employee selection.
b. Describe the selection process.
c. Explain the importance of preliminary screening.
d.Discuss reviewing applications and résumés.
B. Describe the use of tests in the selection process.
a. Explain what is meant by reliability and validity.
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 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MINDANAO

Why is it important to test

and select employees?

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 Why is it important to test and select employees?

•The aim of employee selection is to achieve

person–job fit.

•This means matching the knowledge, skills,

abilities, and other competencies (KSACs) that
are required for performing the job (based on
job analysis) with the applicant’s KSACs.

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 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MINDANAO

Significance of Employee
Selection

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 Significance of Employee Selection

Selection
Process of choosing from a group
of applicants the individual best
suited for a particular position and
the organization.
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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MINDANAO

Selection Process

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 Selection Process
✓the more screening tools used to assess an applicant,
the greater the chance of making a good selection
decision. A good selection decision results in either one
of two outcomes.
✓First, job candidates who do not meet the standard for
employment are not offered employment.
✓Second, job candidates who do meet the standard for
employment are offered employment, and those
individuals accept the company’s offer of employment.
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 Selection Process
Preliminary screening
• In employee selection, a review to eliminate those who obviously do
not meet the position’s requirements.
• Preliminary screening may take the form of reviewing for obviously
unqualified applicants with a brief interview, test, or only a review of
the application or résumé for clear mismatches.

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 Selection Process
Reviews of Application and Reviews of Resume

A well-designed and properly used application form can be helpful

because essential information is included and presented in a
standardized format. Completion of an application may not be initially
required for many management and professional positions.

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 Reviews of Application and Reviews of Resume

• The specific information requested on an application form may vary

from firm to firm, and even by job type within an organization. An
application typically contains sections for name, address, telephone
number, e-mail address, military service, education, and work history.
• Managers compare the information contained in a completed
application to the job description to determine whether a potential
match exists between the firm’s requirements and the applicant’s
qualifications. As you might expect, this judgment is often difficult.

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 Several preprinted statements are usually included on the
application form.

✓ First, by signing the form, the applicant certifies that information

provided on the form is accurate and true.
✓ Second, when not prohibited by state law, the form should also
state that a condition of employment is employment-at-will.
✓Finally, the form should contain a statement whereby the candidate
gives permission to have his or her background and references
checked.

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 Selection Process
Resume
A résumé is a goal-directed summary of a
person’s experience, education, and training
developed for use in the selection process.
Professional and managerial applicants often
begin the selection process by submitting a
résumé.
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 Selection Process
The remainder of the résumé should be directed toward showing how a
person has the skills and competencies necessary to accomplish the
position identified in the career objective statement.
1. Using keywords from the job description or employment ad will help
an applicant get past the résumé-scanning programs many firms use.
2. Only information necessary to show a relationship to the objective
should be included.

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• Keywords
Keywords refer to those words or phrases that are
used to search databases for résumés that match.
• Keyword résumé
Résumé that contains an adequate description of
the job seeker’s characteristics and industry specific
experience presented in keyword terms in order to
accommodate the computer search process.

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 Use of Test in the Selection
Process
• Tests are essential components of employee
selection. There are many considerations, including
advantages and disadvantages, property of tests,
validation approaches, and test type.

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 Selection Test
1. Preliminary Consideration
2. Advantages and Disadvantages of
Selection Test
3. Characteristic of Properly Designed
Selection Test

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 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MINDANAO

Preliminary Consideration

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 Preliminary Consideration
✓ Recognizing the shortcomings of other selection tools, many firms
have added selection tests to their hiring process.
✓ These tests rate factors such as aptitude, personality, abilities, and
motiva_x0002_tion of potential employees, allowing managers to
choose candidates according to how they will fit into the open
positions and corporate culture.
✓ Firms need to use them in conjunction with other selection tools such
as reference checks and interviews.

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 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MINDANAO

Advantages and Disadvantages of

Selection Test

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 Advantages of Selection Test
• Tests provide a basis for finding • Tests provide better objective
out the suitability of candidates criteria than any other method.
for various jobs. Subjectivity of every type is
• The mental capability, aptitude, almost eliminated.
liking and interests of the • Tests provide a uniform basis
candidates enable the selectors for comparing the performance
to find out whether a person is of applicants. Same tests are
suitable for the job for which given to the candidates and
he is a candidate. their score will enable selectors
to see their performance.

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 Advantages of Selection Test
• The aptitude, temperament • Proper selection of
and adjustability of persons will also reduce
candidates are determined
with the help of tests. labour turnover.
• This enables their placement
on the jobs where they will
be most suitable. It will also
improve their efficiency and
job satisfaction.

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 Disadvantages of Selection Test
• The inferences drawn from the • Those persons who are
tests may not be correct in conducting these tests may be
certain cases. The skill and biased towards certain
ability of a candidate may not persons.
be properly judged with the • Tests may also give unreliable
help of tests. results if used by incompetent
• The tests may not be properly persons.
used by the employees.

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 Disadvantages of Selection Test
• Some persons may not submit • The enterprise may be deprived
to the tests for fear of of the services of such
exposure. They may be personnel who are not willing
competent but may not like to to appear for the tests but are
be assessed through the tests. otherwise suitable for the
concern.

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 Characteristic of Properly
Designed Selection Test
•Properly designed selection tests are
standardized, objective, based on sound
norms, reliable, and of utmost importance,
valid. These concepts and the application of
these concepts are discussed next.

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 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MINDANAO

Employee Testing and Selection

Types of Tests
Baroy, Jasthinne Marie S.
Second Reporter

Title Page
 Topic Outline

• Tests of Cognitive Abilities

• Tests of Motor and Physical Abilities

• Measuring Personality and Interests

• Achievement Tests
Topic Outline 30
 Tests of Cognitive Abilities

Intelligence Tests
• Intelligence (IQ ) tests are tests of general
intellectual abilities.
• An adult’s IQ score is a “derived” score.
• Intelligence is often measured with individually
administered tests like the Wechsler Adult
Intelligence Scale (WAIS) or the Wonderlic or the
Wonderlic Contemporary Cognitive Ability Test.

Tests of Cognitive Abilities 31

 Tests of Cognitive Abilities

Specific Cognitive Tests

• There are tests called aptitude tests that
measure specific mental abilities like
deductive reasoning, verbal comprehension,
memory, and numerical ability.

Tests of Cognitive Abilities 32

 Tests of Motor and Physical Abilities

Psychomotor abilities refer to the capacity to

connect brain or cognitive functions and functions
of the body such as physical strength.
An example of a psychomotor ability is reaction
time, which is defined as “the ability to quickly
respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal
(sound, light, picture) when it appears.”
Tests of Motor and Physical Abilities 33
 Tests of Motor and Physical Abilities
For example, an Tests of physical
employer wants to abilities may also be
measure motor abilities required. These include
such as finger dexterity, static strength (such as
manual dexterity, and (if lifting weights),
hiring pilots) reaction dynamic strength (pull-
time then he can use the ups), body coordination
Crawford Small Parts ( jumping rope), and
Dexterity Test. stamina.
Tests of Motor and Physical Abilities 34
 Measuring Personality and Interests

• Personality refers to individual differences in

characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling and
behaving. The study of personality focuses on two
broad areas: One is understanding individual
differences in particular personality characteristics,
such as sociability or irritability. The other is
understanding how the various parts of a person
come together as a whole.
Measuring Personality and Interests 35
 Measuring Personality and Interests

• A person’s cognitive and physical abilities alone

seldom explain his or her job performance.
• Personality tests measure basic aspects of an
applicant’s personality. Industrial psychologists
often focus on the “big five” personality dimensions:
Extraversion, Emotional stability/Neuroticism,
Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness to
experience
Measuring Personality and Interests 36
 Measuring Personality and Interests
Integrity Tests
• These represent a specific type of personality attribute. Integrity
refers to “being honest and ethical.”

Projective Personality Tests

• The psychologist presents an ambiguous stimulus and the person
reacts. The person supposedly projects into the ambiguous picture his
or her attitudes, such as insecurity.

Self-reported Personality Tests

• These tests are filled out by the applicants and are oftentimes
available online.
Measuring Personality and Interests 37
 Measuring Personality and Interests
Personality Test results do often correlate with job
performance. For example, “in personality research,
conscientiousness has been the most consistent and universal
predictor of job performance.”
Neuroticism is negatively related to motivation and to job
engagement. Extroversion correlates with success in sales,
management, and expatriate jobs. Emotional stability,
extroversion, and agreeableness predicted whether expatriates
would leave their overseas assignments early.

Measuring Personality and Interests 38

 Personality Test Caveats
✓ First, projective personality tests are difficult to interpret
and score.
✓ Second, for this and other reasons, personality tests can
trigger legal challenges.
✓ Third, experts debate whether self-report personality
tests
suffer from low validity.
✓ Fourth, people can and will fake responses to personality
and integrity tests.
Personality Test Caveats 39
 Interest Inventories

An interest inventory is a personal

development and selection device that
compares the person’s current interests
with those of others now in various
occupations so as to determine the
preferred occupation for the individual.
Interest Inventories 40
 Achievement Tests

Achievement tests measure what someone

has learned. They measure your “job knowledge”
in areas like economics, marketing, or human
resources.
For example, the Purdue Test for Machinists and
Machine Operators tests the job knowledge of
experienced machinists with questions like “What
is meant by ‘tolerance’?”
Achievement Tests 41
 Achievement Tests

Achievement tests measure what

someone has learned. They measure your
“job knowledge” in areas like economics,
marketing, or human resources.

Personality Test Caveats 42

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GAS VOTE
NI INIT
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 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MINDANAO

WORK SAMPLES AND SIMULATIONS

ABRIQUE, JELAH F.
 Topic Outline
• WORK SAMPLES AND SIMULATIONS • BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS AND
• Using Work Sampling for Employee Selection OTHER SELECTION METHODS
• Situational Judgment Tests • Why Perform Background Investigations and
• ■ HR AND THE GIG ECONOMY: FREELANCE Reference Checks?
WORKERS • ■ KNOW YOUR EMPLOYMENT LAW: Giving
• Management Assessment Centers References
• Situational Testing and Video-Based Situational • ■ TRENDS SHAPING HR: DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Testing
• Using Preemployment Information Services
• The Miniature Job Training and Evaluation Approach
• Steps for Making the Background Check More
• Realistic Job Previews Valuable
• ■ IMPROVING PERFORMANCE: THE STRATEGIC • The Polygraph and Honesty Testing
CONTEXT: “Speed Dating” Employee Selection at
Zulily • Physical Exams
• Choosing a Selection Method • Substance Abuse Screening
• ■ IMPROVING PERFORMANCE: HR TOOLS FOR LINE • Drug Testing Legal Issues
MANAGERS AND SMALL BUSINESSES: Employee
Testing and Selection • Complying with Immigration Law Insert Running Title 48
 Intended Learning Outcomes
✓At the end of our learning discussion,
students will be able to:

✓Explain how to use two work simulations for

selection.

✓Describe four ways to improve an

employer’s background checking process

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Title
 Actual job tasks
WORK used in testing
SAMPLES applicants’
performance
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 USING WORK SAMPLING FOR EMPLOYEE
SELECTION
Work sampling technique
A testing method Advantage of WST
✓measures actual job
based on measuring tasks
performance on ✓not as likely to be unfair
actual basic job tasks to minorities
✓ does not delve into the
applicant’s personality
✓designed properly
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SITUATIONAL JUDGMENT TESTS

personnel tests designed

to assess an applicant’s
judgment regarding a
situation encountered in
the workplace
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 MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT CENTERS
A simulation in which management
candidates are asked to perform
realistic tasks in hypothetical
situations and are scored on their
performance. It usually also involves
testing and the use of
management games.
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 MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT CENTERS
1 2 3
Leaderless
Management
In- basket group
games
discussion

4 5 6
Individual
Oral Testing The Interview
Presentations
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 SITUATIONAL TESTING AND
VIDEO-BASED SITUATIONAL TESTING

Situational Test Video-based Simulation

A test that requires A situational test in
examinees to which examinees
respond to respond to video
situations simulations of realistic
representative of
job situations.
the job
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 THE MINIATURE JOB TRAINING AND
EVALUATION APPROACH

Training candidates to
perform several of the
miniature job job’s tasks, and then
training and evaluating the
candidates’
evaluation performance prior to
hire
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 REALISTIC JOB PREVIEW

✓A method of recruitment in
which job applicants are told
both the positive and the
negative aspects of a job.
✓turns down job offers, but their
employers are more likely to have
less turnover and be more
resilient.
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 CHOOSING A SELECTION METHOD
✓reliability and validity
✓its practicality
✓applicant reactions
✓ adverse impact
✓cost
✓and the tool’s selection ratio
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EMPLOYEE TESTING AND SELECTION

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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MINDANAO

ABRIQUE, JELAH F.
 BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS AND
OTHER SELECTION METHODS

✓to verify the applicant’s

information (name and so forth)
✓to uncover damaging
information

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 USING PREEMPLOYMENT INFORMATION
SERVICES
• Accurate background
• First advantage Employment
screening
• HireRight LLC
services
• Sterling Talent Solutions
they use databases to access information about
matters such as workers’ compensation, credit
histories, and conviction and driving records.
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 3 reasons to use caution with
background checking services
1 2 3
•criminal
•Federal background
•EEO information
laws and may be
apply state flawed
laws
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 Authorizing background reports while
complying with these laws requires four steps
Step 1:
Disclosure and Step 2:
authorization. Certification.
Step 3:
Step 4: Notice
Providing
after adverse
copies of
action.
reports. Insert Running Title 64
 3 reasons to use caution with
background checking services
1 2 3

•criminal
•EEO •Federal background
laws and information
apply state may be
flawed
laws
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 STEPS FOR MAKING THE BACKGROUND
CHECK MORE VALUABLE
Include on the application form a statement for applicants to sign explicitly
authorizing a background check

Phone references tend to produce more candid assessments.

Persistence and attentiveness to possible red flags improve results.
Compare the application to the résumé

Try to ask open-ended questions

Ask the references supplied by the applicant to suggest other references.

Aim for “360” reference checking

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The Polygraph and Honesty Testing

Polygraph
A device that measures
physiological changes like
increased perspiration, on the
assumption that such changes
reflect lying

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 WRITTEN HONESTY TESTS

Paper-and-pencil (or computerized

or online) honesty tests are special
types of personality tests designed to
predict job applicants’ proneness to
dishonesty and other forms of
counterproductivity.
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 The Polygraph and Honesty Testing

graphology
The use of handwriting analysis to
determine the writer’s personality
characteristics and moods, and
even illnesses, such as depression
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 “HUMAN LIE DETECTORS”

•pupils changing size (fear)

•irregular breathing (nervousness)
•crossing legs (“liars distance
themselves from an untruth”)
•quick verbal responses (scripted
statements)
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 The Polygraph and Honesty Testing
TESTING FOR HONESTY: PRACTICAL GUIDELINES

1. Ask blunt 2. Listen

questions. carefully.
3. Watch for
telltale body 4. Do a credit
signals. check.
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 The Polygraph and Honesty Testing
TESTING FOR HONESTY: PRACTICAL GUIDELINES
5. Check all 6. Use written honesty
employment and tests and
personal psychological tests.
references.
8. Establish a search-
7. Test for drugs. and-seizure policy, and
conduct searches.
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 PHYSICAL EXAMS
✓preemployment medical exams:
✓to verify that the applicant meets the
job’s physical requirements,
✓to discover any medical limitations you
should consider in placement,
✓to establish a baseline for future workers’
compensation claims.
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 PHYSICAL EXAMS

• Occupational Safety and Health

Standards- annual physical
examinations
•case of Victorino Opinaldo vs. Narcisa
Ravina (G.R.No. 196573, October 16,
2013)

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 PHYSICAL EXAMS
• Urine test- illicit drugs
• Breath alcohol tests- measures amount of
alcohol in the blood
• Blood tests- measures alcohol or drugs in the
blood at the time of the test
• Hair analysis- reveals drug history
• Saliva test- marijuana and cocaine
• Skin patches – drug use

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 SUBSTANCE ABUSE SCREENING
•Flunking the tests
•Before hiring
•Reason to believe that they are using
•Routine-random or periodic
•Transfer or promote employees to new
position

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 DRUG TESTING LEGAL ISSUES
R.A. 9165, “Comprehensive
Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002”
DOLE DO-53
Section 36 (d), Article III- Officers
and employees of public and
private offices shall be subjected b. Drug
to undergo random drug test as Testing
Program for
contained in the company’s work Officers and
rules and regulations. Employees
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COMPLYING WITH IMMIGRATION LAW
•Article 40 (Labor Code)- obtain an
employment permit from the
Department of Labor and
Employment
•Alien Employment Permit- permit
issued to a nonresident alien or
foreign national seeking admission to
the Philippines for employment
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