Recruitment and Selection - Summary for Final Exam PDF

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Final Exam Review: Exam Breakdown: -6 questions to choose from, choose 4. Each question is worth 10 marks. More short descriptions with regards to the answers (describe, explain, etc.) 40 marks for this section -Case Study with 4 no-choice questions, each question is worth 10 marks. 40 marks for this section -Total 80 marks -December 15, 2010 from 1:30-4:30p.m.

Chapter 1: An Introduction to Recruitment and Selection: Should be able to: -Appreciate the importance and relevance of recruitment and selection to Canadian organizations; -Know where recruitment and selection fit into the organization as a whole and the human resources management system in particular; -Be aware of which professional associations and groups in Canada have a stake in recruitment and selection; -Become familiar with basic ethical issues in recruitment and selection; and; -Understand how the rest of the chapters in this book work together to present a detailed picture of both the practice and theory of recruitment and selection in Canada Why Recruitment and Selection Matters: -Best Practices are valid, reliable, and legally definsible. They involve the ethical treatment of job applicants throughout the process; not necessarily perfect practices. They add value to an organization and contributes to success (including financial). Best practices also: -reduce employee turnover and increase productivity -are responsible for up to 15% of a firms relative profit -correlate with an organizations long-term profitability and productivity rates -establish employee trust -improve the KSA's of current/future employees -RECRUITMENT: is the generation of an applicant pool for a position or job in order to provide the required number of candidates for a subsequent selection or promotion program. Done to achieve management goals and objectives for an organization and must also meet current legal requirements. -SELECTION: is the choice of job candidates from a previously generated applicant pool in a way that will meet management goals and objectives as well as current requirements. Selection can take many functions: lateral transfer or promotion of current employees, training and development of current employees, external hiring of entry level applicants, etc. -Systems view of HR: HR is a staff function that needs to support the whole organization and continue to prove its worth to top management by keeping up with two basic principles: -HRM must carefully coordinate its activities with the other organizational units and people if the larger system is to function properly -HRM must think in systems terms and have the welfare of the whole organization in mind. -HR Profession: Typically done by in-house HR staff but sometimes done by consulting firms. Recently recognized as independent profession (CHRP designation).

-Ethics: are the means by which we distinguish what is right from what is wrong, what is moral from what is immoral, what may be done from what may not be done. HRM requires a careful balance the rights and interests of management, workers, as well as the HRM professional with the larger society. -Summary: -Effective recruitment and selection are important because they contribute to organizational productivity and worker growth. -Effective human resource management, including recruitment and selection, must be carried out within the context of an organizational system and external environment.

Chapter 2: Measurement, Reliability, and Validity: Should be able to: -Understand the basic components that make up a traditional personnel selection model; -Know what a correlation coefficient is, along with a few other basic statistical concepts used in personnel selection; -Have a good understanding of the concepts of reliability and validity; -Recognize the importance and necessity of establishing the reliability and validity of measurements used in personnel selection; -Identify common strategies that are used to provide evidence on the reliability and validity of measurements used in personnel selection; and -Appreciate the requirement for measurements used in personnel selection to evaluate applicants fairly and in an unbiased fashion -Recruitment and Selection Process: -Many applicants for each job, employer needs to choose applicants who possess the necessary Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other attributes (KSAO's) to successfully perform the job. -Every job employer who makes a hiring decision goes through some hiring process. That may be as structured as applying to the Winnipeg General Police or as unstructured as a Mom and Pop's store. -Table 2.1 on Page 29 is a good comparison between science-based approach vs. Practice-based. -Selection programs must operate within the current legal context; standards set by the Meiorin decision. Must choose best-qualified candidates within the agreed upon employment equity programsinitiatives and policies in place to promote employment opportunities for members of designated minority groups. -Two elements to building a foundation: -system must be based on solid empirical support. HR must be able to demonstrate reliability and validity of their selection systems. -Any selection system must operate within a legal context. -Correlation and Regression: statistical procedures describe important information contained in the set of applicant scores; measures of central tendency and variability are useful in summarizing large data sets. -Correlation Coefficient: measures the relationship between two variables. Useful in proving the validity of selection criteria (cognitive ability) relationship with job performance. -Coefficient of Determination: -this value represents the proportion of variability in one variable that is associated with variability in another. ex. 31% of job performance can be attributed to cognitive ability. -Simple and Multiple Regression: the relationship between one variable and another can be expressed in terms of a straight line (simple regression) or multiple variables (multiple regression). -RELIABILITY: degree to which observed scores are free from random measurement errors. It is an

indication of the stability or dependability of a set of measurements over repeated applications of the procedure- consistency. Factors that introduce error can be put into three broad categories: -Temporary individual characteristics: nervousness, tired, fatigue all factors that throw off the true score a candidate would get if in better condition -Lack of standardization: change of conditions for applicants (ex. Different interview settings) -Chance: luck of the draw on interview time, study concepts.. -Measurement: degree of variability that is caused by measurement error. Can test this by using two different but parallel measurements of the characteristic or attribute and see if the yield the same result. Test and re-test approaches can also be taken. -VALIDITY: refers to the legitimacy or correctness of the inferences that are drawn from a set of measurements or other specified procedures. Degree to which accumulated evidence and theory support specific interpretations of test cores in the context of a test propped use. -Validation Strategies: -Construct and content validity provide evidence based on test content. -Criterion-related validity provides evidence based on relationships to other variables. -Factors affecting validity co-efficient: -Range Restriction: measurements taken from a smaller subgroup are more homogeneous than a larger group -Measurement Error: reliability of measurement places an upper limit on validity -Sampling Error: sample size may not be as representative as needed. -Bias and Fairness: -Bias refers to systematic errors in measurement or inferences made from measurements that are related to different identifiable group membership characteristics such as age, sex or race. Form of bias is differential prediction where the average performance score of a subgroup is higher or lower than the score of the entire group. -The concept of fairness in measurement to the value judgements people make about the decisions or outcomes that are based on measurements. No single meaning so no statistical testing. Something that is unbiased may be unfair as well. -Summary: -One goal of personnel selection is to use scientifically derived information to predict which job applicants will do well in the job. -The procedures used to select employees must meet acceptable professional standards.

Chapter 3: Legal Issues: Should be able to: -Understand the major legal issues affecting recruitment and selection; -Know how relevant human rights and employment equity legislation and policies affect recruitment and selection in your organization; -Understand and be able to describe how legal concerns affect the practice of recruitment and selection; -Know, and be capable of explaining, the key legal concepts that have had an impact on recruitment and selection in this country; and -Be able to apply the basic concepts and principles discussed in the chapter to the development of recruitment and selection systems that meet legal requirements -4 Legal sources affecting Canadian employment practices in R & S: -Constitutional Law: Supreme law of Canada; it has a pervasive impact on employment practices and all spheres of Canadian society. Precedent over all other legal means. Includes the Charter of Rights

and Freedoms -Human Rights Law: prohibits discrimination in both employment and the provision of goods and services. Generally establishes human rights commissions or tribunals to deal with complaints including those involving employment discrimination. Federally and provincially regulated. Sets up Canadian Human Rights Act which defines “prohibited grounds of discrimination”. -Employment equity legislation: Administrative mechanisms set up in many Canadian organizations response to federal initiatives and cover nearly 2 million working Canadians. Intend to promote the entry and retention of people from designated groups (women, visible minorities, etc.). Many organizations partaking in employment equity programs, mandatory for some publicly traded and public organizations. -Labour law, employment standards and related legislation: Grants certain employment rights to both employers and employees but also impose a wide range of employment responsibilities and obligations. Provincially and federally regulated. Employment standard laws regulate minimum wage, hours of work, holidays, vacations, etc. -Contract law -Key Legal Concepts: -O'Malley Vs. Simpson-Sears cases resulted in direct discrimination being defied as occurring when an employer adopts a practice or rule which on its face discriminates on a prohibited ground. Burden is on the employer to show that the rule is valid in application to all members of the affected group. -Adverse effect discrimination (indirect) is: a situation where an employer, in good faith, adopts a policy or practice that has an unintended negative impact on members of a protected group. Adverse impact occurs when the selection rate for a protected group is lower than that for the relevant comparison group. Meiorin Decision has set a higher standard for employers to meet before allowing discriminatory work-related practices. Regardless discrimination is discrimination regardless of what type. -Most human rights acts in Canada allow an employer to defend a discriminatory policy or practice as a Bonafide Occupational Requirment (BFOR) if there is a good reason for it based on the employer's need to engage and retain efficient employees. Three step test (balance of probabilities) must be met: -employer adopted the standard for a purpose rationally connected to the performance of the job. -that the employer adopted the particular standard in an honest and good faith belief that it was necessary for a legitimate work-related purpose. -that the standard is reasonably necessary for the accomplishment of that legitimate workrelated purpose. -Reasonable accommodation: incorporated into BFOR. When discrimination has occurred the employer is under a duty to accommodate the complaint short of undue hardship (financial cost, impact of lowered morale for other employees, disruption of an existing collective agreement). -Sufficient Risk: Part of a BFOR defence, an employer may argue that an occupational requirement that discriminates against a protected group is reasonably necessary to ensure that work will be performed successfully and in a manner that will not pose harm or danger to employees or the public. -Key Practical Considerations: -R and S that have an impact on careers or entry to occupations must be defensible with respect to legal requirements. Emphasis on empirical evidence in decisions. Practitioners are expected to use procedures and practices that do not harm but benefit clients. -Summary: -Legal issues in recruitment and selection are complex and take a great deal of time, study and

experience to master. -The impact of the laws discussed in this chapter mandate recruitment practices that do not discriminate on the basis of specific circumstances. -This chapter presents some practical guidelines that will assist HR practitioners in developing recruitment procedures that will meet with legal acceptance should they have to address a human rights complaint.

Chapter 4: Job Analysis and Competency Models: Should be able to: -Understand the importance of job analysis and the role it plays in recruitment and selection; -Be able to describe guidelines for conducting analyses employing a variety of job analysis techniques; -Be able to use standard tools and techniques to conduct a job analysis; -Recognize processes for identifying job specifications to be used in recruitment and selection of human resources; -Understand what competencies are, how to identify them and the role they play in recruitment and selection; -Understand the need to validate competency-based systems and; -Be able to distinguish competency-based human resources models from those based on job analysis -Job Analysis: is a legally acceptable way of determining job-relatedness. A good job analysis ensures that accurate information on skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions is specified reducing the likelihood of impediments to equitable employment access for all Canadians. -Refers to the process of collecting information about jobs by any method for any purpose. It is a method that provides a description of the job and profiles the characteristics or competencies people need to have in order to be successful in the job. Three key points to remeeber: -it does not refer to a single methodology but rather a range of techniques -a formal, structured process carried out under a set of guidelines established in advance. -breaks down a job into its parts rather than looking at it as a whole. -Job Evaluation: is the use of job analysis data to establish the worth of a job and to set compensation rates. It allows comparisons between jobs within an organization (internal equity) and to those outside of it (external equity) to determine the fairness of the company's compensation system. -Key Concepts: -Job description: are written descriptions of what job occupations are required to do, how they are supposed to do it, and the rationale for any required job procedures. -Job Specifications: the KSAO's that are needed by a job incumbent to perform well on the job. -Job: a collection of positions that are similar in their significant duties. -Position: a collection of duties assigned to individuals in an organization at a given time. -Job Family: a set of different but related jobs that rely on the same set of KSAO's. -Subject Matter Experts (SME): people who are most knowledgeable about a job and how it is currently performed; generally job incumbents and their supervisors. -KSAO's: the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other attributes necessary for a new incumbent to do well on the job. -Worker Oriented Job Analysis: job analysis techniques that emphasize work outcomes and description of the various task performed to accomplish those outcomes. Emphasize general aspects of jobs, describing perceptual, interpersonal, sensory, cognitive and physical activities. -HR functions are embedded within the context of an organization and are influenced by all factors that

affect it. Organizational analysis is an important step in the recruitment and selection process that can be used to anchor job analysis in the context of the organizations mission, goals, and strategy. See figure 4.1 on Page 120 for a model. -First step is to gather job related information. Such information can be found in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. -Job Analysis Techniques: -Interviews: most common form -Direct observation (job shadowing): follow worker around easiest way to see what they do, often use a recording sheet to guide the different tasks and time on each task -Structured Job Analysis Questionnaires and Inventories: response to written questions about their jobs -Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ): focuses on the general behaviours of the job. -Task Inventories: work oriented surveys that break down jobs into their component tasks. -Functional Job Analysis: task assignments are clearly written out so an unfamiliar person would be able to understand what is to be done. -Worker Traits Inventories: methods used to infer employee specifications from job analysis data; commonly included in the job analysis literature. -Threshold Traits Analysis System: identifies worker traits that are relevant to the target job -Fleishman Job Analysis Survey (F-JAS): identifies employee characteristics that influence job performance. -Job Element Method: attempts to distinguish between superior and inferior workers on th basis of jobrelated abilities. -Role of Competencies: -Competencies: are groups of related behaviours that are needed for successful job performance in an organization. Used to identify the KSAO's that distinguish superior performers from others. -Core competencies: are characteristics that every member of an organization regardless of position, function, job, or level of responsibility within the organization is expected to possess. -Functional competencies: are shared characteristics by different positions within an organization. -Job-specific competencies: are characteristics that apply only to specific positions within the organization. Only those in those positions are required to have those competencies. -Competency dictionary: lists all the competencies that are required by an organization to achieve its mandate. Includes proficiency level: level at which competency must be performed to ensure success in a given functional group or position. -Competency profile: a set of proficiency ratings related to a function, job, or employee.

Chapter 5: Job Performance: Should be able to: -Appreciate the important role played by job performance in selection and assessment; -Know and be able to discuss how organizational goals influence both individual and group performance; -Be able to define the difference between task, contextual and counter-productive work behaviours; -Be able to describe the importance of developing and using scientifically sound measurements of job performance in selection and assessment; -Understand the relationship between individual performance measurements, criteria, and performance dimensions related to a job -Appreciate the technical aspects of measuring job performance; -Be able to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of different types of performance rating systems; and

-Be able to define the characteristics that a performance appraisal system should have in place to satisfy human rights concerns -Job Performance: is behaviour – the observable things people do – that is relevant to accomplishing the goals of an organization. Criteria are measurements of job performance that attempt to capture individual differences among employees with respect to job-related behaviours. Counterproductive behaviours are those behaviours that violate significant organizational norms and in so doing threaten the well-being of an organization, its members, or both. -Performance Dimensions: are sets of related behaviours that are derived from an organi...