MGTO 324 Recruitment and Selections External Selection II: Other selection tools Kin Fai Ellick Wong Ph.D. Department of Management of Organizations Hong Kong University of Science & Technology

Prologue Do you still remember the idea of multiple predictors? –In a real selection, we can use many predictors simultaneously –Of course, some predictors are conceptually more “important” than others Cognitive Ability vs. Handwriting –How to assign the weight? Rational weighing –Managers and experts establish the weights for predictors according to degree to which each predictor is believed to predict job success Multiple-regression –The one we learned –more objective and more scientifically driven

Prologue So, what should be included as “predictors”? –Managers thus far have used a large number of predictors. I summarized them into three categories Popular predictors (for initial assessment) –Resume & cover letter –Biodata –Reference letter Useful predictors (for substantive assessment) –Personality test –Ability test –Integrity test Other interesting predictors –Genetic screening –Handwriting analysis –Birthday

Outline Selection tools Popular tools Useful tools Interesting tools

Part 1: Popular Tools

Resume / Cover letter –The initial step for applicants to catch employees’ attention –An organization may receive a thousand (or much more) resumes for a single procedure –Resume screening could be a very time consuming and resource demanding process It may be done by lower-level staff or computer with resume scanning software Good candidates might be eliminated because of the inflexibility in the screening process –E.g., searching for key words “BBA” may exclude applicants from social science disciplines –Thus far, there is no research examining the reliability and validity of resume and cover letter !!!!!

Part 1: Popular Tools

Biodata (Biographical information) –Personal history information on an applicant’s background and interests –Why history? The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior Past behavior may reflect ability or motivation –For example, for the vacancy of assistant professor at MGTO, we are particularly interested in Applicants’ publication record Teaching record –Organizations may look for other historical data that are thought to be relevant to job performance See Exhibit 8.6 –Reliability and validity Good reliability (around.8) and validity (around.35)

Part 1: Popular Tools

Reference letter –Highly popular in some settings (e.g., academic institutions) –It is particularly useful for reference checks and validating information from cover letter and/or resume. However, most organizations do not do reference check. –Problems Almost all letters are positive Letter contents are not structured and standardized –Difficult to have standardized scoring keys or system Projection problems –Same writer for different applicants  high correlation –Different letters for the same applicants  relatively low in correlation

Outline Selection tools Popular tools Useful tools Interesting tools

Part 2: Useful Tools Useful tools Personality test Ability test Integrity test

Part 2: Useful Tools Personality test –Big Five Personality Traits OCEAN –Openness to Experience –Conscientiousness –Extraversion (or Extroversion) –Agreeableness –Neuroticism (or Emotional Stability) –Key research findings thus far Conscientiousness predicts job performance across almost all occupations, with r being about.3 Emotional stability predicts job performance in most occupations, especially in sales, management, and teaching Extraversion predicts performance of salespeople Openness to experience is conceptually related to performance in art, music, or literature, though no clear evidence obtained thus far Emerging evidence indicates the conscientiousness is negatively related to creativity (e.g., George & Zhou, 2001, Journal of Applied Psychology)

Part 2: Useful Tools Useful tools Personality test Ability test Integrity test

Part 2: Useful Tools Ability test –Cognitive ability Perception, memory, reasoning, verbal and mathematical ability, etc. See Exhibit 9.4 for some samples –In Primary 6, almost all of you did an aptitude test called 學能測驗 Cognitive ability has been regarded as the most important predictor for all jobs –Validity is estimated to be as high as.5 –It has been characterized as “among the most valid, if not the most valid, methods of selection” (textbook, 426) –Other ability tests Psychomotor ability, Physical ability tests, Sensory/Perceptual ability tests

Part 2: Useful Tools Useful tools Personality test Ability test Integrity test

Part 2: Useful Tools Integrity test –Integrity ( 誠信 ) One’s honesty and moral character –Two types of integrity test Clear purpose, which directly tests one’s attitude toward theft –Do you think most people would cheat if they thought they could get away with it? –Have you ever stolen anything? General purpose, assessing one’s personality related to integrity –Would you rather go to a party than read a newspaper? –Do you like to create excitement? –Do you think taking chances makes life more interesting? –Validity Both are valid predictors of counterproductive behaviors (absenteeism, workplace violence, etc.). –Validity for clear purpose test (about.5) is larger than hat for the general purpose one (about.3) Both predict job performance (around.3 to.35) Related to conscientiousness, agreeableness, and emotional stability –Given that people often distort their responses to be social desirable, why is the clear purpose one useful?

Outline Selection tools Popular tools Useful tools Interesting tools

Part 3: Interesting Tools Interesting tools Genetic screening Handwriting analysis Birthday

Part 3: Interesting Tools Genetic screening –Check applicant’s genes Primary purpose is to screen out people who are susceptible to certain diseases due to exposure to toxic substances at work So, it is used to protect the “potential” employees It is not supposed to be used for selection purposes with other reasons, –Doing so might violate the Disability Discrimination Ordinance

Part 3: Interesting Tools Interesting tools Genetic screening Handwriting analysis Birthday

Part 3: Interesting Tools Handwriting analysis –Also called graphology Widely used in Europe as selection methods Handwriting is thought to be related to personality –t–t –Paper position… No clear evidence indicating that these tests are valid

Part 3: Interesting Tools Interesting tools Genetic screening Handwriting analysis Birthday

Part 3: Interesting tools Birthday test –Also called Fung Shui Ming Lei ( 風水命理 ), or simply Chinese astrology Relatively commonly used in Hong Kong and other Chinese communities A very complicated “knowledge” that spreads widely in Chinese communities –Just one example here, The idea of Yin yang wu xing ( 陰陽五行 ) An old Chinese philosophy about the world –All are made up by five elements: Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Soil –Some elements generate other elements »Gold  Water; Water  Wood; Wood  Fire, Fire  Soil; Soil  Gold –Some elements “kill” other elements »Gold kills wood; Wood kills soils; Soils kills water; Water kills Fire; Fire kills gold The organization and the boss should also be one of the five elements –So employees with elements that “kill” the organization or the bosses will not be hired –Employees with elements that “generate” the organization or the bosses are highly preferred –There are a set of rules about one’s birthdayrules –Of course, not scientific evidence