1. Chapter 7 Selection I: Applicant Screening
AP/HRM July 13, 2015
Chapter 7
Selection I: Applicant Screening

2. The Big Question(s)
What are the methods for screening and selecting qualified candidates?
How can I identify the most suitable for my organization? For specific positions?
How do I navigate the legal minefield?
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3. Applicant Screening
Screening: the first step of the selection process; involves identifying individuals from the applicant pool who have the minimum qualifications for the target position(s)
Candidates “passing” this first hurdle then undergo more extensive assessments
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4. Applicant Screening (cont)
Minimum qualifications (MQ): knowledge, skills, abilities, experiences, and other attributes and competencies deemed necessary for minimally acceptable performance in one or more positions; designed for making the “first cut” in screening job applicants, and sometimes referred to as selection criteria
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5. Applicant Screening (cont)
Designated targeted groups: the four groups, (women, visible minorities, Aboriginal peoples, and people with disabilities) designated in the federal government’s Employment Equity Act that receive legal “protection” in employment policies and practices because of their underrepresentation in the workplace
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6. Figure 7.1 (p. 266) diagrams the relationship among recruitment, screening, and selection in terms of different questions that are asked at each of these steps.
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7. Recruitment, Screening, and Selection
False positives: individuals who are predicted to perform successfully in a given position (based on pre-selection assessment scores), but who do not perform at satisfactory levels when placed on the job
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8. Recruitment, Screening, and Selection (cont)
False negatives: individuals who are predicted to perform unsuccessfully in a given position (based on pre-selection assessment scores), but who would perform at satisfactory levels if hired.
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9. Screening Methods Application Forms (Blank)
Weighted Application Blanks
Biographical Data
Biodata
Résumés
Reference Checks
Background Checks
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10. Class Activity
What do recruiters look for in a résumé and a covering letter?
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11. Application Blanks
Application blank: a form completed by job candidates to provide an employer with basic information about their knowledge, skills, education, or other job-related information
Application forms consist of a series of questions aimed at securing information on the general suitability of the applicants to the target position. They are used to provide a preliminary-pre-employment screen, allowing the employer to determine whether the applicant is minimally qualified for the position.
They collect information in a consistent format.
Employers cannot ask for information that is prohibited on discriminatory grounds under human rights legislation unless it can be established that the information is a bona fide occupational requirement (BFOR).
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12. Recruitment and Selection Today 7.1
Recruitment and Selection Today 7.1 (pp ) presents an application form that is designed specifically for the position of security dispatcher. This form requests only the most minimal information.
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16. Recruitment and Selection Today 7.1(cont)
As illustrated in Recruitment and Selection Today 7.1 (pp ), this section could be repeated a number of times on the form in order for the applicant to list several previous positions before including a separate sheet to the application.
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18. Weighted Application Blanks
Weighted application blanks: a method for quantitatively combining information from application blank items by assigning weights that reflect each item’s value in predicting job success
Criterion measures: measures of employee work-related outcomes typically important to an organization, including, for example, turnover, absenteeism, and supervisory ratings, are used to establish the validity of screening and selection tools.
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19. Weighted Application Blanks (cont)
Benefits
Good predictors for many types of work behaviour
Concerns
May not adequately represent a job’s complex performance domain
When to Use
Often used for rapid screening and may be combined with other predictors
Benefits: e.g. Absenteeism, accidents, and turnover; WABs are also easy and economical to use; WABs have been shown to reduce employee turnover in the hospitality industry.
Concerns: WABs require data from a large number of employees to obtain percentages that are reliable, stable estimates of the appropriate weights; WABs provide the basis for good empirical predictions but they do not explain these relationships.
When to Use: e.g., personality or cognitive ability; to improve selection decisions; often used for positions requiring long and costly training where turnover is high.
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20. Biographical Data
Biographical information blank (BIB): a pre- selection questionnaire that asks applicants to provide job-related information on their personal background and life experiences
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21. Recruitment and Selection Today 7.2
Recruitment and Selection Today 7.2 (pp ) presents an example of a BIB developed for use with job candidates for a managerial position. The information obtained from the BIB is cored to produce either a total overall score or scores for specific sets of items or factors.
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25. Biodata
Biodata: biographical data for job applicants that have been gathered from BIBs, application blanks, or other sources
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26. Biodata (continued)
BIB dimensions: based on the view that past behaviour is the best predictor of future behaviour
Dimensions appear relatively stable
Explain why certain applicants are more successful than others
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27. Concerns Over the Use of Biodata
Questions of legality, invasiveness, ‘fakability’, and generalizability
Many BIB items may request personally sensitive information on family background and experiences that borders on violating human rights legislation
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28. When to Use BIBs
Appropriate for organizations hiring large number of employees
For similar kinds of jobs
Where large numbers of applicants are competing for few positions
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29. Résumés
Intent of the résumé is to introduce the applicant to the organization through a brief, written self-description
Applicants voluntarily provide autobiographical information in their résumés
Résumés are not standardized
Résumés are unique
Electronic résumés are more popular today
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30. First Impressions with Résumés/Covering Letters
Résumés create the first impression of the applicant and they should be accompanied by a well-written covering letter
For class discussion: Covering Letters Guidelines
1. Address your letter to the specific hiring manager rather than including a generalized introduction.
Research the company online and clearly communicate how your knowledge and skills fit the job and could benefit the organization.
Address any potential concerns (e.g., employment gaps).
Limit your cover letter to two or three short paragraphs.
Show your excitement for the position and conclude by identifying next steps (e.g., “I’ll follow up next week to discuss in person”).
Review (and have others review) your cover letter for typos and grammatical errors.
When applying through online job boards, always choose the option to add your cover letter to your résumé. When ing application materials to a hiring manager, paste your cover letter within the body of your message.
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31. Writing a Résumé A résumé should include:
The applicant’s name, address and phone number
Education and training
Employment history
Names of references and their contact information
A brief statement of employment goals and objectives
Information on hobbies and interests
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32. Writing a Résumé It should be well organized
It should highlight key information
It should use a typeface size (usually a 12- point font) that is easy to read
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33. Recruitment and Selection Notebook 7.1
Five Steps to Write an Effective Business Résumé
Complete a self-assessment and create a skills inventory
Define your accomplishments
Use résumé sections or headings emphasize your value
Recruitment and Selection Notebook 7.1 (pp ), which is briefly summarized above, presents a detailed checklist of tips on writing an effective résumé.
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34. Recruitment and Selection Notebook 7.1(cont)
Ensure your résumé is easy to read and error- free
Ensure that your résumé reflects exactly what you want to represent to the employer
NB Give examples of accomplishments, especially ones that can be verified by your referees
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35. Screening Résumés (text p. 288f)
Difficult today because of the volume of résumés
Organizations have had to develop procedures for efficiently and systematically processing résumés
Considerations when screening résumés:
Think of what the company needs for excellent job performance in terms of its job performance criteria.
Read each résumé with reference to the organization’s criteria of job performance.
Check résumés for work experience, chronology, and history.
Examine résumés for concrete accomplishments and identifiable skills.
Job applicants should customize their résumé to include their unique attributes or experiences.
It is important to be honest and avoid exaggerating qualifications or accomplishments.
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36. Recruitment and Selection Today 7.4
What to Look for When Examining a Résumé
Unexplained gaps in work or education chronology
Conflicting details or overlapping dates
Career regression, or a “downward” trend
Use of qualifiers such as “knowledge of,” and “assisted in” to describe work experience
Recruitment and Selection Today 7.4 (p. 292) discusses what to look for when examining a résumé. In a highly competitive labour market, job candidates may be more prone to “fudging” the truth about their credentials. There is often a fine line between presenting yourself in the “best possible light” and intentionally misrepresenting your background. Human resources managers must learn how to “read between the lines”.
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37. Recruitment and Selection Today 7.4 (cont)
Listing of schools attended without indicating receipt of a degree or diploma
Failure to provide names of previous supervisors or references
Substantial periods in a candidate’s work history listed as “self-employed” or “consultant”
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38. Avoiding Negligent Hiring Notebook 7.3
Notebook 7.3, p. 295, according to lawyer Yosie Saint-Cyr:
Train staff on R&Ss practices as well as hiring and reference check policy
Have job applicants sign authorization form giving right to contact references
Make sure to conduct reference checks in accord with human rights legislation, recommend checks be done after conditional offer of employment…
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39. Avoiding Negligent Hiring (cont)
has been presented, which protects employers from complaints from unsuccessful candidates since information was not deciding factor; do not discriminate under any circumstances.
Check references thoroughly – do not just ask for them.
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40. Avoiding Negligent Hiring (cont)
Be aware that some positions, i.e., sensitive occupations such as banking, child and health care require checking additional sources; some occupations are governed by statute or professional standards and thus require more extensive checks
Review all information presented by candidates before hiring
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41. Avoiding Negligent Hiring (cont)
Question thoroughly about gaps in employment history
Ask former employer’s about honesty, integrity, and about any disciplinary actions that might have been taken; even if former employer does not answer you must document that you did ask – this protects against any possible negligent hiring claims because…
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42. Avoiding Negligent Hiring (cont)
It will be hard to prove the employer “knew or should have known” about problems when you sought information but were refused an answer
Document all reference checks, date, time, contact, what was said, and, if candidate id hired, place record in his or her file
Note on application or in waiver that…
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43. Avoiding Negligent Hiring (cont)
omission, misrepresentation, falsification of information will result in rejection of application or subsequent termination of employment
Make sure you have a policy manual and employee handbook, including disciplinary policy and procedure for any violation of any policy, present during orientation and have employee sign off on receipt
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44. Avoiding Negligent Hiring (cont)
Document and file all disciplinary actions
Do not keep incompetent employees, deal with infraction quickly by disciplining, re-training, demoting, reassigning or replacing – you will be liable for negligent hiring if you do not show timely response to signs of problems
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45. Avoiding Negligent Hiring (cont)
Conduct at least yearly performance reviews
Make sure to provide proper supervision, which means ongoing monitoring and recording of employees’ activities
Apply adequate security consistently
If you outsource reference checks make sure to research the company thoroughly
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46. Reference Checks
Reference check: information gathered about a job candidate from supervisors, coworkers, clients, or other people named as references by the candidate; usually done last, as in just before offer of employment is made
The information is usually collected from the references through telephone interviews
Reference checks: many employers are hesitant to make strong, negative statements about current or former employees; they may be afraid of a lawsuit
Check references regarding job titles, duties and responsibilities, and when the applicant was employed.
Telephone references most popular as people are often reluctant to put references in writing.
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47. Recruitment and Selection Notebook 7.4
Reference Checklist
Obtain waivers
Check three references
Ask for different types of references
Ask about past job performance
Ask questions on recent job performance
Recruitment and Selection Notebook 7.4 (p. 298) provides a checklist of guidelines for conducting a thorough and legally defensible reference check to obtain maximum information of value.
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48. Recruitment and Selection Notebook 7.4 (continued)
Avoid personal references
Verify all licences and degrees
Check references by telephone
Avoid “closed” questions
Use qualified professionals or trained staff to check references
Avoid invasive/discriminatory questions
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49. Summary
Screening categorizes job applicants as either acceptable or unacceptable
Selection gives greater emphasis to identifying the degree to which applicants will be successful
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50. Summary (cont)
Screening devices yield predictions about future job performance based on past behaviour, interests, and experiences
Screening devices are (or should be) relatively inexpensive, administered quickly, and easy to interpret
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51. Discussion Questions
What are the differences between employee screening and selection?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using the following screening devices: biographical data, application forms, résumés, and background reference checks?
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52. Discussion Questions (cont)
How best can an employer avoid legal challenges arising against its use of certain screening procedures?
What are applicant behaviours that give rise to positive (or negative) employer impressions of job applicants?
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