ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR HIRING

Assessment Tool for Hiring

Assessment Tool for Hiring

Introduction

Of primary concern in hiring staff is an adequate screening process. At a minimum, this involves a well-designed and thorough application form, which requires applicants to provide background information and references. An essential practice in hiring staff is to check the references supplied by the applicant, a step that is too often neglected by nonprofit organizations.

Selection Instruments

Most organizations have a goal of identifying the best candidate or a capable candidate and use some sort of tool to help them evaluate a candidate and make decisions about whom to select (Schmitt, 2007). These tools may be what industrial psychologists consider a test, an objective and standardized sample of behavior. Generally, these would include traditional standardized paper-and-pencil tests or computer-administered tests, work samples, simulations, interviews, biographical data forms, personality instruments, assessment centers, and individual evaluations.

Selection procedures should measure job-related knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs). The KSAOs measured depend on the job requirements and the tasks performed by the job incumbents (Peterson, 2006). Typically, selection procedures used in business settings include measures of cognitive abilities, non-cognitive abilities, personality (e.g., conscientiousness, agreeableness), skills, or knowledge. Selection procedures that involve assessments of education and experience are generally used as proxies to assess knowledge and skill in a particular area.

Choosing the type of Selection

The kind of employees election procedure used in a particular situation depends on many factors. Perhaps the most important consideration is the kind of knowledge, skill, ability, or other characteristic (KSAO) being measured. Some instruments are better for measuring some skills than others. For example, an interview is a good way to assess a person's oral communications skills, but it is not a particularly efficient means of determining a person's quantitative skills.

Many organizational factors also influence the choice of selection procedure. Sometimes an organization will consider the consequences of failure on the job and design a selection process accordingly. When the repercussions of an error are high (e.g., death or bodily injury), the organization may use lengthy selection procedures that extensively measure many different KSAOs with a high level of accuracy. When the repercussions of an error are minor (e.g., wrong size soft drink in a fast food order), the organization may opt for a less comprehensive process (Chan, 2008).

Some organizations consider other factors that are related to a high need for success in selection. Often, the cost of hiring and training and the time required to replace an individual who cannot perform the job at the level required influence the choice of selection instruments.

Some instruments may not be workable in the context of the organization's staffing process. A 2-day assessment center composed of work sample exercises and requiring two assessors for each candidate is not often practical when the hiring volumes are high. A test requiring the test taker to listen to an audiotape will not work if the equipment is unavailable. Some instruments may not be feasible with certain candidate groups. Candidates who are current employees may resist extensive personality ...