Deck 6: Selection

Question 1

The first step in the selection process involves conducting "courtesy interviews" on occasion.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Involving immediate supervisors in the interviewing process increases their commitment to, and sense of responsibility for, the new employee.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Computer-interactive performance tests are another form of employment testing that is becoming more common.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

During the selection process, the employment interview is conducted after applicants are given a realistic job preview.

Question 5

The type of selection procedures used depends on a variety of organizational factors including size, stage of growth, and the jobs involved.

Question 6

Applicants tend to embellish more when completing an application form than in their resumés.

Question 7

The reliability of a test refers to its accuracy and relationship to job-relevant criteria

Question 8

Properly designed weighted application and biographical information blanks are especially useful when selecting for certain occupations such as insurance agents, engineers, and sales clerks.

Question 9

The relationship between the number of applicants hired and the total number of applicants available is called a selection ratio.

Question 10

Conducting validity studies refer to using evidence accumulated for other jobs or applicant populations to guide employment choices.

Question 11

Selection strategies that take the external labour market into consideration are applying constraints to their own selection systems.

Question 12

An organization's overall effectiveness and success depends on the quality and calibre of the employees it hires.

Question 13

In most organizations the selection process consists of 5 steps.

Question 14

When tests are not reliable, they can still be accurately measuring what they are supposed to measure.

Question 15

Using social networking sites to learn more about applicants is illegal in Canada because legal tests have deemed it to be discriminatory.

Question 16

An organization's stage in its life cycle is irrelevant when linking an organization's needs to its selection strategy.

Question 17

If an organization uses medical or drug testing, these tests should be administered before a hiring decision is made.

Question 18

Assessment centres use multiple assessment techniques to predict candidates' future job behaviour, managerial potential, and training needs.

Question 19

When information gathered through job analyses does not match the criteria used for selection, organizations are exposed to lawsuits.

Question 20

Using RJPs may result in more candidates declining job offers when the working conditions do not seem appealing.

Question 21

Behavioural description interviews work on the basis that a person's past behaviour is a good predictor of their future behaviour.

Question 22

Construct validity allows the human resource department to test present employees and correlate these scores with measures of their performance.

Question 23

Employment references are considered to be more useful than personal references because referees are more likely to be candid when speaking about applicants' work history.

Question 24

Integrity tests are tests that measure an applicant's honesty and trustworthiness.

Question 25

In Canada, drug-dependence is considered to be a disability protected under the Canadian Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.

Question 26

Many human resource professionals feel that employment references are helpful selection tools due to their objectivity and candour.

Question 27

Organizations that exclude realistic job previews from the selection process tend to show lower employee turnover than organizations that include realistic job previews in the selection process.

Question 28

Factors that are not easily measured through with employment tests are less important to selection than those that can be measured through testing.

Question 29

Overt integrity tests are highly predictive of job performance but are less predictive of counter-productive behaviours such as theft, accidents, and absenteeism.

Question 30

A strength of using employment interviews for selection is that they consistently display high reliability and validity.

Question 31

Establishing differential validity refers to conducting separate test validation studies for different subgroups such as women or minorities.

Question 32

The subjective approach to hiring is also referred to as the clinical approach.

Question 33

The underlying assumption of the multiple hurdle approach is that a high score on one predictor does not compensate for a low score on another.

Question 34

The multiple cut-off approach allows applicants to make up for a poor score on one predictor by achieving a strong score on another predictor.

Question 35

Using questions that ask about what they would do in important situations likely to arise on the job is useful for understanding the applicant's behavioural propensities.

Question 36

Rational approaches to test validation include both content and construct validity.

Question 37

Employment interviews can be structured or unstructured, depending on the types of questions that are asked.

Question 38

The fact that a test is reliable does not ensure validity.

Question 39

The judgmental nature of decisions made using the subjective approach reduces confusion and potential problems.

Question 40

Employment tests are limited to measuring factors that can be tested and validated easily.

Question 41

Background checks involving the use of social networking websites includes which of the following?

A) the recruiter posting questions on the company's HR blog seeking input about applicants
B) conducting searches through Google, other search engines, and social media sites
C) getting the applicant to provide access to their Facebook page
D) creating personal profiles using age, race, and political affiliations in order to make more informed hiring decisions
E) HR specialists posing as friends to gain access to personal information about potential candidates

Question 42

In which of the following approaches does a decision maker set minimum scores for numerous predictors and reject applicants whose scores fall below the minimum score for any of the predictors?

A) multiple cut-off approach
B) judgmental approach
C) compensatory approach
D) subjective approach
E) clinical approach

Question 43

Which one of the following would be considered as an unethical selection practice?

A) selecting employees based on merit
B) hiring an executive search firm that provides the best service
C) hiring a minority applicant when they out-perform the majority applicants
D) hiring an employee based on your personal relationship with the applicant
E) taking gender information into consideration when the nature of the job demands it

Question 44

Which of the following is a rational approach to test validation?

A) predictive validity
B) content validity
C) concurrent validity
D) differential validity
E) validity generalization

Question 45

When an interviewer's evaluation is biased because they were unimpressed by the applicant's choice of attire, the interviewer's judgment is being biased by the halo effect.

Question 46

Why are employment tests useful for selection?

A) they allow organizations to obtain subjective information from applicants
B) they allow organizations to assess the match between applicants and job requirements
C) all test types highly valid ways of collecting information about applicants
D) they are a low-cost way to capture information about performance
E) invalid tests cannot discriminate based on race, sex, religion, or national origin

Question 47

Which of the following should interviewers do when conducting an interview?

A) ask leading questions that imply a desired answer
B) be guided by initial impressions
C) collect only job-related information
D) attempt to predict personality traits from one interview
E) exhibit personal biases even if based on experience

Question 48

Interviewers try to ensure that applicants get a strong and lasting impression of the company during which stage of the selection interview process?

A) information exchange
B) creation of rapport
C) evaluation of the candidate
D) termination of the interview
E) interviewer preparation

Question 49

When interviews have high reliability, it means that the interpretation of interview results:

A) should not vary from one interviewer to another
B) do not correlate with job performance
C) represent interviewers' different opinions
D) were affected by interviewer biases
E) indicate that the interview should not be used for selection

Question 50

Who typically does the hiring in small firms?

A) the human resource department
B) the owner-manager
C) line managers
D) individual operating departments
E) consultants

Question 51

Employment specialists should shred the applications of all rejected applicants.

Question 52

Which of the following has been found to be a particularly valuable tool in predicting accident rates, turnover, absenteeism, and job performance?

A) the biographical information blank
B) employment tests
C) courtesy interviews
D) job application forms
E) the weighted application blank technique

Question 53

A well-designed application form will do which of the following?

A) decrease the likelihood that applicants will embellish information
B) reveal applicant's age and birth place
C) provide less utility than resumés
D) allow organizations to screen out individuals who are overqualified
E) allow organizations to screen out individuals that do not meet the minimum specifications for a job

Question 54

Rejecting applicants with foreign qualifications, because they are overqualified is an example of which of the following?

A) a breakdown of barriers against immigrants
B) a mismatch between job analysis information and the selection criteria
C) an increase in opportunities for visible minorities
D) evidence of the use of performance-based job descriptions
E) selection board members being allowed to use assumptions to reject an applicant

Question 55

Employment interviews consist of five stages.

Question 56

The purpose of the employment interview is to:

A) assess the appropriateness of an applicant for the job
B) make judgments about the effectiveness of the recruitment process
C) decide whether the job analysis process been successful
D) gather information about the applicant's sex, family status, religion, and age
E) support a one-way communication exchange, from the applicant to the interviewer

Question 57

The costs incurred by the selection process include only the out-of-pocket costs such as the costs of testing, interviewing, postage, and stationery.

Question 58

Many employers have to revise their workplace drug and alcohol policies in response to the recent legalization of recreational cannabis.

Question 59

The evaluation stage should immediately follow the termination stage of an employment interview.

Question 60

If an organization had a selection ratio of 2:50, it would mean:

A) that the company did not get enough applicants
B) that the company did not recruit from appropriate sources
C) there is a large number of applicants from which to select
D) that the job was hard to fill
E) that the recruits interested were low quality

Question 61

Which of the following selection techniques is most widely used?

A) written test
B) reference
C) employment interview
D) psychological testing
E) resumé

Question 62

If an organization wants to implement a drug testing policy for selection purposes, which of the following could they do?

A) withdraw job offers for candidates who fail drug tests without offering accommodation
B) implement mandatory drug testing policies when the testing is not connected to job performance
C) refuse to hire candidates who disclose drug abuse problems without first offering to assist
D) assume that all drug tests reliably provide accurate data on current usage levels
E) ensure that the testing is a bona fide occupational requirement for which accommodation would affect the viability of the enterprise

Question 63

Which of the following selection tools helps an employer identify which aspects of a person's background reliably distinguish groups of satisfactory and unsatisfactory job incumbents?

A) biographical information blank
B) personality tests
C) honesty tests
D) weighted application blanks
E) application forms

Question 64

Which of the following is a method of integrity testing that is prohibited in some provinces by the Employment Standards Act?

A) written tests
B) attitude tests
C) polygraph testing
D) computer interactive testing
E) employment testing

Question 65

Which of the following should the selection strategy do for the organization?

A) outline the number of employees that were selected
B) pay little attention to mismatches between job analysis results and selection criteria
C) use feelings and myths to argue that selection tools are reliable and valid
D) keep selection priorities consistent as the firm grows
E) generate a pool of qualified recruits form which to select applicants based on the labour market

Question 66

When applicants exaggerate or outright fabricate information in job applications or resumés, it is called:

A) résumé diversion
B) application diversion
C) human resources misconduct
D) résumé fraud
E) application fraud

Question 67

Which of the following organizational variables is affected by the selection strategy?

A) human resource plans
B) organizational constraints
C) quality of recruits
D) results of job analyses
E) career planning

Question 68

A good employment contract includes which of the following?

A) careful positive wording
B) the reason offered for hiring the individual
C) an outline of orientation activities
D) a welcome note
E) reasonable restrictive covenants

Question 69

In the preparation stage, interviewers should do which of the following?

A) establish a relaxed rapport with the recruit
B) consider which questions the applicant is likely to ask
C) create trust by projecting an image of confidence, competence, and concern
D) establish two-way communication by asking applicants if they have any questions
E) develop interview questions designed to capture the applicant's general interests, attitudes, and background.

Question 70

Which of the following is an interview type that allows the interviewer to develop questions as the interview proceeds, but lacks reliability?

A) situational interviews
B) unstructured interviews
C) behavioural description interviews
D) structured interviews
E) panel interview

Question 71

Which of the following is a common interviewing mistake made by candidates?

A) exhibiting personal biases
B) overpreparing
C) not listening
D) not talking enough
E) bragging about successes

Question 72

Which of the following can occur when an organization wants to use medical or physical evaluations for selection?

A) the number of worker injuries will increase
B) the amount of time off needed by workers to recover from injuries will increase
C) the employer will be less able to evaluate whether the applicant can handle the stress of a job
D) the employer will need to pay higher insurance rates
E) the employer will have to schedule physical evaluations for after hiring decisions if the testing is not related to a bona fide occupational requirement

Question 73

A test with differential validity is:

A) not valid for anyone
B) measuring more constructs than it should
C) potentially valid for one group but not for another
D) not legally allowed to be used for selection
E) equally predicting job performance for multiple subgroups

Question 74

Which of the following is an empirical approach to test validation?

A) content validity
B) construct validity
C) predictive validity
D) generalized validity
E) structural validity

Question 75

When an organization conducts separate validation studies for different demographic subgroups, they are establishing whether a test is producing which of the following?

A) concurrent validity
B) construct validity
C) predictive validity
D) differential validity
E) generalized validity

Question 76

Which of the following test types measures applicants' behavioural responses to video scenarios?

A) integrity tests
B) performance tests
C) knowledge tests
D) personality tests
E) ability tests

Question 77

Which of the following interview types gathers information about how job applicants responded to specific work situations in the past?

A) situational interviews
B) behavioural description interviews
C) stress-producing interviews
D) panel interviews
E) unstructured interviews

Question 78

Common approaches to test validation include which of the following?

A) empirical approaches
B) compensatory approaches
C) subjective approaches
D) clinical approaches
E) multiple cut-off approaches

Question 79

Which of the following describes a reliable employment test?

A) a test that yields consistent results over time
B) a test that will show all scores to be closely related if taken by more than one person
C) a test that compares the results with performance traits needed to perform the job
D) a test that is significantly related to job performance
E) a test that measures what it is supposed to measure

Question 80

Providing realistic job previews results in which of the following?

A) fewer candidates refusing job offers when the work conditions do not seem appealing
B) less turnover
C) decreased trust in the organization
D) eliminate the need for continuous monitoring of work conditions
E) lower performance