Deck 6: Selection

Question 1

In most organizations Step 1 in the selection process is

A)the preliminary reception of applicants
B)administration of employment test(s)
C)verification of reference(s)
D)employment interview(s)
E)realistic job preview

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Some factor(s)that define the type of selection procedure used by an organization include

A)the size of the organization,and the stage in the organizations growth
B)the stage of organizational growth and the specific jobs involved
C)the specific jobs involved only
D)the size of the organization,the stage of organizational growth,and the specific jobs involved
E)both the size of the organization and the specific jobs involved

Answer 2

D

Question 3

According to one study,regardless of organizational size one of the most commonly used selection tools is

A)application blanks
B)personality tests
C)honesty tests
D)weighted application blanks
E)interests inventories

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The selection process

A)is a means for an organization to achieve its objectives
B)occurs after the orientation of staff
C)will have no impact on the external realities of the organization
D)is unnecessary in smaller firms
E)occurs prior to recruitment practices

Question 5

The selection process begins

A)with a job vacancy
B)once the recruiting process has provided a pool of applicants
C)as soon as the human resource department becomes involved
D)between job analysis and recruiting
E)with the hiring of the best applicant

Question 6

All the following are steps in the selection process except

A)applicant screening
B)employment interview(s)
C)verification of reference(s)
D)building an applicant pool
E)realistic job preview

Question 7

(p.212 Spotlight on Ethics)Which one of the following would not be considered as an unethical selection practice?

A)hiring based on friendship or relationship rather than suitability
B)taking bribes
C)accepting gifts from a placement agency
D)hiring on suitability and merit
E)taking age and gender information into consideration when not required by the nature of the job

Question 8

Proper selection processes are integral to a firm's success because of all the following except

A)an organization's success depends on the calibre of its employees
B)the skills and qualifications of new hires need to match the organization's culture
C)improper hiring can cause legal problems
D)poor selection can be expensive
E)often it is necessary to utilize employment agencies to get the best employees

Question 9

All of the following have an impact on the selection process except

A)human resource plans
B)organizational policies and constraints
C)results of job analysis
D)quality and number of recruits
E)the number of employees already in the organization

Question 10

Selection strategy should do all the following except

A)reflect job requirements
B)be linked to the organization's stage in its life cycle
C)recognize organizational constraints
D)recognize labour market realities
E)reflect the strategy of the competition

Question 11

A selection ratio of 2:50 would normally be considered

A)a sign that the company did not get enough applicants
B)a sign that the company did not recruit from appropriate sources
C)a large selection ratio
D)impossible (it could not exist)
E)irrelevant,as selection ratios are not considered important to the selection process

Question 12

A well-designed application form will do all the following except

A)identify gaps in an applicant's record
B)target in on specific work and educational skills and experience
C)be designed to avoid illegal or intrusive questions
D)reveal potential problems or difficulties
E)reveal applicant's age and birth place

Question 13

The weighted application blank technique has been found to be a particularly valuable tool in predicting a number of indicators including all of the following except

A)accident rates
B)turnover
C)co-worker conflict
D)job performance
E)absenteeism

Question 14

One study of Canadian companies has indicated that letters of reference are used in the selection process over 75% of the time for all the following classes of employees except

A)managerial
B)professional
C)white collar
D)blue collar
E)both managerial and professional

Question 15

Weighted application blanks

A)are used for positions that require short and basic training
B)are job application forms that contain sections which reliably distinguish groups of satisfactory and unsatisfactory job incumbents
C)are job applications which weigh the importance of reference checks more heavily than personal information
D)are used when there are only a few applicants applying for a large number of job openings
E)are valuable when there is low employee turnover

Question 16

There are a number of sequential steps in the selection process,which are fairly generic to most organizations.The following are five of these steps in sequence,except for one that is out of sequence.Select it.

A)preliminary reception of applications
B)realistic job preview
C)employment interview(s)
D)contingent assessments
E)hiring decision

Question 17

Rejecting applicants,especially those with foreign qualifications,because they are "overqualified" has resulted in

A)a breakdown of barriers against immigrants
B)evidence that selection tools are valid
C)systemic discrimination
D)evidence of the use of performance-based job descriptions
E)selection board members being allowed to use assumptions to reject an applicant

Question 18

A selection ratio is defined as

A)the number of applicants available to the number of applicants hired
B)the number of applicants available to the number of jobs available
C)the number of applicants hired to the number of applicants available
D)the number of applicants hired to the number of jobs available
E)the number of applicants hired to the number of permanent employees

Question 19

A type of application blank that uses a multiple-choice format to measure a job candidate's education,experiences,opinions,attitudes,and interests is called a(n)

A)weighted application blank
B)biographical information blank
C)weighted information application
D)biographical information application
E)weighted indicator blank

Question 20

An organization's selection decisions

A)are not usually based on job descriptions
B)are generally made after the hiring decision
C)must reflect job requirements
D)are less important when the organization is in a dynamic,expanding environment
E)usually tend to be made randomly

Question 21

Reliability in the framework of testing means that a test

A)yields consistent results over time
B)if taken by more than one person will show all scores to be closely related
C)is always held at a certain time and place
D)relates significantly to job performance
E)measures what it is supposed to measure

Question 22

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association maintains that drug testing should be banned because

A)Canadian society has a serious drug problem among blue collar workers
B)drug tests are not indicators of safe performance in the here-and-now as they only measure past drug use
C)it discriminates against the protected classes in the Employment Equity Act
D)there is no evidence that drugs cause any harm
E)drug dependant users are not a protected class of employees

Question 23

One method of integrity testing is the use of graphic responses tests.A method that is prohibited in some provinces by the Employment Standards Act is

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

Question 24

Giving a recruit an insight into how a job's actual environment looks,feels and sounds is called a(n)

A)employee environment preview
B)realistic job preview
C)practical interview technique
D)employee matrix analysis
E)Dewey Decimal interview

Question 25

Recent court decisions indicate that,today,employers,in regards to drug testing and medical evaluations,must

A)refuse to do any testing regardless of job descriptions and specifications
B)delicately balance individual rights against employer liability and workplace safety
C)under all circumstances test for drugs and physical limitations for liability reasons
D)accommodate all employees regardless of situation or circumstances,making testing irrelevant
E)enforce employees to do mandatory self-testing for drug use

Question 26

In one case involving TD Canada Trust,the Federal Court determined that the bank's drug testing policy

A)was not indirect discrimination against drug-dependent employees
B)resulted in a safer workplace and was therefore completely acceptable
C)had a direct negative impact on a protected class of individuals,namely drug dependent users
D)was a situation the Court felt was illegal but permissible under the circumstances
E)though mandatory,was not personally intrusive

Question 27

Regardless of the résumé,information in an application form or the type of application form used,they may contain elements of exaggeration and even outright fabrication.In recent years this __________ (as it is called)has become a major concern of recruiters

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

Question 28

The testing of job applicants for drugs in Canada is

A)illegal
B)justifiable if it is a bona fide occupational requirement for the job
C)used at the discretion of the employer
D)taken voluntarily only if the applicant offers
E)required by law for many jobs

Question 29

One problem with personal references is that

A)they are often too long
B)they tend to be biased
C)they are almost always poorly written
D)the writers do not provide enough information
E)they are usually not signed,therefore illegal

Question 30

The advantage(s)of obtaining reference checks by telephone rather than in writing can be all the following except

A)a faster response is obtained
B)it often can be done at less cost
C)the person requesting the information doesn't have to leave their desk
D)voice inflections in the answers may tip off the interviewer to possible problems
E)hesitation in providing direct answers may tip off the interviewer to possible problems

Question 31

Studies seem to indicate that the reasons for employment reference letters to often be less than candid include all except

A)fear of legal reprisal
B)requirements (particularly in the U.S. )to show reference letters to the applicant
C)a reluctance to pass (particularly unfavorable)judgment on another person
D)a desire to build another's self-esteem
E)a desire to get rid of an employee

Question 32

Among the ways to getting more truth out of references is to

A)inquire in writing
B)ask direct questions
C)seek information on personality traits rather than on job-related behaviour
D)rely more heavily on personal references
E)assume the opposite of whatever you are being told

Question 33

Effects of the realistic job preview,particularly where work conditions do not appear appealing,can include

A)far less recruits refusing job offers
B)less turnover of new employees
C)improved employee satisfaction with unpleasant working conditions
D)facilitating employment equity programs
E)paying lower wages

Question 34

Included among the variety of employment tests are all the following except

A)knowledge tests
B)integrity tests
C)selection tests
D)personality tests
E)systemic tests

Question 35

Drug tests as an employment-related test would be considered to be a

A)integrity evaluation
B)discriminatory test
C)medical evaluation
D)performance test
E)psychological test

Question 36

Background checks can now involve the use of social networking websites.This includes

A)the recruiter posting questions on the company's HR blog seeking input on 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 37

One popular procedure that uses a variety of tools for assessing a candidate's future job behaviour and managerial performance potential that is employed by some organizations in the selection process is

A)psychological testing
B)the assessment centre
C)honesty and integrity testing
D)realistic job previews
E)drug testing

Question 38

In defending drug testing of all new employees,executives at TD Canada Trust argued that drug users are more likely to

A)miscount their cash
B)associate with criminal elements
C)injure themselves at the TD Centre
D)misbehave in the staff lunchroom
E)attempt to assassinate senior bank economists

Question 39

Assessment centre testing is

A)used to measure intellectual ability and management potential
B)a form of performance testing
C)a central testing centre that large employers conduct pre-screening interviews at
D)utilized when organizations are conducting recruiting for specialized,technical positions
E)one comprehensive test that has 3 parts,lasting at least 2 hours each and is conducted away from an organization's head office

Question 40

Which of the following is not an application of personality tests?

A)Measures personality and is used to provide vocational guidance,hiring,and promotion recommendations
B)Measures the factors affecting personality and the relationship to environmental working conditions
C)Measures the Big 5 personality factors in 12-99-year-olds
D)Measures normal personality and is used to predict job performance
E)Measures 6 factors of personality including honesty/humility

Question 41

The purpose of the employment interview is to seek answers to a few broad questions including

A)can the applicant do the job?
B)how many applicants are there?
C)has the job analysis process been successful?
D)the applicant's sex,family status,religion,and age
E)when is their last day of work?

Question 42

What type of companies use the subjective approach to the hiring decision the most?

A)small,owner-managed firms
B)large firms with large HR departments
C)firms with only one or two people in a formalized permanent HR role
D)service firms
E)manufacturing firms

Question 43

Some testing experts advise separate validation studies for different demographic subgroups.These studies are referred to as

A)minority validity
B)construct validity
C)predictive validity
D)differential validity
E)demographic validity

Question 44

Empirical approaches to test validation rely on such method(s)as

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

Question 45

Validity in testing refers to the fact that the test scores

A)significantly relate to some relevant criterion such as job performance
B)match across a cross-section of people writing the test
C)yield consistent results over repeated measures
D)compare favourably to the scores on other test taken by the same person
E)do not vary across applicants

Question 46

The compensatory approach to hiring is used when

A)predictors are assumed to be independent
B)scores for each predictor are evaluated on a pass or fail basis
C)the applicant is hired based on what their expected compensation package (pay)would be
D)affordability of the applicants compensation package (pay)is a predictor in the selection process
E)performing well on one predictor can compensate for performing poorly on another

Question 47

A benefit of the multiple cutoff approach to hiring is

A)it can result in legal challenges
B)one predictor can be compensated by superior performance in another predictor
C)public relations will increase
D)the organization can reject a number of applications who may be qualified to do the job
E)it is easy for managers to understand

Question 48

Common approaches to test validation include which of the following?

A)empirical approaches
B)equity approaches
C)non-rational approaches
D)continuous indexing approaches
E)relative approaches

Question 49

Involving the immediate supervisor in the employment interview process can

A)tend to be an annoyance to the supervisor
B)prevent the recruit from asking too direct work-related questions
C)tend to make the supervisor more likely to accept some responsibility for employee errors and problems
D)often be against labour rights legislation
E)only be permitted if the supervisor has formal HR training in interviewing techniques

Question 50

Without differential validity a test

A)will not be valid for anyone
B)is invalid regardless of any other circumstances
C)may be valid for one group but not for another
D)is not legal
E)will not be reliable

Question 51

Among all selection techniques the most widely used technique is

A)written test
B)reference
C)in-depth interview
D)psychological testing
E)résumé

Question 52

A good employment contract includes all of the following except

A)specific probationary period if applicable
B)start date of employment
C)reasonable restrictive covenants
D)termination procedures
E)questions regarding the applicants age,sex,and race

Question 53

During employment interview

A)the immediate supervisor should be involved as s/he will ultimately be responsible for the employee
B)the immediate supervisor should not be involved as s/he is too close to the job
C)the immediate supervisor should only be involved if there is no human resource department
D)the immediate supervisor should be involved only if s/he has had professional interview training
E)the immediate supervisor should not be informed of the interview until it is completed

Question 54

Rational approaches to test validation include

A)content validity
B)concurrent validity
C)predictive validity
D)reliable validity
E)structural validity

Question 55

Employment tests that unintentionally discriminate against people

A)are all right to use so long as the discrimination is unintentional
B)can violate the Canadian Human Rights Act
C)are legal so long as they state that they are not following human rights legislation
D)are allowed for BFOQ situations
E)are only illegal if the discrimination is intentional

Question 56

In which of the following approaches does a decision maker look at the scores received by various applicants on predictors,and then use his/her judgment to evaluate the results?

A)multiple cutoff approach
B)judgmental approach
C)compensatory approach
D)subjective approach
E)non-discriminatory approach

Question 57

The multiple cutoff approach to hiring is used when

A)scores for each predictor are evaluated on a pass or fail basis
B)management predetermines the number of applicants that will proceed on to the next round
C)there is first a group interview followed by individual interviews
D)there is first a group interview followed by a panel interview
E)the testing all takes place in the same day

Question 58

A weakness of having co-workers participate in the selection process of new employees is

A)it may reduce diversity
B)validity of the selection process is increased
C)multiple views and experiences are considered
D)the probability that the new hire will be productive decreases
E)the group acts hostile towards employees hired using their input

Question 59

The hiring decision marks the

A)beginning of the selection process
B)the end of the recruitment process
C)the end of the first stage in the job analysis process
D)the end of the selection process
E)the beginning of the realistic job preview

Question 60

The multiple hurdle approach is best used

A)in small,owner-operated business
B)in the first half of the selection process
C)when newly hired employees are given little to no training programs
D)when predictors are expensive
E)when the compensatory approach is used

Question 61

The "halo effect"

A)refers to an interviewer's ability to make immediate and correct judgments
B)is a situation where applicants are asked to discuss their strengths only
C)often means that people are judged on information that is irrelevant
D)occurs only when the very best candidates are interviewed
E)is not a perceptual bias that has any impact in the interviewing process

Question 62

For interviews to have high validity means that the interpretation of interview results should

A)not vary from one interviewer to another
B)not correlate with job performance
C)be done on time as scheduled
D)be reviewed immediately by an human resource professional
E)be held in confidence until the candidate is actually hired

Question 63

The following list contains things an interviewer should not do except

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 64

Though interviewing is a popular selection technique,interviews do have some shortcomings including

A)they allow the company to sell itself to the candidate
B)they allow the employer to assess personal suitability of the candidate
C)they vary measurably in reliability and validity
D)they can be a public relations tools for the organization
E)they allow the candidate to make an impression

Question 65

Behavioural oriented interviews are based on the principle that

A)people will tell you how they would like to behave
B)past behaviour is one of the best predictors of future behaviour
C)they are legal while polygraph testing sometimes is not
D)watching how a person behaves while they are being interviewed is informative
E)some demographic will behave differently than others

Question 66

Interviewing is still widely used for all the reasons below except

A)they allow for a personal impression
B)they allow the firm to sell itself to a candidate
C)they allow the firm to answer questions
D)they are highly reliable and valid in almost all circumstances
E)they allow the firm to sell the job to the candidate

Question 67

To be successful,the selection strategy must ignore organizational constraints.

Question 68

Common interviewing mistakes made by candidates include all the below except

A)playing games
B)being unprepared
C)asking about the company and the job
D)talking too much
E)not listening

Question 69

Successful execution of an organization's strategy depends on the calibre of its employees.

Question 70

The interviewer should

A)review the application during the interview to ensure that they can ask questions of the applicant's family as they arise
B)prepare for an interview by developing specific questions
C)not allow an applicant to ask specific questions,in the interest of time,until the second interview
D)refrain from asking questions to gain specific applicant information because it is too difficult to compare responses between applicants
E)not record impressions of an applicant because that can bias the interviewers decision

Question 71

The ratio of applicants hired to total number of applicants provided by recruiting is known as the applicant-employment ratio.

Question 72

An organization's stage in its life cycle should not be used to determine its selection strategy.

Question 73

Selection decisions must reflect job requirements,specifications,and standards.

Question 74

Employment interviews can be conducted in a number of applicant-interviewer combinations including all the following except

A)panel interviews
B)group interviews
C)one-on-one interviews
D)blind-secluded interviews (via one way mirror)
E)group panel interviews

Question 75

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

Question 76

The selection process and the recruiting process always run concurrently for any given job opening.

Question 77

Employment interviews can be held in a variety of formats including all the below except

A)structured interview
B)behavioural description
C)stress-producing
D)Markov construct interview
E)unstructured interview

Question 78

Selection strategies that take the external labour market into consideration apply artificial constraints on themselves.

Question 79

Situational interviews include questions that

A)attempt to identify how a job applicant responded to specific work situations in the past
B)align with the theory that the best predictor of future actions is past actions
C)try to focus on behaviour that has occurred most recently
D)assess an applicant's likely future responses to specific incidents which they may or may not have encountered in the past
E)assess an applicant's likely future responses to specific incidents which they have encountered in the past

Question 80

The selection interview process includes all of the following steps except

A)information exchange
B)creation of rapport
C)evaluation
D)workforce analysis
E)interviewer preparation