Deck 6: Employee Selection

Question 1

Which of the following best describes the use of reference checks?

A) They are no longer used because organizations won't share information about previous employees for fear of litigation.
B) Their usefulness is limited because most managers will not share performance data.
C) Some organizations have detailed forms for previous employers to fill out in order to get the best information.
D) New human rights laws prohibit their use.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

When an organization hires a person who is described as high in predicted success and high in job performance, what do we call that situation?

A) a hit
B) a miss
C) high prediction rate
D) a successful selection system

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Questions contained in structured job interviews should be based on which of the following?

A) job design
B) job analysis
C) job specialization
D) job knowledge

Answer 3

B

Question 4

During her interview for a position as a secretary, Nikki was asked to answer a real phone call from a client. The interviewer used her performance to help with the selection decision. Which of the following types of tests was used in this instance?

A) a personality test
B) a work sample test
C) an assessment centre test
D) a cognitive ability test

Question 5

Organization B is using an interview format that requires a panel of three interviewers. The company has found that about half of the time, the interviewers disagree in their ratings such that some members of the panel give the candidate a high rating, while others give the same candidate a low rating. What is the best way to describe the interview format that Organization B is using?

A) It is not content valid.
B) It is lacking predictive validity.
C) It is not valid.
D) It is not reliable.

Question 6

What type of interview allows the applicant the maximum amount of freedom in determining the course of discussion?

A) a structured interview
B) a depth interview
C) a situational interview
D) a nondirective interview

Question 7

Which of the following is appropriate to ask on an application form?

A) whether the applicant has prior arrests
B) whether the applicant is eligible to be bonded
C) whether the applicant has ever been in jail
D) whether the applicant has ever been caught stealing

Question 8

What type of interview is associated with open-ended questions?

A) a structured interview
B) a standardized interview
C) a nondirective interview
D) a situational interview

Question 9

Organization Beta is hiring 20 new staff for front-line positions. The interview the company is using involves giving the applicant hypothetical incidents and asking how he or she would respond. What is this type of interview called?

A) a behavioural description interview
B) a panel interview
C) a situational interview
D) a structured interview

Question 10

Which of the following types of interviews allows applicants the most freedom in discussing a response to an interview question?

A) a structured interview
B) a non-directive interview
C) an open interview
D) a situational interview

Question 11

Mary was asked a question in an interview about a hypothetical incident and was asked how she would respond to it. What is this type of interview called?

A) a situational interview
B) a panel interview
C) a mock interview
D) a nondirective interview

Question 12

Abel scored high on an ability test used to hire him. He, however, turned out to be a poor employee. Which term refers to this outcome?

A) a hit
B) a miss
C) a poor prediction rate
D) an opportunity cost

Question 13

What do we call the degree to which inferences drawn from interviews, test scores, and other selection procedures are supported by evidence (such as good job performance)?

A) predictability
B) validity
C) reliability
D) accuracy

Question 14

Which of the following best describes credit reports?

A) Organizations must advise and receive written consent from the applicant when they request a credit report.
B) Organizations can request a report on any employee at any time without consent.
C) Organizations do not have to inform applicants if adverse decisions are made based on information in the report.
D) Organizations cannot make adverse decisions based on information in such a report.

Question 15

What is a key drawback of values-based hiring?

A) It increases selection "misses."
B) It is associated with a large volume of lawsuits.
C) It can result in a lack of diversity.
D) It increases opportunity costs.

Question 16

Organization Omega is hiring 20 new front-line employees. The company is using an interview that involves three people taking turns asking questions and then pooling their scores of the responses. What is this type of interview called?

A) a behavioural description interview
B) a panel interview
C) a situational interview
D) a structured interview

Question 17

What is a key reason to ensure that selection procedures are valid?

A) to ensure comprehensive training for HR professionals
B) to test reliability
C) because validity guarantees the success of the selection procedure
D) because validity is related to employee productivity

Question 18

The HR manager and the training manager separately interviewed five applicants for a position. They both ended scoring the five of them very similarly. What is this result an example of?

A) high concurrent validity
B) high inter-rater reliability
C) high construct validity
D) high inter-personal reliability

Question 19

During an interview, Seema was asked: "Tell me about the last time you helped to train an employee." What is this an example of?

A) a nondirective interview question
B) a directive interview question
C) a behavioural description interview question
D) a closed response interview question

Question 20

What is a key purpose of "name-blind" resumes?

A) to align them with organizational pay systems
B) to help stop unconscious bias
C) to prevent hacking
D) to improve consistency

Question 21

Intelligence, mechanical comprehension, and anxiety are examples of which of the following?

A) job requirements
B) constructs
C) theories
D) personality traits

Question 22

Which of the following terms refers to the extent to which good performance on an employment selection test correlates with high marks on a performance review?

A) construct validity
B) content validity
C) criterion-related validity
D) cross-validation

Question 23

Which of the following types of tests measure dispositional characteristics such as extroversion, inquisitiveness, and dependability?

A) mental ability tests
B) cognitive ability tests
C) personality tests
D) biodata tests

Question 24

In the "Big Five" personality tests, what is the dimension captured by the degree to which someone is dependable and organized, and perseveres?

A) conscientiousness
B) agreeableness
C) extroversion
D) dependability

Question 25

Organization C has developed a new selection system. The company is interested in determining if the system predicts performance on the job, so Organization C gave the selection tests to 100 existing employees. What is the best way to describe this process?

A) assessing concurrent validity through a cross-validation study
B) assessing concurrent validity through a criterion-related validity study
C) assessing predictive validity through a criterion-related validity study
D) assessing predictive validity through a cross-validation study

Question 26

The "Big Five" factors are related to what type of employment tests?

A) cognitive ability tests
B) general intelligence tests
C) personality tests
D) mental awareness tests

Question 27

Which of the following do personality tests measure?

A) disposition and temperament
B) likability and attitude to work
C) intelligence and knowledge
D) attitudes and behaviours

Question 28

Six months ago, Organization A used a new selection system to hire 100 front-line staff members. With six months of performance data in hand, Organization A is interested in determining if its new selection system predicts performance on the job. What is the best way to describe this process?

A) assessing concurrent validity through a cross-validation study
B) assessing concurrent validity through a criterion-related validity study
C) assessing predictive validity through a criterion-related validity study
D) assessing predictive validity through a cross-validation study

Question 29

Which of the following conditions represents a test that could be described as "construct valid"?

A) A professor puts one essay question on the final exam, and that essay question is drawn from the chapter that she feels is the most important.
B) A manager uses a work sample test used for selection that has facets that tap in to every major aspect of the job.
C) A researcher gives a test of "job satisfaction" to a group of participants and checks to make sure that his results correlate with other measures of satisfaction.
D) A manager assesses how effective his selection test is by checking the performance of successful candidates months after they are hired.

Question 30

Why would an organization use an integrity test?

A) because even though such tests are not correlated with reduced disruptive behaviours, they have been correlated with reduced turnover
B) because such tests are designed to identify thieves
C) because these tests not only reduce theft, but also have been shown to have a relationship with performance on the job
D) because in using an integrity test, you can avoid the use of most other selection tests, since it has been shown that these are good stand-alone predictors

Question 31

What is currently the most effective way to assess a person's honesty during the selection process?

A) graphology testing
B) polygraph testing
C) integrity testing
D) background testing

Question 32

The "will do" factors of an applicant include which of the following?

A) knowledge and skills
B) cognitive abilities
C) aptitude
D) motivation and interests

Question 33

Which of the following best describes drug testing in the selection process?

A) It is conducted by very few Canadian organizations
B) It is illegal in Canada.
C) It is required by law.
D) It is conducted in most Canadian workplaces.

Question 34

Giving applicants a clerical aptitude test and then tracking their performance one year later is an example of which of the following?

A) construct validity
B) concurrent validity
C) content validity
D) predictive validity

Question 35

Which of these statements is a good description of content validity?

A) The selection instrument looks like actual work samples.
B) Performance on the test is related to work performance.
C) Two or more raters concur on the validity of the instrument.
D) A battery of the tests is administered to a different sample of people.

Question 36

Which of the following measures mental capabilities such as general intelligence, verbal fluency, numerical ability, or reasoning ability?

A) a personality and interest inventory
B) a physical ability test
C) a cognitive ability test
D) a job sample

Question 37

What type of employment test measures "general intelligence"?

A) a work sample test
B) an assessment test
C) a structured ability test
D) a cognitive ability test

Question 38

Which of the following is a key basis for the use of biodata tests?

A) Family history is important to job success.
B) They are required by law.
C) Past behaviour is the best predictor of future behaviour.
D) There are no right or wrong answers.

Question 39

What do we call the process whereby a test or test battery is administered to a different sample (drawn from the same population) for the purpose of verifying the results obtained from the original validation study?

A) repeat validation
B) cross-validation
C) construct validation
D) inferential validation

Question 40

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is an example of what type of employment test?

A) work assessment test
B) cognitive ability test
C) biodata test
D) personality test

Question 41

Which of the following is the most objective approach in making employee selection decisions?

A) "can-do" approach
B) statistical approach
C) clinical approach
D) "will-do" approach

Question 42

Scenario 6.1
Canadian Fasteners is an Ottawa-based packing firm that packages nuts, bolts, and screws for various Canadian furniture companies. The firm started operations in 2003 with 13 employees and has grown to over 150 employees today. Employees are paid hourly rates with benefits similar to other packing firms across Ontario. The work does not need previous experience. Canadian Fasteners has been struggling to recruit and hire the right employees to take the company into the new millennium. Part of the problem is that workers, especially floor workers, are hired by word of mouth with no formal application process or even an interview. As a result, the company faces a high turnover rate and spends valuable time training new employees who may not have the prerequisite skills to effectively do the job in the first place.
Refer to Scenario 6.1. Which of the following does Canadian Fasteners need to do to gather information about its candidates?

A) administer a lie detector test
B) run background and credit checks on all employees
C) gather résumés and applications and conduct interviews
D) continue as it is currently doing things

Question 43

Scenario 6.2
Computer Direct Inc. is a mid-sized technology firm that specializes in designing, manufacturing, and selling computers. The organization staff complement is very diverse, and most of the company's employees are in the development and design, sales, and marketing departments. Computer Direct has been using only one method to make recruitment decisions for all of its employees, from managerial to technical to clerical. Data is gathered on each candidate, and a committee assigns scores to candidates based on its understanding of the job. Candidates, however, are not given the opportunity to be tested and hired based on their respective scores. Essentially, decisions are made based on personal judgments.
Refer to Scenario 6.2. Which approach best reflects how decisions about recruiting are made at Computer Direct?

A) psychological approach
B) clinical approach
C) statistical approach
D) behavioural approach

Question 44

Organization T uses a decision-making model in which an applicant is allowed to score poorly in one area of the selection tests, as long as he or she scores very high in another area. What is this type of decision-making model called?

A) a statistical model
B) a multiple hurdle model
C) a compensatory model
D) a multiple cutoff model

Question 45

Scenario 6.1
Canadian Fasteners is an Ottawa-based packing firm that packages nuts, bolts, and screws for various Canadian furniture companies. The firm started operations in 2003 with 13 employees and has grown to over 150 employees today. Employees are paid hourly rates with benefits similar to other packing firms across Ontario. The work does not need previous experience. Canadian Fasteners has been struggling to recruit and hire the right employees to take the company into the new millennium. Part of the problem is that workers, especially floor workers, are hired by word of mouth with no formal application process or even an interview. As a result, the company faces a high turnover rate and spends valuable time training new employees who may not have the prerequisite skills to effectively do the job in the first place.
Refer to Scenario 6.1. Canadian Fasteners is trying to implement a process to recruit and hire workers. Which of the following would work best in this type of organization?

A) a non-directive style
B) a structured interview
C) an open interview
D) a contextual interview

Question 46

Scenario 6.1
Canadian Fasteners is an Ottawa-based packing firm that packages nuts, bolts, and screws for various Canadian furniture companies. The firm started operations in 2003 with 13 employees and has grown to over 150 employees today. Employees are paid hourly rates with benefits similar to other packing firms across Ontario. The work does not need previous experience. Canadian Fasteners has been struggling to recruit and hire the right employees to take the company into the new millennium. Part of the problem is that workers, especially floor workers, are hired by word of mouth with no formal application process or even an interview. As a result, the company faces a high turnover rate and spends valuable time training new employees who may not have the prerequisite skills to effectively do the job in the first place.
Refer to Scenario 6.1. Assume Canadian Fasteners designates a person to review the applications and conduct the interviews. Which of the following is NOT helpful to the interviewer?

A) non-standardized questions
B) understanding the job
C) establishing an interview plan
D) controlling the course of the interview

Question 47

Application forms should always require relevant dates, including date of birth.

Question 48

A manager is examining the number of applicants for a job compared to the number of people needed to be hired. What is this figure called?

A) the yield ratio
B) the selection ratio
C) the base ratio
D) the validity coefficient

Question 49

Research suggests that employers lose a majority of discrimination lawsuits.

Question 50

Although widely used, employment interviews pose potential concerns about validity.

Question 51

Scenario 6.2
Computer Direct Inc. is a mid-sized technology firm that specializes in designing, manufacturing, and selling computers. The organization staff complement is very diverse, and most of the company's employees are in the development and design, sales, and marketing departments. Computer Direct has been using only one method to make recruitment decisions for all of its employees, from managerial to technical to clerical. Data is gathered on each candidate, and a committee assigns scores to candidates based on its understanding of the job. Candidates, however, are not given the opportunity to be tested and hired based on their respective scores. Essentially, decisions are made based on personal judgments.
Refer to Scenario 6.2. If Computer Direct wants to use more objective methods of decision making, which of the following is the best approach?

A) demonstrated approach
B) compensatory approach
C) subjective iterative approach
D) statistical approach

Question 52

Although many organizations are encouraging applicants to apply for jobs online, this practice slows down the application process.

Question 53

Reliability refers to the extent to which two methods yield similar results, but not to the agreement between two or more raters.

Question 54

Online applications can speed up the selection process, combine information, and disseminate promising leads to hiring managers more efficiently.

Question 55

Validity refers to what a selection procedure measures and how well it measures it.

Question 56

Applicants who "whiten" their names in their resumes stand a better chance to get called for interviews.

Question 57

A university uses several criteria for accepting students. There is a minimum score that students have to achieve on each of the criteria to get admitted. What type of selection model is being used?

A) moving criteria model
B) multiple criteria model
C) multiple cutoff model
D) compensatory model

Question 58

Scenario 6.2
Computer Direct Inc. is a mid-sized technology firm that specializes in designing, manufacturing, and selling computers. The organization staff complement is very diverse, and most of the company's employees are in the development and design, sales, and marketing departments. Computer Direct has been using only one method to make recruitment decisions for all of its employees, from managerial to technical to clerical. Data is gathered on each candidate, and a committee assigns scores to candidates based on its understanding of the job. Candidates, however, are not given the opportunity to be tested and hired based on their respective scores. Essentially, decisions are made based on personal judgments.
Refer to Scenario 6.2. Which approach is considered superior and would best serve the needs of Computer Direct?

A) objective approach
B) clinical approach
C) statistical approach
D) personal judgment approach

Question 59

If an organization's selection procedures yield comparable data over a period of time, the procedures are valid.

Question 60

What does a selection ratio of .9 mean?

A) It means 90 percent of the applicants applying to the position will be hired.
B) It means 10 percent of the applicants applying to the position will be hired.
C) It means 9 percent of the applicants applying to the position will be hired.
D) It means 1 percent of the applicants applying to the position will be hired.

Question 61

Credit checks are the most common form of reference check.

Question 62

Video interviews have the advantages of speed and cost-effectiveness.

Question 63

Job sample tests require the applicant to perform tasks that are part of the work required on the job.

Question 64

"Tell me more about your experiences on your last job" is an example of a nondirective interview question.

Question 65

Since biographical information blanks rarely have obviously right or wrong answers, they are difficult to fake.

Question 66

"Tell me about the last time you disciplined an employee" could be a behavioural description interview question.

Question 67

HRM specialists have found that panel interviews lead to higher reliability and faster decision times than one-to-one interviews.

Question 68

A situational interview asks the applicant what he or she actually did in a given situation.

Question 69

Data obtained from nondirective interviews are difficult to validate.

Question 70

Hypothetical incidents are used in situational interviews.

Question 71

Structured interviews have standardized questions.

Question 72

The premise of a behavioural interview is that "past performance is the best predictor of future performance."

Question 73

Written letters of reference are very valid in the selection of employees.

Question 74

Behavioural description interviews are based on hypothetical situations.

Question 75

Employers are required by law to provide references for former employees.

Question 76

Aptitude tests measure what a person knows or can do right now.

Question 77

Situational interviews ask applicants how they would respond, while behavioural description interviews ask applicants how they did respond

Question 78

The situational interview is a variation of the unstructured interview.

Question 79

The federal government relies extensively on employment testing in the selection process.

Question 80

The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is an example of a cognitive ability test.