Paper Example on Validating the Selection Methods

Introduction

It is the motive and goal of every company or organization to hire the best and qualified personnel who well fits the requirements of a specific job position. There are various selection processes that are used to identify and choose the right employee or applicant who will be effective and conduct the provided responsibilities in line with what an organization requires. The validity of a selection method is determined by its effectiveness in selecting the best person who fits the job`s specification. A valid selection method will ensure that out of the presented applicants, the one with the utmost qualities is chosen and should not show traces or traits of it being biased. It is notable that a specific selection method will seek to identify the right candidate for a specific job. On the other hand, if the method fails to identify or give out the desired results, it cannot be termed to be valid. However, there are various challenges that can be faced when validating a selection method.

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Various methods are used to select the appropriate candidates for different positions in a firm. One of them is through the use of application forms and CVs. This is where documents are presented by the job applicants that entails all the basic data and information that relates to them. In most cases, this selecting method is used extensively by many organizations and companies. The use of these documents is vital because it helps to ease the shortlisting process as all the information given by candidates is the same. However, this method can be difficult to validate because of various reasons. One of them is that some of the information indicated by applicants cannot be justified to be either true or not(Cascio2018). Most candidates may indicate appealing information which is not true in the quest to attain the demands of the job. In some cases, it becomes to identify the right and the wrong information using such documents. In such a scenario, the method becomes unreliable hence the inability to validate it.

Another selection process is the use of interviews. Basically, interviews include asking relevant questions which require reasonable answers in regard to the specifications of the work. Also, they are essential in identifying a variety of skills, like attention, communication, and interpersonal skills as well as the possible kind of behavior that the candidate might portray in future. The interviewer gets to know the candidate in person and uses the chance to gather as much information as possible which is later used during shortlisting. Most of such information is recorded to ensure that if the applicant is interviewed again he or she gives the right information. There are a certain set of questions that should be asked in an interview. Validating such a method can be difficult because the information is given orally which does not mean that it is correct (Robertson & Smith 2001). For example, one may be asked to describe how he or she can deal with a certain dilemma at work. The person may choose to come up with a unique idea of what to do but if subjected to the same scenario, he or she is unable to carry on and act upon as stated.

The use of Ability and Intelligent Tests is another method of selection that is used by the Human Resource department. There are various common tests that are used to check the ability and expected the performance of a candidate. Some of these tests check on integrity, social intelligence verbal and numerical ability and level of creativity. Although some of these factors are not directly related to most job specifications they become crucial on how the worker with relates to the job environment. They are considered as some of the typical requirements that a candidate must possess since they also help to identify the productivity of an employee. If an applicant passes the majority of these tests he or she has higher chances of getting the job (Baez 2013). However, the use of these tests alone is not enough proof that one is holistically qualified for the position. Some people are good at interpersonal skills but some jobs do not really require them. Not all jobs require people to be verbally fluent or to be creative. Therefore, the method cannot be validated to be one that helps to identify the best person to hire. Also, some of these tests are irrelevant in some fields and even where they are applicable, some seem to be outdated.

The use of Personality tests is also another method used to select or determine the right person to be considered as an employee. In this bracket, there are different tests that are carried out that include. Physiological, behavioral and projective techniques. Basically, the tests tend to show personality traits and conduct of a person (Arthur & Villado 2013). From a wider perspective, they show the whole personality nature of a person even without considering anything that is work-related. Various facets of this approach make it hard to validate it as a viable option to use in selecting candidates. First, there are no right or wrong answers to the questions presented in these tests. And individual many chose to give any sort of answer that best suits the job or that which will appeal the one to check the tests. In most cases, personality tests are too generalized and it is possible to find that the same tests are used on different candidates applying for different jobs. It is therefore not easy to vet out any candidate or consider some.

Provision of Work samples and contacting references are other factors that are used to select candidates. Here, an applicant is required to provide an actual work sample of a task done before in case it is presentable. If not, the applicant is given a specific task that relates to the job and is requested to do it. The task is then used to determine how productive and the kind of services that the employee will offer even in future. Selectors also seek to contact references given by applicants (Biddle 2017). Examples include previous managers and bosses, or any relevant people where one had been a contributor in one way or another. It is preferable to get in touch with the previous boss who can give an account of a person regarding his or her work. However, in the scenario where one was working in an unrecognized firm or organization, he or she may choose to give a ghost referee who may be anyone. Samples can also be borrowed from other competent people in the same field where one is applying.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, even though there are various methods used to select the right person for work, it is undeniable that most of the methods are hard to validate due to the limitations that are linked to them. While most of them may be viable and useful, to some extent it is impossible to identify one which gives top not results. Unless all are considered when selecting applicants, it can be challenging using one to justify the search of a good employee.

Bibliography

Arthur Jr, W., and Villado, A.J., 2008. The importance of distinguishing between constructs and methods when comparing predictors in personnel selection research and practice. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(2), p.435.

Baez, H.B., 2013. Personality tests in employment selection: Use with caution.

Biddle, D., 2017. Selection Procedure Development and Validation. In Adverse Impact and Test Validation (pp. 53-82). Routledge.

Cascio, W., 2018. Managing human resources. McGraw-Hill Education.

Robertson, I.T., and Smith, M., 2001. Personnel selection. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 74(4), pp.441-472.