Human Resource Management Personnel Selection Questions

Human Resource Management Personnel Selection Questions

Please answer both of the first two questions and any three of the remaining questions. This exam is worth 75 points – 15 points per question.

Please note that there is a happy medium that can be reached in terms of appropriate response length. That is, be succinct but thorough. As with assignments, for this final you should a) make sure you answer each part of the question for which you are responding, b) provide definitions of terms within the questions, and c) provide examples where appropriate. Also, please note that you will lose points if you do not cite appropriate references for statements you make – even if what you say is true. Include page numbers when direct quotes are used, and please use multiple sources – there were plenty of readings other than the textbook, and you should draw upon these in your answers. Do not forget to indicate which questions you are answering in the second part of the final (it is not always obvious).

Both of these first two questions are required:

Question #1: Imagine you are called upon to teach a one-hour seminar to managers on selection. In this one-hour time block, you are supposed to draw on one major topic as it relates to selection, and its importance for managers. What area would you choose? Why is this area central to selection? Don’t forget to provide ample support for your choice.

Questions #2: A recurring theme this semester has been with “fit”. Please answer each of the sub-points below:

a) ­­­ At what level (job, group, etc) and on what characteristics (e.g., culture, personality, etc.) should we assess fit? (5 points)

b) How do/should we measure this fit? (5 points)

c) Is selecting on “fit” good for the organization and individuals? (5 points)

Choose any three of the following questions:

Question #3: What are the advantages of conveying a realistic recruitment message as opposed to portraying the job in a way that the organization thinks that job applicants want to hear? In this answer, you will want to describe Realistic Job Preveiws, why they are proposed to work, and what research has told us about their effectiveness.

Question #4: Legal issues have emerged throughout the course. Based on these readings: What is the EEOC and what is its function? What is adverse impact and how would one typically determine if this is a problem? What is Affirmative Action? What is the purpose of Affirmative Action? Who is involved?

Question #5: Define criterion (predictive and concurrent), content, and construct validity. Your definition should cover how each type of validity is assessed. What does each type of validity tell you and for what should each type of validity be used?

Question #6: In what ways are the following three initial assessment methods similar an in what ways are they different: application blanks, biographical information, and reference reports?

Question #7: Sometimes in papers, you will see statements such as, “tests of cognitive ability have been shown to be more predictive of job performance than were interviews.” However, this statement seems to confuse “methods” and “constructs”. What are “methods” and “constructs”? Why is it important to make the distinction between methods and constructs? Illustrate this distinction with a specific example from the literature.