CODESP Making Final Selection Decisions 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which factor most directly limits the ability of a selection procedure to predict job performance, regardless of how carefully it was developed?
- The number of items included in the test
- Criterion unreliability due to poor performance appraisal systems (Correct answer)
- The use of a compensatory rather than multiple cutoff model
- The gender composition of the validation sample
Correct answer: Criterion unreliability due to poor performance appraisal systems
If the criterion (job performance measure) is unreliable, the observed validity coefficient will be attenuated because valid variance in the predictor cannot correlate with noise in the criterion.
Question 2: After making a conditional job offer, an employer learns that a candidate failed a required background check due to a past conviction. Under best practice guidelines, the employer should:
- Automatically rescind the offer because any conviction disqualifies a candidate
- Conduct an individualized assessment of the conviction's relevance to the specific job duties (Correct answer)
- Proceed with hiring and reassign the candidate to a position without background check requirements
- Delay the decision until the candidate's appeal of the conviction is resolved
Correct answer: Conduct an individualized assessment of the conviction's relevance to the specific job duties
Best practices and EEOC guidance recommend individualized assessment of convictions, considering factors like the nature of the crime, time elapsed, and relevance to job duties.
Question 3: Which of the following describes a 'combined' or 'mixed' selection model that uses both hurdles and compensatory components?
- All predictors are summed into a composite with no minimum scores required on any single predictor
- Candidates must pass a minimum score on a critical predictor before a compensatory composite is used to rank survivors (Correct answer)
- Candidates are selected based solely on structured interview scores after passing a credential screen
- All candidates are rank-ordered by years of experience before testing begins
Correct answer: Candidates must pass a minimum score on a critical predictor before a compensatory composite is used to rank survivors
A mixed model requires a minimum threshold on a critical predictor (hurdle) and then uses a compensatory composite to rank those who passed, combining the advantages of both approaches.
Question 4: When multiple qualified candidates remain tied in rank after all scored assessments, which of the following is an acceptable tiebreaker in civil service selection?
- Selecting the candidate who applied earliest to the position
- Using a supplemental, job-related ranked factor such as veteran's preference or seniority (Correct answer)
- Selecting the candidate who lives closest to the worksite
- Asking tied candidates to participate in an unscored interview
Correct answer: Using a supplemental, job-related ranked factor such as veteran's preference or seniority
Many civil service jurisdictions allow job-related or legally sanctioned tiebreakers like veteran's preference, while arbitrary factors unrelated to job performance are not defensible.
Question 5: A selection professional is asked to determine whether the same cut score should apply to two different regional offices filling the same job title. Which evidence would best support using a single cut score across both sites?
- Both offices have a similar number of open positions in the current hiring cycle
- The job analysis confirms highly similar task and competency requirements at both locations (Correct answer)
- The regional offices are managed by the same director
- Both offices used the same test vendor to administer the assessment
Correct answer: The job analysis confirms highly similar task and competency requirements at both locations
A common cut score is most defensible when job analysis data confirm that the KSAOs and job tasks are substantially similar across both settings.
Question 6: In selection contexts, what is 'selection ratio' and how does it affect the usefulness of a valid predictor?
- It is the ratio of open positions to total employees and has no bearing on test usefulness
- It is the proportion of applicants hired; lower ratios allow valid predictors to produce greater gains in workforce quality (Correct answer)
- It is the ratio of minority to majority applicants and determines whether adverse impact analysis is required
- It is the ratio of predictor variance to criterion variance and must exceed 0.50 to justify use
Correct answer: It is the proportion of applicants hired; lower ratios allow valid predictors to produce greater gains in workforce quality
When fewer candidates are hired relative to applicants (low selection ratio), a valid predictor yields greater utility because selectors can be more stringent in choosing top scorers.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes 'adverse impact' in the context of final selection decisions, per the Uniform Guidelines 4/5ths rule?
- Any difference in mean test scores between a majority and minority group
- A selection rate for a protected group that is less than 80% of the selection rate for the highest-selected group (Correct answer)
- A refusal to hire any member of a protected group during a single hiring cycle
- Failure to post job openings in locations accessible to protected groups
Correct answer: A selection rate for a protected group that is less than 80% of the selection rate for the highest-selected group
The 4/5ths (80%) rule states that adverse impact is indicated when the selection rate of a protected group is less than 80% of the rate for the group with the highest selection rate.
CODESP Making Final Selection Decisions 4
Which factor most directly limits the ability of a selection procedure to predict job performance, regardless of how carefully it was developed?