CODESP - Cooperative Organization for the Development of Employee Selection Procedures Evaluating Selection Process Effectiveness Questions and Answers

Question 1

An HR analyst for a large state agency wants to demonstrate the financial return on investment of a new, validated selection system for IT professionals. The analyst plans to calculate the dollar value of the performance increase resulting from hiring higher-quality candidates, minus the cost of the new system. Which method is the analyst using to evaluate the selection process?

Accepted Answer

Utility analysis

Answer

Utility analysis is a quantitative method used to estimate the financial and practical value of HR interventions, such as a new selection system. [5, 7] It specifically focuses on determining the return on investment by translating the benefits (e.g., increased job performance of new hires) into dollar terms and comparing them against the costs of the system. [7, 22]

Question 2

A personnel department has implemented a new selection test with a validity coefficient of .40. The current base rate of success for the job is 60% (i.e., 60% of current employees are successful). The selection ratio is low at .20 (20 hires for 100 applicants). What would Taylor-Russell tables be used to determine in this scenario?

Accepted Answer

The proportion of new hires who are likely to be successful.

Answer

Taylor-Russell tables are used to estimate the proportion of new hires who will be successful (the success ratio) given three key pieces of information: the test's criterion-related validity coefficient, the base rate of success in the current workforce, and the selection ratio. [1, 11] They demonstrate the incremental value a valid test provides over the existing success rate. [11, 24]

Question 3

A transit agency is evaluating its selection process for bus operators. Historically, 75% of operators hired prove to be successful performers after their probationary period. For the most recent hiring cycle, the agency received 500 applications for 50 open positions. In this context, what is the 'base rate'?

Accepted Answer

75%

Answer

The base rate is the percentage of current employees who are considered successful performers without the use of a new or particular selection system. [1, 12] In this scenario, the 75% success rate of previously hired operators represents the base rate. The selection ratio, by contrast, is the number of openings (50) divided by the number of applicants (500), which is 10%. [1, 12]

Question 4

A city's personnel department decides to raise the cut score on its written examination for librarians to be more selective. Which of the following is the MOST likely consequence of this action?

Accepted Answer

The number of 'false negative' hiring errors will increase.

Answer

Raising a cut score makes it harder to pass the test. This will likely screen out some candidates who would have been successful on the job, thereby increasing the number of 'false negatives'. [6, 23] Conversely, it tends to decrease the number of 'false positives' (unsuccessful performers who are hired) and decrease the selection ratio (fewer people are hired from the applicant pool). [4, 6, 23]

Question 5

A county implemented a multi-day assessment center for selecting department heads. A validity study shows it has excellent predictive validity. However, the cost is $10,000 per candidate, it requires six high-level staff members to administer, and candidates report high levels of stress and frustration with the lengthy process. When evaluating this selection system's overall effectiveness, what is the primary concern?

Accepted Answer

Practicality and applicant reactions

Answer

While the assessment center is valid, its high cost, resource-intensive administration, and negative impact on candidates make its overall effectiveness questionable. Evaluating a selection system must go beyond statistical validity to include practical considerations like cost, administrative feasibility, and applicant reactions, as these can determine if the system is sustainable and if it helps or harms the organization's reputation. [2, 9, 27]

CODESP - Cooperative Organization for the Development of Employee Selection Procedures Practice Test

CODESP - Cooperative Organization for the Development of Employee Selection Procedures Practice Test

CODESP - Cooperative Organization for the Development of Employee Selection Procedures Evaluating Selection Process Effectiveness Questions and Answers