MODELING THE EFFECTS OF BANDING IN PERSONNEL SELECTION

Selection outcomes under banding are affected by characteristics of the selection system and the applicant pool. This study examined the effects of eight parameters on the proportions hired from higher- and lower-scoring groups: (a) selection ratio; (b) reliability; (b) fixed vs. sliding bands; (d) top-down vs. random within-band selection; (e) preferential vs. nonpreferential selection; (f) mean differences; (g) standard deviation differences; and (h) proportion of applicants from the lower-scoring group. Simulation results were analyzed in a fully-crossed eight-way ANOVA. Higher-order interactions among selection system and applicant pool characteristics had virtually no effect on selection outcomes; the proportion of the applicant pool from the lower-scoring group accounted for nearly half the variance in out-comes. Other important effects are, in order, the effects of standard deviation differences, mean differences, preferential hiring, and the selection ratio. Applicant pool characteristics have considerably more influence on selection outcomes than do selection system characteristics.     

SOME NEW FRONTIERS IN PERSONNEL SELECTION RESEARCH

Current research developments in several areas of personnel selection methodology are reviewed. The areas reviewed represent attempts to develop alternatives to traditional paper-and-pencil methods of test development. These areas include computer-interactive tests in the employment situation, new ways of using life-history information, the use of physical tests in selecting individuals for physically demanding jobs, and the development of job-related medical standards for job assignment.     

CHANGING VIEWS FOR PERSONNEL SELECTION RESEARCH

Changes in views of personnel selection research include changing opinions about choosing predictors and criteria, methods of data collection, and methods of evaluating selection procedures. In particular, distinctions are (or can be) made between job-relatedness, inferred in part from validity coefficients based on job-related criteria, and the valid measurement of a trait (attribute), inferred in part from research using construct-related criteria. The major change identified is a reduction in the sanctity with which a single correlation is viewed for either purpose.     

CONTENT-ORIENTED PERSONNEL SELECTION IN A SMALL BUSINESS SETTING

This paper illustrates a content-oriented procedure for personnel selection in a small business setting. The procedure focuses directly on criterion performance, inasmuch as it generates lists of tasks relevant to specific job objectives. Rank order correlations provide quantitative indices of agreement between members of the job analysis panel as to the relative importance of the job objectives. The importance of appropriate representation on the job analysis panel is emphasized.