Do individuals making staffing decisions have an ethical responsibility to know measurement issues? Why or why not?
Describe the structured interview. What are the characteristics of structured interviews that improve on the shortcomings of unstructured interviews? Tell me about a structured interview you were a part of and what you thought about it.
Do you think employers have a right to check into applicants’ backgrounds? Even if there is no suspicion of misbehavior? Even if the job poses no security or sensitive risks? Even if the background check includes driving offenses and credit histories?
Compare and contrast the ability and mixed approaches to emotional intelligence—how are they similar, and how are they different?
What issues surround discretionary assessment methods? What would you do to mitigate these issues as a staffing professional?
What are the differences between peer ratings, peer nominations, and peer rankings?
Describe the three different types of interview simulations.
What steps should be taken by an organization that is committed to shattering the glass ceiling?
A) Vincent and Peter are both sales associates, and are up for promotion to sales manager. In the last five years, on a 1=poor to 5=excellent scale, Vincent’s average performance rating was 4.7 and Peter’s was 4.2. In an assessment center that was meant to simulate the job of sales manager, on a 1=very poor to 10=outstanding scale, Vincent’s average score was 8.2 and Peter’s was 9.2. Assuming everything else is equal, who should be promoted? Why?
B) As a member of a promotion board, you have been confronted with a difficult decision. The board is fairly split on who to promote into the vacant manager position, and results from several valid predictors have not differentiated very well among the few candidates for the position: there is not a candidate that is clearly outperforming the others. Although you tried to avoid it, several board members have political reasons for preferring one finalist over the rest (this person is not the best choice, according to the predictor data). Furthermore, the results of this promotion decision (a vacancy that the company has not seen in years) are likely to reverberate throughout the organization—all the finalists are key internal players who exercise immense influence and command the loyalty of their subordinates. If one of the finalists were to leave or become disgruntled, it would be devastating for the organization. Many of the board members believe that the finalists should not have the privilege of knowing what went into the decision; they believe the board’s say is final, regardless of how it affects the finalists. As a key board member overseeing the promotion process, how would you go about making a decision?
Individuals making staffing decisions have an ethical responsibility to know measurement issues
Full Answer Section
- Transparency and Trust: Understanding measurement allows decision-makers to better explain the rationale behind their choices, fostering transparency and trust within the organization.
In short, making significant judgments about people requires a degree of professional competence, and understanding the basics of measurement is a fundamental part of that competence in staffing.
2. Describe the structured interview. What are the characteristics of structured interviews that improve on the shortcomings of unstructured interviews? Tell me about a structured interview you were a part of and what you thought about it.
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Structured Interview Description: A structured interview (also known as a standardized or patterned interview) is a method of interviewing job candidates where the same questions are asked in the same order to every candidate, and often, the answers are evaluated using a standardized scoring guide or rating scale. The questions are typically based on a job analysis and are designed to assess specific knowledge, skills, abilities, or other characteristics (KSAOs) relevant to the job. Multiple interviewers often participate and use the same materials, and their ratings might be averaged or discussed to reach a consensus.
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Improvements over Unstructured Interviews:
- Reduced Interviewer Bias: Unstructured interviews are highly susceptible to biases like halo/horn effect (let one trait influence the overall rating), stereotyping, contrast effect (comparing candidates to each other rather than to a standard), and faking (candidates giving socially desirable answers). Structured interviews minimize these by focusing on specific, job-related questions and using objective rating scales.
- Enhanced Reliability: Because the process is standardized, structured interviews yield more consistent results. If the same candidate were interviewed again, or by different interviewers, the results would likely be more similar compared to an unstructured interview.
Sample Answer
Do individuals making staffing decisions have an ethical responsibility to know measurement issues? Why or why not?
Yes, individuals making staffing decisions absolutely have an ethical responsibility to understand basic measurement issues. Here's why:
- Fairness and Justice: Staffing decisions significantly impact people's lives (employment, promotion, salary). Using flawed or biased measurement tools (like interviews, tests, or performance ratings) can lead to unfair outcomes, discriminating against certain groups or individuals without valid justification. Understanding measurement issues like reliability (consistency), validity (accuracy in measuring what it's supposed to measure), bias, and standardization helps ensure the process is as fair and objective as possible.
- Validity and Utility: Companies have an ethical obligation to use selection and promotion procedures that actually predict job performance (validity) and benefit the organization (utility). Using methods that aren't properly validated or are poorly constructed is unethical because it wastes resources, may disadvantage qualified candidates, and can lead to hiring or promoting individuals who aren't the best fit, harming both the employee and the organization.
- Avoiding Harm: Uninformed decisions based on poorly measured constructs can cause harm. For example, relying on an unstructured interview that primarily measures interview skill rather than job skill can deny a competent person a job, causing financial and psychological harm. It can also harm the organization by leading to poor hires.
- Legal Compliance: Many jurisdictions have laws (like Title VII in the US) requiring that employment decisions, especially those affecting protected groups, be based on valid and non-discriminatory criteria. Ignorance of measurement principles is not a legal defense against claims of discrimination or using invalid tests.