human resource management and employer relations

Human Resources Management and Employer Relations Assignment 1.2

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYER RELATIONS

Table of Contents1. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................32. AIMS OF EMPLOYEE SELECTION..............................................................................33. THE CONCEPT RELIABILITY AND TYPES OF RELIABILITY AS THESE

RELATE TO SELECTION..............................................................................................44. THE CONCEPTS VALIDITY AND TYPES OF VALIDITY AS THESE RELATE TO

SELECTION.....................................................................................................................55. JOB DESCRIPTION AND ITS ROLE IN SELECTIONS...............................................76. STEPS IN THE SELECTION PROCESS.........................................................................87. TYPES OF INTERVIEWS.............................................................................................108. REQUIREMENTS FOR AN EFFECTIVE INTERVIEW..............................................119. DECISION MAKING FOLLOWING SELECTION INTERVIEWS.............................1510. THE ROLE OF PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS IN SELECTION........................................1611. SUMMARY....................................................................................................................1812. LIST OF REFERENCES................................................................................................19

1Group Name: ZIM0112A


1. INTRODUCTION

In this highly competitive environment companies are striving to do things right the first

time. The best way to ensure that this is achieved is by selecting and recruiting the right

people for the right jobs. With increased competition heavily affecting many companies’

bottom lines, it has become all the more crucial for all organisations to make sure that they

select and recruit the right candidate for the available job. Hiring an individual without the

required competencies and commitment can have catastrophic consequences to the

company’s future success and sustainability.

Swanepoel, Erasmus & Schenk (2010) quotes Muchinsky, Kriek & Schreuder (2005: 137-

138) in defining personnel selection as the process of identifying from the pool of recruited

applicants those who a job will be offered… the process of separating the chosen from the

rejected applicants” (Swanepoel, et al., 2010:279).

Our chosen company for this assignment is Cresta Hospitality (Pvt) Ltd (“Cresta”), a

company incorporated in Zimbabwe. It is a group of hotels providing quality accommodation

mainly to business travellers. The company is a 100% subsidiary of TA Holdings, a

conglomerate listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange. Cresta operates four hotels in

Zimbabwe namely: Cresta Jameson Hotel, Cresta Lodge Hotel, Cresta Oasis Hotel, and

Cresta Churchill. Cresta has been associated with hotel operations as far back as 1958.

Cresta has 337 permanent employees and 127 contract employees. Our main contact at the

company was Mrs Sarah Mukombo, the Human Resources Manager.

2. AIMS OF EMPLOYEE SELECTION

The main aim of employee selection is to hire the best qualified candidate for the position to

be filled. In practice we have noted that the direct and indirect costs of employing an

inappropriate employee can have a huge impact on a company’s profitability, competitive

advantage and sustainability.

Gatewood, Field and Barrick (2008) stated that the fundamental objective of employee

selection is to distinguish from a pool of potential applicants those who have the relevant

knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform well on the job. The same authors also give the

following as other aims for selection as maximising the probability of making accurate

selection decisions about applicants; and ensuring that these selection decisions are carried



out in such a manner as to minimise the chance of a judgement of discrimination being made

against the organisation.

The other main aim of employee selection is to make sure that the process is fair and

equitable. According to Rees & French, (2010:184) “Decisions made in the course of a

recruitment and selection process should be perceived as essentially fair and admissible to all

parties, including people who have been rejected.

In practice we have also observed that organisations select to comply with minority quotas

mandated by various equity legislations. Organisations also carry out employee selection as

part of their succession planning. According to the Cresta Employee Selection Manual the

aim of employee selection is to increase the likelihood of hiring individuals who possess the

right skills and abilities to be successful in their jobs. This clearly shows that Cresta is in

agreement with the various authors quoted above.

3. THE CONCEPT RELIABILITY AND TYPES OF RELIABILITY AS THESE RELATE TO SELECTION.

Cascio (2010) states two possible errors that any organization can make during the selection

process. These are selecting someone who should be rejected and rejecting someone who

should be accepted. In order to limit the risk of committing these errors organizations need to

ensure that their selection methods are both reliable and valid.

Reliability is defined as “the consistency of a measure” (Swanepoel, et al., 2010:281). This

means that the results of a selection instrument should remain constant over time or when

used on different groups of people. Organizations want to use selection tools that would

produce similar results if repeated or where tests are not possible to get quantitatively

measured, different assessors award a similar score. Swanepoel, et al., (2010) propose the

following four methods for testing for reliability:

Test-retest method: the test group is made to take a test and then retake the same

test. If there is a strong correlation between the two sets of results then the test is

deemed reliable. Correlation is a measure of the strength of the relationship between



two variables and lies between negative one and positive one. A correlation closer to

positive one shows a strong positive correlation between two variables.

Parallel forms method: two versions of the same test are taken by the same

group and a strong positive correlation between the results of the two tests is

indicative of the reliability of the test. Organizations have to be careful in

administering these tests as it is difficult to be sure that the two tests are actually

truly parallel.

Split-half method: an assessment is divided into equal halves with a score being

tabulated for each. A strong positive correlation between the two sets of results

signals reliability.

Internal consistency: measures the degree to which a score obtained from one

item in a test can be generalized to those obtained from the other items in the same

test. A strong correlation indicates reliability.

Organizations may seek to enhance the reliability of their selection tools by increasing the

size of the test. This, however, may disrupt and discourage respondents. A short and properly

developed test is therefore much better.

4. THE CONCEPTS VALIDITY AND TYPES OF VALIDITY AS THESE RELATE TO SELECTION.

“Validity refers to the degree to which the evidence supports inferences that are drawn from

scores or ratings on a selection procedure.” (Cascio 2010:240). In other words validity is a

measure of the relationship between the expectations derived from the scores obtained from a

selection procedure and performance observed on the job. Swanepoel, et al., (2010) state that

there are three types of measures that can be used to test validity which are criterion-related

validity, content validity and construct validity.

Criterion-related validity is broken down into two types of validity; predictive validity

and concurrent validity.

Predictive validity: A test is given to all applicants and results are recorded. Performance

on the job afterwards is then compared to the test results to check for the existence of a

strong correlation which is its validity. An example of a test that is likely to have

predictive validity is hiring personal assistants or secretaries after checking their typing

speed. This test is likely to have predictive validity with regards to typing ability.

Concurrent validity: Here the test is given to current employees and results are



compared to current performance to assess the strength of correlation. If a strong

positive correlation exists the test is deemed to be valid. Both tests require that actual

performance on the job be evaluated objectively in order for the conclusions drawn on

the comparisons to be useful.

Content validity measures the degree to which a test contains a majority of the tasks

involved in the job. A test that contains a significant number of the tasks involved in a job

has more validity than one with less. It therefore follows to reason that if an organization

puts employees under a number of tests that cover different aspects of the employee’s

prospective job, the results of the combined tests have more predictive ability relating to

job performance. It is for this reason that organizations not only subject employees to

structured interviews, but psychometric tests as well. Cascio (2010) seems to agree with

this when he says that when job performance has many dimensions more than one

predictor with each one addressing key competencies should be used.

Construct validity which is generally more difficult to evaluate incorporates an

assessment of the degree to which a test measures the construct (trait) that it ought to

measure. This is coupled with the need to evaluate relevance of the characteristic being

measured to job performance. Recruiters must constantly seek assurance that the tools

they apply in their selection processes measure the traits that they want to measure in

order to predict performance expected on the job and in turn select the candidates that

will most likely excel. We have observed that a common mistake in practice is to use

generic IQ tests which measure more of numerical ability whereas the job requires spatial

intelligence.

According to Cascio (2010), predictors of job performance include but are not limited to the

following: tests of general cognitive ability, work sample tests, structured and unstructured

interviews, job knowledge tests, integrity and honesty tests, bio-data measures, interests,

conscientiousness tests and training and experience test methods. For each job, the

organization ideally should rate the correlation or relevance of the above assessments. When

calculated, these are generally a positive or negative fraction of one where the bigger the

fraction the higher the correlation. As organizations do not have the resources and time to

carry out all possible tests that can be done on job applicants in order to finally select the

right candidates, practice has it that they limit assessments to a few tests that will give a high

indication of job performance. These are the tests with high correlation coefficients, meaning

high validity. For instance, a bank teller may be interviewed to assess her interpersonal skills



and also be taken through a numeracy test in order to assure the organization of her numeracy

and attention to detail.

5. JOB DESCRIPTION AND ITS ROLE IN SELECTIONS

Workforce planning is very crucial and needs to be integrated to the overall business strategy.

This is supported by Casio (2010) who says that the principles of job design and job analysis

are very crucial in work force planning. “Job description is an overall written summary of

task requirements.” Cascio (2010:167).A job description defines the purpose of the job, the

position of the job in the company’s structure, the key tasks, duties and responsibilities and is

part of the legally binding document for the employment contract. It clarifies the nature and

the scope of the work. Swanepoel, et al., (2010) went on to add that job description should be

a written statement of the content of the job which is derived from the job analysis. Therefore

it stipulates what work is required to be done. According to Swanepoel, et al., (2010) the

following are contents of job descriptions: Job title; Duties and Responsibilities; Purpose of

Job; Employment conditions (may include safety issues); Expected Qualifications; and

Reporting relationships, for example, subordinates and superiors.

Job descriptions determine the type of candidate that the organization is looking for and it is

the foundation for selecting a candidate and the following are steps in selection process as

laid down in Swanepoel, et al., (2010). In practice job descriptions help in coming up with

job specifications which in turn guide organisations in determining the best predictors to be

used in the selection process.

Cresta maintains job descriptions for all the posts in the organisation. However, an analysis of

some of their job descriptions reveals that they do not contain employment conditions and

reporting relationships, for example subordinates and superiors.



6. STEPS IN THE SELECTION PROCESS

According to Swanepoel, et al., (2010) the following are the steps in the selection process:

Preliminary Interviews

This is the first stage in selection and is normally used for screening and elimination of

applicants who are not suitable for the job and do not have the required qualifications. At

Cresta no preliminary interviews are performed but are compensated by other procedures.

The organisation seems to consider the cost implications involved.

Written Applications

After being successful in the preliminary interviews the applicant is then requested to submit

a written application form. A curriculum vita (CV) is also crucial at this stage. A fully

completed application form is a document consisting of educational background and

qualifications, employment history, experience and personal information. .Although this

information does not prove its accuracy it is usually used as an indication of the applicant’s

suitability for the job. In some cases on top of the application form candidates might be asked

to submit a supporting document as part of selection criteria which is usually specified in the

advertisement. The selection criteria are often derived from the job descriptions and

specifications of the job in question. Swanepoel, et al., (2010) say “…a useful way of

building this into a process is to suggest to applicants to address each criterion based on the

STAR acronym S (situation), T (task), A (Action), R (results).” (Swanepoel et al., 2010:284).

At Cresta, the first stage is to obtain written applications from prospective employees. The

Human Resources department and the line managers shortlist suitable applicants using

information from their CVs being guided by the job description. The short listed candidates

will then be invited for an interview.

Employment Tests

These tests are used as a tool for personality assessment. “Tests usually attempt to measure

the applicant’s abilities, aptitude, interests, intelligence and personality among other things”.

Swanepoel, et al., (2010:285).These instruments seek to find out about the personal

characteristics of an individual and are very important when placing one on the job. Cascio

(2010) highlights the following predictors which employers use in selection: Mental ability or

cognitive tests, aptitude tests, personality tests, performance test and interests’ tests. The tests

that Cresta performs differ for each job position, for example, where a position requires skills



such as shorthand and typing, the human resources department will conduct such tests and the

results are then assessed by line managers. We believe this sufficiently enhances the validity

of the selection process.

Employment Interviews

These are one to one interviews between the employer and top rated applicants. One of its

objectives is to gather crucial information and explore areas that are necessary in determining

the applicant’s suitability for the job. These interviews are carried out by a panel of line

mangers and human resources personnel at Cresta. The composition of the panel of

interviewers depends on the seniority of the post to be filled. For instance, the post of Internal

Auditor Executive the panel included the Audit Committee Chairman and the Managing

Director.

Recommendations, References and Background Checks

Reference checks are done after employment interviews as a means of verification and

finding more about the applicant’s details. These checks are used to evaluate past job

performance basing on information gathered from the referees given. The referees may

include superiors, subordinates and/or colleagues who have interacted and worked with the

applicant. A number of referees can be consulted from which strengths and weakness of the

applicant can be obtained. Cascio (2010) provides four kinds of information about the job

applicant which the organization needs to take into consideration before hiring someone:

education and employment history, character and interpersonal competence, ability to

perform the job and the willingness of the past or current employer to rehire the applicant.

The human resources department at Cresta considers the references of the suitable candidate

prior to deciding on the selection of the applicant.

Physical/Medical Examinations

These are done to determine the candidate’s physical fitness in relation to the physical job

requirements. These are usually done before offering employment. The physical and medical

examinations are done on successful applicants before an offer of employment is given to the

successful applicant by Cresta human resources department. We have noted that at Cresta,

people in different kinds of jobs are subjected to similar medical examinations which imply

little relevance of the examination to job performance.



Offer Employment

A formal appointment or contract letter is then awarded to the successful candidate. This is

the last stage of the selection process and normally it is a written contract between the

employer and the employee.

7. TYPES OF INTERVIEWS

According to Swanepoel, et al., (2010) interviews range from structured to unstructured.

“The unstructured interview refers to coincidental, loosely organised type of interview”

(Swanepoel, et al., 2010:287). We have observed that here the questions are not specific and

set and the conversations can flow freely. In unstructured interviews several topics can be

discussed and the questions are not necessarily predetermined by the interviewer. This

enables the interviewer to get more information as the environment is usually relaxed which

enables the applicant to talk freely. However there is no coherence in trying to find

information in a specific area. The questions asked may not be important or relevant to the

job performance. In an unstructured interview “there is a risk of being seen as unfair in the

selection process” (Swanepoel, et al., 2010:287). Errors in the information gained from the

applicant can occur and the final choice maybe determined on unclear circumstances. “This

method can give rise to a lack of reliability if the interviewer has no training in conducting

interviews” (Swanepoel, et al., 2010:287).

Structured interviews, on the other hand, involve “careful, systematic planning of the

interview and use of skilled people in the interview process” (Swanepoel, et al., 2010:288).

The questions are set out and followed thoroughly. The interview is planned according to the

requirement of the job and the purpose of the interview is to obtain precise job related

information. The systematic approach allows for identification of characteristics to be

evaluated, methods to obtain the information and procedures to assess the information. “The

interview provides for a more organised approach and stable basis for assessment of different

candidates” (Swanepoel, et al., 2010:288). Structured interviews can also involve multiple

interviewers and use of well-defined rating scales with specific rating procedures. Structured

interviews have higher predictive validity than unstructured interviews.

Cresta’s interviews are structured. Questions are planned prior to the interview and they make

use of well-defined rating scales with specific rating procedures. Interviewers are given a set



of questions to ask. Interviewers are tasked to assess an applicant’s skill, qualification and

experience which are specific to the job. The organisation also makes use of multiple

interviewers.

8. REQUIREMENTS FOR AN EFFECTIVE INTERVIEW

Swanepoel, et al., (2010) suggest, as a preparatory measure, that interviewers must be very

sure about the job requirements. The job requirements are best drawn up through an extensive

job analysis exercise. Cascio (2010) says job analysis results in a job description and job

specification. At this stage behavioural job descriptions can also be formulated in line with

the fast changing business environment. The job requirements clarify the knowledge, skills,

qualifications, experience and personal attributes required for successful job performance.

This forms the basis of an appropriate approach to the interview. Cascio (2010) also suggests

the development of interview questions that are strictly based on the job analysis results as a

way of improving the effectiveness of employment interviews.

Cascio (2010) advocates for the screening of resumes and application forms with respect to

key words that match job requirements, an evaluation whether applicants have these

requirements and the skills that might transfer from the previous job to the new job. This

further solidifies the need to have clear job requirements in place in preparation for

interviews as this maintains a concrete focus on job requirements germane to the job in

question.

After the screening a further detailed study of the remaining resumes and application forms

allows the interviewers to formulate probing questions that need to be asked in respect of

noted discrepancies and insufficient information. Armstrong (2006) further supports the

above mentioned pre-study arguing that “it is essential to probe during an interview to

establish what the candidate really can do and has achieved.” Armstrong (2006: 444).

Cascio (2010) points out that “the validity of pre-employment interviews will be reduced to

the extent that interviewers’ decisions are overly influenced by such factors as first

impressions, personal feelings about the kinds of characteristics that lead to success on the

job, and contrast effects, among other non-objective factors” Cascio (2010: 254) .In this

regards interviewers should maintain awareness of such non-objective factors and ensure that

applicants should be evaluated in an objective manner based on the job requirements to

further improve the effectiveness of employment interviews.



Cascio (2010) recommends the use of multiple interviewers. This increases the effectiveness

of the interview as more people are given a chance to assess the applicant leading to a fairer

assessment. Swanepoel, et al., (2010) say those involved should get together to plan who is

going to ask questions about what, and so in what order. This creates a framework for a

coherent and structured panel interview where members of the panel come in with follow up

questions on relevant issues in a logical manner.

Armstrong (2006) emphasises the importance of training in interviewing techniques as an

automatic part of the training programmes for managers and team leaders. Cascio (2010) also

supports the need for “extensive training on interviewing.” Cascio (2010: 254). This equips

interviewers with the appropriate skills to make informed judgements and decisions as

employment interviewing can be a complex task.

In order to gather information from the applicant during an interview it is crucial for the

interviewer to ensure a cordial and relaxed environment for the applicant from the onset of

the interview. “This can be seen as a process of creating a harmonious relationship between

the interviewer and the applicant so as to develop the applicant’s confidence in the

interviewer to such an extent that he or she begins to talk spontaneously.” (Swanepoel, et al.,

2010: 290). Establishing rapport and managing to put the applicants increases the likelihood

of the applicants to talk freely thereby releasing crucial information about their strengths and

weaknesses.

The manner in which questions are asked in an interview has a great bearing on the

effectiveness of the interview. “Ask the same general questions of each candidate. That is,

use structured interview” (Cascio 2010: 254). A structured interview ensures clarity of

objectives, a well-defined strategy to obtain job related information from the applicant and

prescribed ways of assessing the information thus increasing the effectiveness of the

interview. Asking the same questions to all applicants further levels the playfield for the

applicants allowing the interviewers to a more accurate decision in terms of evaluating the

interview findings against the job requirements.

Cascio (2010) encourages the use of open ended questions in employment interviews. This

encourages a full response from the applicant and goes a long way to unearth the applicant’s



performance abilities, motivation and how well he or she can fit into the organisational value

system.

Swanepoel, et al., (2010) say due caution must be exercised by interviewers to avoid bringing

into the interview issues that may be deemed to be unfairly discriminatory such as race and

age. This tends to impart mixed views about the organisation to the applicant in the negative

direction and may be generally against legislative measures.

In addition to the questioning guidelines already mentioned Cascio (2010) suggest the use of

situational questions. The applicants are asked how they would approach a given scenario.

“Situational questions can provide some insight into how applicants might respond to

particular job demands and have the advantage of being work-related” (Armstrong, 2006:

447). It is important to note that situational questions increase the effectiveness of interviews

by enabling the interviewers to predict how applicants will acts in particular cases.

“Take detailed notes that focus on behavioural information about candidates.” (Cascio, 2010:

254). We are of the opinion that this allows interviewers to then use past performance and

behaviour in predicting future performance and behaviour in line with the specific job

requirements.

“Do not discuss candidates or answers between interviews.” (Cascio, 2010: 254). We find

that this can fuel a biased assessment of the interview findings and mislead interviewers at

the decision making stage and thus should be avoided in adherence to good ethical behaviour

to enhance the effectiveness of interviews. Taking notes on every applicant during the

interview and between interview breaks when the information is still fresh is also important

lest interviewers forget some critical points. This ensures that detailed information on every

applicant will be available for decision making purposes.

The effectiveness of an employment interview can be described as the degree to which a

reliable decision can be made from the information gathered during the interview. This is

further explained by Cascio (2010) where he recommends the use of detailed rating scales,

with behavioural descriptions to illustrate scale points. This creates a more reliable

framework with the necessary qualifiers, quantifiers and specifications for the interview

assessments thereby improving the effectiveness of the interviews.



The employment interviews can be made more effective by interviewers selling the

organisation to applicants with respect to future projects and new product areas typically in

the concluding remarks of the interview. This will make the organisation more attractive,

create excitement and encourage positive feelings that will be important if the interviewer

decides to make an offer to a candidate. “Candidates are, in a sense, selling themselves, but

they are also buying what the organization has to offer” (Armstrong 2006: 415).

At Cresta, a panel which includes members of the human resources department is set up to

carry out the interviews. The objectives of the panel are to critically scrutinise and assess the

qualifications, experience and skills of each short listed applicant. After the respective

interviews the panel recommends the most suitable candidate to the General Manager or

Group Human Resources Manager. The interviews are structured and include specific

questions that will be asked to all candidates. An interview assessment summary form is used

to rate candidates on a scale for certain characteristics and behavioural descriptions such as

presentation, communication, technical skills among others. Cresta’s policy is also cognisant

of the implications of discriminatory questions and behaviours as panel members are required

to be familiar with anti-discriminatory legislation.

Cresta’s policy is silent on the importance of training of interviewers, a tool which is essential

in increasing the effectiveness of interviews. However, Cresta makes use of multiple

interviewers for a much fairer assessment of applicants. Their questions are the same for all

candidates, allowing for comparison across all applicants. The company also uses

standardised rating scales which demonstrate that applicants are evaluated on the same basis.

However the form is standard for all job interviews and does not take into account the

different specifications of each job. The panel of interviewers does not meet prior to the

interview to plan on who is going to ask what questions and in what in order.

The organisation does not use “statistical weights for each dimension” (Cascio, 2010: 254).

The risk is that applicants can be hired for scoring high on overall scores but with low scores

on key areas that are important to the performance of the job. Cresta’s policy does not include

situational and behavioural based interviews which have the effect of increasing the validity

of employment interviews. Whilst Cresta is making use of some of the tools discussed in this



paper the company still needs to incorporate more tools to maximise the effectiveness of the

interviewing process.

9. DECISION MAKING FOLLOWING SELECTION INTERVIEWS

“Selection becomes relevant concern only when there are more qualified candidates than

there are positions to be filled: Selection implies choice…” Cascio (2010:239). He therefore

sets the tone for decision making post the selection interviews. In essence, Cascio (2010) is

saying organizations need to make a decision on the candidate they regard to be the most

suitable for a job because people are different in their abilities, aptitudes, interests and

personality traits. Cresta agrees in principle with the two authors on the need to hire the best

candidate for a job vacancy as this is highlighted in their recruitment and selection policy

document.

Swanepoel et al., (2010) states that selection decisions must stand the test of fairness to

buttress the requirement for reliability and validity in the journey towards deciding which

candidate to hire. They also point out the need for decision makers to be conversant with

what distinguishes successful performance in a specific job and the pivotal role that job

analysis plays in providing the necessary information that is relevant to the job performance

criteria.

Cascio (2010) states that: “…as the complexity of work increases, organizations use…

selection methods that capture the applicant’s ability to do the work” Cascio (2010:245).

Here he seems to imply that decisions can be made soon after the interview for less complex

jobs. Methods that help organisations decide who to hire – from drug screening tests to more

controversial exercises such as Graphology (handwriting) Analysis which is: “…the study of

character or personality through handwriting” Cascio (2010:247) and polygraph

examinations; integrity and mental ability tests, personality and projective measures,

Emotional Intelligence (EI) measures and several other methods which include Personal-

History Data, Work-Sample tests and eventually Assessment Centres (AC). These are not

done at Cresta.

It is Cresta’s policy to ensure that appointments after successful interviews are only done

when an interviewee has passed a medical examination. “Organizations must be careful when

specifying a physical qualification to ensure that it is job related and that the employee would

not otherwise be able to do the job properly. One would have to prove, for instance, that



certain medical conditions will hamper the execution of a particular job.” Cascio (2010:261).

Cresta makes use of employee tests in the form of job-skill testing. The example given in the

policy document is that of people who need short-hand skills and typing proficiency and they

are tested for these abilities as they relate to the job opening. Cascio (2010), in quoting the

American Management Agency Survey findings of 2001 shows that 68 per cent of

organizations were using job-skills tests as part of their decision making process post

selection interviews.

It is interesting to note that Cascio (2010) puts references and background checks as part of

the initial screening process before the interviews while Swanepoel, et al., (2010) explicitly

state that: “Reference checks are conducted after the employment interview…” (Swanepoel,

et al., 2010:293). Both authors actually mention employment interviews as a tool to be used

for decision making which may seem to suggest that select applicants may be subjected to a

second round of interviews before a decision on who to employ can be made. Our

organisation of choice, Cresta conduct reference checks as a means to decide on which

candidate to hire

According to Cresta, no appointment will be valid unless a person to whom the offer has been

made has signed to indicate acceptance of the offer. As soon as the assigned acceptance of

the offer is signed, the Human Resources department should open a personal file for the

employee.

In the case of unsuccessful applicants, a polite letter of regret should be sent to them.

Documents of unsuccessful applicants who are thought to have potential elsewhere should be

forwarded to the Group Human Resources Administrator Head Office.

10. THE ROLE OF PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS IN SELECTION

Cascio (2010) in discussing various assessments methods in selection points out several tests

that organisation can use to understand potential employees better and their likelihood to

match job requirements. Tests discussed include Integrity Tests that: “… are designed to

assess directly attitudes towards dishonest behaviours… aim to predict a broad range of

counterproductive behaviours at work…” (Cascio 2010:248). He also presents Mental-Ability

tests which measure general intelligence. Cascio (2010) seems to be saying that tests can be

used to uncover traits that may not be unearthed during interviews which Swanepoel, et al.,

(2010) alluded to as well. As if to validate our previous statement, Swanepoel, et al., (2010)



also highlight several tests used during the selection process such as cognitive ability

(intelligence) tests which: “… give an indication of general intelligence by a single score.”

(Swanepoel, et al., 2010:285); aptitude tests which the authors state that are used in

employee selection amongst other things to test for verbal ability, word fluency, memory,

deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning and several other facets of an a potential

employee’s ability.

In his narration of Personality measures, Cascio (2010) had this to say: “Among employers,

the most prevalent reasons for using personality tests is their contribution to improving

employee fit … organisations use some type of psychological testing … in screening job

applicants.” (Cascio 2010:251). The author here points out the relevance and role of

psychometric testing in employee selection – that of ensuring job fit. Swanepoel et al., (2010)

go two steps in furthering Cascio’s (2010) view when they say: “An employment test is an

instrument which is used to obtain information about personal characteristics… The purpose

of … tests is mainly to predict job success … Psychological tests are used in different walks

of life … In other organisations, tests are used to help select employees … Psychometric

assessment can play a key role in placing people in the right kinds of careers…” (Swanepoel,

et al., 2010:285). From this excerpt, we can deduce that employment tests, psychological

tests and psychometric assessment have a strong link and are used in selection primarily to

acquire additional information about individual applicants as well as to predict their

suitability for a specified job. Swanepoel, et al., (2010) also suggest that, “ psychometric tests

must be used carefully and involve not basing one’s decisions exclusively on psychometric

results but viewing such a valid and reliable test results not only as a source of information in

decision making process. Such tests must also have cross-cultural validity and reliability and

preference should be given to tests that measure potential and competencies.” (Swanepoel, et

al., 2010:414).

Swanepoel, et al., (2010) also state that most experts are in agreement that personality has an

influence on work performance further validating that the purpose for the use of

psychometric testing in employee selection is really to understand more about individual

candidate’s traits and to help predict which personality would be most suitable to fill an

available vacancy.

Cresta Hospitality does not make use of psychometric testing in their recruitment and

selection efforts. We are however of the opinion that the use of psychometric testing would

greatly benefit the organisation in the following areas:



To unearth the applicant’s inclination towards dishonest behaviour as Cascio (2010)

points out to be one thing test can do. As an hotelier, Cresta needs to hire people of

high integrity as cleaners who have access to guests’ rooms where guests usually

leave their belongings while attending to their other business. Cashiers who handle

cash transactions, procurement personnel who deal with potential suppliers and

waitresses serving customers in the bar or dining room all need to be people of

honesty and psychometric tests can assist in ensuring the right people are hired

ultimately.

The ability of tests to help with employee fit in an organisation as alluded to by

Cascio (2010) is another reason Cresta needs to consider their use in employee

selection.

11. SUMMARY

Although not all organisations have the capacity to carry out employee selection according to

the rule book, it must be every organisations quest to have measures in place that compensate

for all the omitted procedures. We have learnt from the above theory that all the

considerations recommended by authors contribute immensely to identifying applicants who

will perform well and in turn contribute to the profitability, growth and sustainability of the

organisation. Many people worry about awarding the job to applicants who will fail to

perform excellently and yet take for granted the missed opportunity when they do not identify

the applicants who will excel. They are unable to pick out potential stars when they select

using generalized predictors whereas care should be taken to analyse each job and define the

most valid indicators to spot requisite skills and eliminate bias and similar errors. Many

organisations do not invest in training and preparation to enhance the effectiveness of their

interviews, which, as we have observed, are the most heavily depended upon predictor of job

performance. The common pitfall of information collected being usually inadequate,

inconsistently and erroneously collected reduces the reliability of this tool in the selection

process. One hardly ever hears of an organisation carrying out extensive analysis of the

reliability and validity of selection tools per job. For instance, psychometric tests are seldom

defined per job post but are generalized. It may be deemed as tedious and costly but indeed

Organisations will reap success when they implement proper selection procedures.



12. LIST OF REFERENCES

Armstrong, M. 2006. A handbook of human resource management practice .

10th ed. London: Kogan Page Limited.

Cascio, WF. 2010. Managing human resources: Productivity, quality of work life, profits.

8th ed. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Irwin.

Gatewood, R, Field, H, & Barrick, M. 2008, Human Resource Selection. 8th ed. NJ: Prentice-Hall

Rees G and French R.2010. Leading, Managing and Developing People, 3rd ed. CIPD

Swanepoel, B, Erasmus, B, Van Wyk, M, & Schenk, H. 2010.

South African human resource management: Theory and practice. 4th ed. Pretoria: Juta.

GROUP MEMBERS:

NAME STUDENT NUMBER

1. TAFADZWA COMFORT NYAMBIRA 77454685

2. COURAGE SHONIWA 77435834

3. NORMAN TAFADZWA MHONDIWA 77442555

4. HAPPIAH JANE REVAI 77459458

5. VIMBAYI COLLETA MAWIRE 77442350

6. PRINCE BHURABHURA 77457374

7. NIXON NEHANDA 77480465

8. CHRISTINA TAPESANA 77433351
