Job-specific applicant pools and national norms for personality scales: Implications for range-restriction corrections in validation research.

This article compares variability in national norms to variability in job-specific applicant pools for personality scales. Across 23,231 job applicants for 111 jobs, we found that job-specific applicant pools were slightly less variable than broad normative data (by about 4%) based on a national norm sample of 40,474 job applicants. For some personality variables, the amount of variability reduction correlated with work characteristics as captured by the Data, People and Things scales of the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (US Department of Labor, 1977). Most correlations were small in magnitude. In general, the small reductions in job-specific applicant pool variability provide evidence that researchers' decisions to use manual norm group standard deviations in range restriction corrections has not appreciably inflated the personality-criterion relationships studied. Implications for attraction and gravitation to jobs are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Applicant Attraction to Organizations and Job Choice: A Meta-Analytic Review of the Correlates of Recruiting Outcomes.

Attracting high-performing applicants is a critical component of personnel selection and overall organizational success. In this study, the authors meta-analyzed 667 coefficients from 71 studies examining relationships between various predictors with job-organization attraction, job pursuit intentions, acceptance intentions, and job choice. The moderating effects of applicant gender, race, and applicant versus nonapplicant status were also examined. Results showed that applicant attraction outcomes were predicted by job-organization characteristics, recruiter behaviors, perceptions of the recruiting process, perceived fit, and hiring expectancies, but not recruiter demographics or perceived alternatives. Path analyses showed that applicant attitudes and intentions mediated the predictor-job choice relationships. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for recruiting theory, research, and practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Employment interviewers' errors in processing positive and negative information.

Suggests that previous findings that employment interviewers give too much weight to negative information when evaluating an applicant are an artifact of the research methods used. 39 employment interviewers rated information units and applicants. The research design included 2 refinements: (a) comparable scales were used for obtaining measures of both information valence and information use, and (b) redundant information was partialled out. Results show that interviewers processed negative information accurately but did not place sufficient weight on positive information. Some probable causes and practical implications of this finding are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Orientations toward personnel selection: Differential reliance on appearance and personality.

In two studies we examined the hypothesis that the psychological construct of self-monitoring would identify people who adopt distinctly different strategies in personnel selection. In both experiments, undergraduates examined information about the physical appearance and personalities of two applicants for a specific job and then decided which applicant should receive a job offer. In Study 1, information about the applicants' physical attractiveness and job-appropriate dispositions was varied. In Study 2, job appropriateness of the applicants' physical appearance and of their personalities were both varied. In each study, high self-monitoring individuals placed greater weight on information about physical appearance than did low self-monitoring individuals. By contrast, low self-monitoring individuals put greater weight on information about personal dispositions than did high self-monitoring individuals. We discuss the implications for understanding personnel selection as well as for decision making in interpersonal contexts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of applicant's sex and difficulty of job on evaluations of candidates for managerial positions.

To investigate the influence of sex-role stereotypes on evaluations of candidates for managerial positions, 235 male undergraduate business students evaluated job applicant forms which differed only in the male or female name given to the applicant. Findings confirm that sex-role stereotypes influence evaluations of applicants and selection decisions. Male applicants were accepted more frequently than equally qualified females, and were evaluated more favorably on general suitability, potential for long service, and potential for fitting in well in the organization. Also supported was the hypothesis that job demands have differential effects on evaluations of male and female applicants. Females were given lowest acceptance rates and poorest evaluation for "demanding" managerial positions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Strategies for reducing employee turnover: A meta-analysis.

Investigated the relative effectiveness of realistic job previews (RJPs) and job enrichment as turnover reduction strategies. A thorough literature search located 20 experiments (N?=?6,492 Ss) dealing with attempts to reduce turnover in field settings. Several meta-analysis techniques showed that variation in the outcomes of job enrichment studies can be attributed to sampling error alone, whereas variation in the outcomes of RJP studies cannot. A search for moderators in the latter case revealed moderate support for the notion that task complexity affects RJP outcomes. Furthermore, the meta-analyses indicated that job enrichment interventions are about twice as effective at reducing turnover as RJPs. Based on the calculated effect sizes, estimates of savings from turnover reductions are provided. (62 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Confirming first impressions in the employment interview: A field study of interviewer behavior.

Examined behavioral styles used by interviewers to confirm their 1st impressions of job applicants. Three interviewers in a corporate setting formed 1st impressions based on application blank and test score information. They then conducted audiotaped interviews. Coders independently coded 79 interviews and found that 1st impressions were related to confirmatory behavior. Interviewers followed up positive 1st impressions, for example, by showing positive regard toward applicants, "selling" the company and giving job information, and gathering less information. Applicants' communication style and rapport with interviewers also differed. Significant differences in confirmatory behaviors also occurred among the 3 interviewers. A number of interviewer behaviors, especially positive regard, were related to applicant behavior in interviews. Although previous studies of expectancy confirmation have produced mixed results, the present results suggest that interviewers in natural settings do use confirmatory strategies, underscoring the importance of additional research on "self-fulfilling prophecies." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What mediates sex discrimination in hiring decisions?

Bogus resumes were evaluated by 212 business professionals to discover what mediates sex discrimination in hiring decisions. We hypothesized that discrimination against women and men who applied for stereotypically "masculine" and "feminine" jobs, respectively, could be reduced by providing individuating information suggesting that the applicant was an exception to his or her gender stereotype and possessed traits usually associated with the opposite gender. We also hypothesized that individuating information consistent with stereotypes about an applicant's gender would decrease the probability that an applicant would be evaluated favorably for a job usually considered appropriate for the other gender. We found that individuating information eliminated sex-typed personality inferences about male and female applicants and affected applicants' perceived job suitability; however, sex discrimination was not eliminated. We suggest that sex discrimination is mediated by occupation stereotypes that specify both the personality traits and the gender appropriate for each occupation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A meta-analysis of realistic job preview experiments.

Conducted a quantitative meta-analysis of 21 realistic job preview (RJP) experiments. Eight attitudinal or behavioral criteria were used to assess the effects of RJPs, and for 4 of these, the variance around the mean effect size could be explained methodologically as a result of sampling error, differences among studies in measurement reliability, or as a result of a single outlier study. Only 1 moderator was found, with the type of medium used to present the RJP moderating the RJP/performance relation. Considering all 8 criteria together, the average amount of variance attributable to sampling error alone is 74.2%. Thus, recent speculation about the possible moderating effects of personal or situational variables seems unwarranted. The direction of the effects was generally consistent with previous thinking. That is, RJPs tended to lower initial job expectations while increasing self-selection, organizational commitment, job satisfaction, performance, and job survival. (38 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of disability, gender, and job level on ratings of job applicants.

Objective: To examine the effects of applicant disability, gender, and job level on ratings of job applicants. Design and Participants: Full-time workers (n?=?88) and undergraduates (n?=?98) provided ratings of hypothetical job applicants who differed on the 3 factors of interest. Measures: Job applicants were evaluated on the basis of competence, overall recommendation, potency, activity, and starting salary. Results: Applicants with disabilities were generally rated significantly higher in activity and potency than the applicant without a disability. Additional analyses revealed a significant Gender X Job Level interaction for applicants with a disability. Conclusions: Consistent with D. T. Wegener and R. E. Petty's (1997) flexible correction model, the results of this study suggest that evaluations of job applicants with disabilities may depend on the amount of cognitive resources raters have available at the time the evaluations are made. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Longitudinal assessment of applicant reactions to employment testing and test outcome feedback.

Following a justice framework, the present study examined actual candidates taking selection tests to gain full-time employment. The reactions of 144 applicants for an entry-level accounting job were examined in a real employment testing context at 3 time periods: before testing, after testing but before feedback on whether they passed or failed the test, and after test performance feedback. With controls for pretest perceptions, several of the 5 procedural justice measures (information known about the test, chance to perform, treatment at the test site, consistency of the test administration, and job relatedness) predicted applicant evaluations regarding the organization, perceptions of employment testing, and applicant test-taking self-efficacy. Test outcome favorability (passing or failing the employment test) predicted outcomes beyond initial reactions more consistently than procedural justice perceptions. Procedural justice perceptions explained incremental variance in some analyses after the influence of outcome favorability was controlled. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Decision processes in personnel selection.

Reviews some of the research on decision making in personnel selection, with special attention to the greater weighting of unfavorable information in selection decisions and to the nature of causal attributions in the personnel interview. A 2-stage selection model is proposed in which decision makers first make attributions about the applicant and then categorize the applicant either as matching or not matching the dimensions of the category "good worker" as determined by deviance from the prototype "ideal worker." The attribution process ends when sufficient dimensions have been evaluated to provide a match or mismatch, and the length of the process should vary as a function of such factors as the number of dimensions, their clarity and specificity, and the accountability of the decision maker. It is suggested that job applicants perform a parallel decision-making process to match their needs and the perceived ability of the organization to meet them. (French abstract) (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A model of hiring decisions in real employment interviews.

Past research on variables affecting hiring decisions has emphasized the role of applicant and interviewer demographics. However, recent studies have questioned the generalizability of findings from laboratory interviews to real interviews. In this article, a model of demographics and interviewing decisions is proposed and tested with actual employment interviews. Industrial interviewers (N?=?8) provided demographic data concerning themselves and applicants (N?=?71), rated applicants on widely studied attributes, and made two hiring decisions. The data support the model that interview outcomes are directly dependent on the more logically relevant variables, such as skill. Furthermore, the influence of demographics is modest and less important than other variables. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Selection fairness information and applicant reactions: A longitudinal field study.

Although laboratory studies have found that selection information can affect applicant perceptions, this has not been tested in the field. The authors followed 2 cohorts of police applicants (N = 274) in a longitudinal study to examine the relationship between information, applicant perceptions, and behavior (e.g., turnover). Information was related to perceived fairness measured at the time of testing and 1 month later when applicants received their results. Information moderated the relationship between outcome favorability and test-taking self-efficacy among African Americans but not among Whites. Information was not related to the behavioral measures. The discussion focuses on why certain findings from previous studies were not replicated and on the use of information when applicants have an investment in getting a job. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An investigation of sex discrimination in recruiters' evaluations of actual applicants.

This study investigated whether sex discrimination existed in recruiters' evaluations of applicants in real employment interviews and, if so, whether other variables could explain it. The variables examined were the perceived similarity of the applicant to the recruiter, the interpersonal attraction felt by the recruiter toward the applicant, and the applicant's objectively measured and subjectively measured qualifications. Applicant sex did not directly or indirectly affect recruiters' evaluations of applicants in campus interviews, providing no evidence of sex discrimination. Instead, subjective qualifications had a significant effect on evaluations and also mediated the effects of perceived similarity, interpersonal attraction, and objective qualifications on evaluations. Recruiters saw stronger subjective qualifications in applicants with high scholastic performance whom they viewed as similar to themselves and whom they liked. Perceptions of these qualifications, in turn, were the primary determinant of evaluations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Application patterns when applicants know the odds: Implications for selection research and practice.

Unlike previous research that found small differences between population standard deviations and applicant pool standard deviations (P. R. Sackett & D. J. Ostgaard, 1994; D. S. Ones & C. Viswesvaran, 2003), this study revealed a 23% disparity between Law School Admission Test (LSAT) scores of all LSAT test takers and those of LSAT test takers who applied to law school. This study also illustrated robust applicant self-selection behavior across different law school ranks. These findings are important, because predictor scores of applicants who know their scores in advance and perceive small selection ratios necessitate substantially smaller range restriction corrections than those that would be required by population standard deviations. Furthermore, these findings more generally reveal that applicants who know their scores in advance behave quite differently from applicants who do not. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of automatic obesity stereotypes in real hiring discrimination.

This study examined whether automatic stereotypes captured by the implicit association test (IAT) can predict real hiring discrimination against the obese. In an unobtrusive field experiment, job applications were sent to a large number of real job vacancies. The applications were matched on credentials but differed with respect to the applicant's weight. Discriminatory behavior was quantified by the extent to which the hiring managers invited normal-weight versus obese applicants to a job interview. Several months after the behavioral data were obtained, the hiring managers completed an obesity IAT and explicit hiring preference measures. Only the IAT scores reliably predicted interview decisions. More specifically, hiring managers holding more negative automatic stereotypes about the obese were less likely to invite an obese applicant for an interview. The present research is the first to show that automatic bias predicts labor market discrimination against obese individuals. Practical implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Applicant self-selection: Correlates of withdrawal from a multiple hurdle process.

The authors examined applicant self-selection from a multiple hurdle hiring process. The relationships of the selection status of 3,550 police applicants (self-selected out prior to 1 of the hurdles, passing, or failing) and perceptions of the organization, commitment to a law enforcement job, expectations regarding the job, employment status, the need to relocate, the opinions of family and friends, and perceptions, of the hiring process were examined. Differences between those who stayed in the process and those who self-selected out were observed in most areas, and those who self-selected out at early stages differed from those self-selecting out at later stages. African Americans' and women's perceptions also differed from the majority group, indicating some of the difficulties an organization faces in attempting to diversify. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)