Selection is the process of choosing a qualified person for specific role who can successfully deliver valuable contributions to the organization. The term selection can be applied to many aspects of the process, such as recruitment, hiring, and acculturation. However, it most commonly refers to the selection of workers. A selection system should depend on job analysis. This ensures that the selection criteria are job related and propose value additions for the organization.
Selection Requirements
The requirements for a selection system are knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics, collectively known as KSAOs. Personnel-selection systems employ evidence-based practices to determine the most qualified candidates, which can include both new candidates and individuals within the organization.
Common selection tools include ability tests (cognitive, physical, or psychomotor), knowledge tests, personality tests, structured interviews, the systematic collection of biographical data, and work samples. Development and implementation of such screening methods is sometimes done by human resources departments. Some organizations may hire consultants or firms that specialize in developing personnel-selection systems rather than developing them internally.
Metrics
Two major factors determining the quality of a newly hired employee are predictor validity and selection ratio. The predictor cutoff is a limit distinguishing between passing and failing scores on a selection test—people with scores above it are hired or further considered while those with scores below it are not. This cutoff can be a very useful hiring tool, but it is only valuable if it is actually predictive of the type of performance the hiring managers are seeking.
The selection ratio (SR) is the number of job openings (n) divided by the number of job applicants (N). When the SR is equal to 1, the use of any selection device has little meaning, but this is not often the case as there are usually more applicants than job openings. As N increases, the quality of hires is likely to also increase: if you have 500 applicants for 3 job openings, you will likely find people with higher-quality work among those 500 than if you had only 5 applicants for the same 3 job openings.
SAT score averages
SAT scores used as university admissions criteria are a good example of the use of predictor cutoff. Some universities will not admit students below a certain SAT (or ACT, GMAT, etc.) score. Employers use a similar method with different metrics to filter high volume applications.