CMQ-C Quiz 2|93 Questions with Verified Answers,100% CORRECT

CMQ-C Quiz 2|93 Questions with Verified Answers Common-Metric Questionnaire (CMQ) - CORRECT ANSWER The CMQ is a structured, off-the-shelf job analysis questionnaire that captures information about the job's background ...

CMQ-C Quiz 2|93 Questions with Verified Answers Common-Metric Questionnaire (CMQ) - CORRECT ANSWER The CMQ is a structured, off-the-shelf job analysis questionnaire that captures information about the job's background, contacts with people, decision making, physical and mechanical activities, and work setting, based on observable behaviour rather than subjective ratings systems. The reading level is appropriate for lower-level jobs and the content appears to be appropriate for both lower-and higher-level jobs Work Profiling System (WPS) - CORRECT ANSWER The WPS is a computer-administered structured questionnaire that can be completed and scored online or in the workplace. It measures ability and personality attributes, including hearing skills, sight, taste, smell, touch, body coordination, verbal skills, number skills, complex management skills, personality, and team role.102 WPS defines the KSAOs required for effective performance and generates employment specifications based on the highest-ranking survey items across respondents. The results of the analysis can be used for a variety of employment purposes including employee selection, performance appraisal, job evaluation, and restructuring. It produces an accurate and efficient system for HR management. Threshold Traits Analysis System - CORRECT ANSWER The Threshold Traits Analysis System is designed to identify worker traits that are relevant to the target job. Supervisors, incumbents, and other SMEs rate the job according to the relevancy and level of 33 worker traits (e.g., stamina, perception, oral expression, adaptability to pressure, and tolerance) they believe are necessary to perform the job and the need to have the traits upon hiring. Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA) - CORRECT ANSWER CTA refers to a class of methods that are similar in their approach to understanding the cognitive processes used by experts to complete tasks. CTA is generally used following a behavioural-based task analysis with the intent of identifying mental processes used by experts in performing those tasks.104 Because there are numerous CTA methodologies, the purpose of the task, the nature of the task, and the available resources must be considered before deciding on an approach. CTA is relatively new and must be used with caution even as a secondary analytic procedure. CTA methods suffer from a lack of detailed procedural information, complexity and difficulty in using the procedures, and lack of sufficient data on their reliability and validity. CTA is also time consuming, labour intensive, and expensive. CTA is more suitable for training applications rather than selection. Existing Documentation - CORRECT ANSWER (ADVANTAGES Existing Documentation •Easy To Use ) (May not cover job of interest DISADVANTAGES) Structured interview - CORRECT ANSWER Job incumbents describe work •Requires experienced interviewer •Information obtained from persons most familiar with the job •Requires well-designed questions and probes •May provide unexpected information •Provides qualitative data that may be difficult to combine and analyze •Time consuming •Interviewees may distort information Direct observation - CORRECT ANSWER Analyst sees firsthand what the job involves •Observations may not cover all time periods in which job is performed •Useful for blue-collar work •Time consuming •Simple to use •Not useful for jobs involving cognitive tasks •May verify data from other sources •Observation may bias performance •Validity and reliability may be problematic Structured questionnaires - CORRECT ANSWER Job incumbents describe work •Only a portion of workers may respond •Information obtained from persons most familiar with the job •Respondents may not answer honestly •Access information from large number of workers •Questions are fixed and do not allow flexibility •Relatively inexpensive •May not capture points that the worker believes are important Functional job analysis - CORRECT ANSWER Provides task bank of standardized task statements •Only trained analysts may use the method •Identifies the level of involvement with people, data, and things •Very costly for analyst training •Used to develop job descriptions •Very time consuming, laborious, and costly to collect task statements •Helps to identify KSAOs related to task statements •Produces reliable and valid data, if data collected by trained analyst Critical incident technique - CORRECT ANSWER Analysis based on observable behaviour •Does not require training for the analyst •Work described in workers' own words •May not capture all the dimensions critical for job performance •Relatively easy to collect data •Relies on memory of recent events •Perceived as relevant and practical •Reliability and validity may be lower than off-the-shelf inventories •Has good reliability and validity •Good cost-benefit ratios •Provides rich behavioural data •Best used for selection Position Analysis Questionnaire - CORRECT ANSWER Allows standardized comparisons between jobs in PAQ data bank •Requires an experienced job analyst •Information is not task specific •Statements are lengthy and detailed •Information includes KSAOs related to selection •Requires an above-average reading level on the part of the person completing the inventory •Mostly suited to blue-collar jobs •Relatively inexpensive •Has very good reliability •Requires only a small number of SMEs Fleishman Job Analysis Survey - CORRECT ANSWER Easy to administer •Needs at least 10 SMEs •Can be used with task statements or the whole job •Does not provide task statement or information on the job duties •Cost efficient •Task information needs to be obtained through another process •Does not require trained analyst to collect data •Ratings are behaviourally anchored •Provides rich data for writing worker specification •Useful for both blue- and white-collar jobs •Has good reliability An important issue that must be addressed as part of selecting a job analysis method is? - CORRECT ANSWER the reliability or accuracy of the information that the method will provide. They concluded that methods that gathered specific task data: - CORRECT ANSWER did so with greater accuracy than methods that assessed generalized work activity (e.g., "supervises work of office staff"). They also reported that professional job analysts made more accurate assessments than did job incumbents who made self-reports or surveys. Finally, their analysis showed that SMEs made the most reliable estimates when using "importance" and "frequency" scales rather than other types of measurements. Dierdorff and Wilson's findings do not imply that only task-oriented job analysis methods should be used - CORRECT ANSWER true The value of a job analysis lies in how... - CORRECT ANSWER the information from the analysis will be used. Sanchez and Levine108 have taken the position that traditional methods of assessing reliability are inappropriate for assessing job analysis data in that they are of little practical value. - CORRECT ANSWER Sanchez and Levine propose that job analysis data be evaluated in terms of their consequences: "Thus, the evaluation of [job analysis] data should focus on (1) the inferences derived from such data; and (2) the rules governing the making of such inferences CRITERIA FOR CHOOSING A JOB ANALYSIS METHOD - CORRECT ANSWER •Operational status: Has the method been tested and refined sufficiently? •Availability: Is it available off the shelf? •Occupational versatility: Is it suitable for analyzing a variety of jobs? •Standardization: Is it possible to compare your results with others that have been found elsewhere? •User acceptability: Is the method acceptable to the client and the employees who will have to provide the information? •Training requirements: How much training is needed and available to use the method; must one receive special certification in the procedure to use it? Can it be done "in-house"? •Sample size: From how many employees must data be collected for the method to provide reliable results? •Reliability: Will the method give results that are replicable? •Cost: What are the costs of the method in materials, consultant fees, training, and person-hours? •Quality of outcome: Will the method yield high quality results (e.g., legally defensible)? •Time to completion: How many calendar days will the data collection and analysis take? Morgeson and Campion110 echo these arguments by endorsing an inferential approach to validation, similar to our presentation in Chapter 2 (refer to Recruitment and Selection Notebook 2.2). In their model at the conceptual or construct level, the analyst identifies job performance and job-related psychological constructs. SMEs produce a job description outlining tasks and duties that is made by inference from the job performance construct. - CORRECT ANSWER Similarly, job specifications, in terms of KSAOs, are inferred from the job-related psychological constructs. An operational linkage is assumed to tie the KSAOs to the tasks and duties. Validation rests on verifying the different inferences. Harvey and Wilson take issue with these approaches; - CORRECT ANSWER they maintain the position that a procedure that focuses only on job specifications or the consequences of those specifications is not a true job analysis procedure. They argue that holistic ratings, or direct inferences of KSAOs from psychological constructs rather than from job tasks, will always produce inferior data. No guarantee exists that any job analysis method will find acceptance before the courts... - CORRECT ANSWER The best that can be said is that having done a formal job analysis, regardless of method, is better than not having done one, and having carried it out properly will increase the probability that the courts will accept its results. Given the limitations of different methods and their suitability to different HR management functions, it is not unusual for an organization to use several job analysis techniques. - CORRECT ANSWER Often, such multi-method approaches are needed to understand the complexity of today's jobs where the dividing lines between job, worker, and job-related behaviours become blurred Using a variety of approaches is a form of "triangulation" - CORRECT ANSWER and provides different perspectives on the job that when synthesized produce the best information for matching people to jobs. Ultimately, what the HR practitioner must decide is - CORRECT ANSWER (1) Which job analysis method best serves the intended purpose of the job analysis (i.e., will the data be used for selection, performance appraisal, job evaluation, etc.)? (2) Can the job analysis be carried out reliably given the number of positions to be assessed, the availability of SMEs, the time allowed to complete the project, and the cooperation of job incumbents? (3) Which job analysis method has the best track record with respect to technical adequacy and legal defensibility? Based on U.S. court and tribunal decisions, Thompson and Thompson identified the following factors that influence the defensibility of job analysis data used as evidence in legal proceedings: - CORRECT ANSWER A job analysis must be performed according to a set of formal procedures. It is not acceptable to rely on what "everyone" knows about a job since that knowledge may be based on inaccurate stereotyped notions of the job demands. •The job analysis must be well documented; it is not enough to simply carry around job information in the analyst's head. •The job analysis should collect data from several up-to-date sources. This suggests using several different methods of job analysis. •The sample of people interviewed should be sufficient in number to capture accurately the job information. The sample should also represent the full diversity of job incumbents (e.g., ethnic and gender groups, people with and without formal qualifications) to ensure the validity of the data. •The job analysts should be properly trained in the different techniques to ensure that they collect objective information and are as free from bias as possible. •The job analysis should determine the most important and critical aspects of the job, and it is on these that the key attributes and selection and evaluation for the job should be based. GUIDELINES FOR CONDUCTING A JOB ANALYSIS - CORRECT ANSWER 1. Determine the purpose of the job analysis. Is the job analysis to be used for selection, job evaluation, compensation, or other purposes? Different job analysis methods are more suited to some of these purposes than others. 2. Determine the resources that are available and those needed for the job analysis. a.What is the budget for the job analysis? b.How many job incumbents are there in each job position of interest? c.Are subject-matter experts available to assist? d.Will consultants be involved? e.Where is the job analysis worksite: one or several locations? f.What is the deadline for completing the process? 3. Review available documentation/information for the position or job in question. This may include job or position descriptions, recruitment information, past job analyses, and website information, Determine the job analysis method to be used. The choice of a job analysis depends on answers to Points 1 and 2. Review these points in the context of the criteria for choosing a job analysis method in Recruitment and Selection Notebook 4.5. Does the job analysis method require special training on the part of the analyst? 5. Identify subject-matter experts (SMEs) and incumbents who will participate in the job analysis. SMEs used in the job analysis process should include first-level supervisors or hiring managers. Additionally, previous employees or trainers may be appropriate. A good SME has direct knowledge of the job and knows what is required to succeed in the job. The number and role of incumbents depends on the job analysis method; in most cases, they should be top performers who know the job. 6. Conduct the job analysis to obtain task and/or KSAO statements. The type of statement will depend on the job analysis method. Some methods, for example, will not produce task statements. 7. Confirm the task and KSAO EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES - CORRECT ANSWER Employment agencies are independent organizations that attempt to find a match between a person and a job. Their success depends on the willingness of both the job seeker and the organization to use their services. Service Canada Centres - CORRECT ANSWER throughout the country provide no-charge access to the online Job Bank for both job seekers and employers. As soon as employers post a job vacancy, - CORRECT ANSWER he position is listed in the Job Bank at http://www.jobbank.gc.ca. Private employment agencies - CORRECT ANSWER bring together job seekers and hiring organizations. These agencies charge a fee for their services. Most provinces regulate employment agency fees and prohibit the agency from charging job seekers for placing them with employers. The agency fees are paid by the employing organization, usually in the form of a commission tied to a percentage of the job candidate's starting salary. Employment agencies may use any of the recruiting methods we've discussed, but they tend to rely on walk-ins, newspaper advertising, and lists of potential job seekers compiled over time - CORRECT ANSWER Employment agencies tend to have a fair degree of success in finding both skilled and managerial workers. Temporary help agencies - CORRECT ANSWER are similar to private employment agencies except that they specialize in providing organizations with short-term help. In most cases, the worker remains employed by the temporary help firm, but carries out duties under the direction and control of the temporary help firm's client organization. These agencies provide clients with temporary help, contract workers, and seasonal and overload help in certain specialized occupations, such as secretaries, computer experts, labourers, and executives, among others. Internet recruiting - CORRECT ANSWER The use of the Internet to match candidates to jobs through electronic databases that store information on jobs and job candidates. Each provincial human resources association has a members-only location on its website for HR-related job postings. - CORRECT ANSWER Increasingly, newspapers and professional journals are placing copies of classified ads for job openings on their websites to run either before or at the same time as print ads. Internet recruiting has several advantages for both the employer and the job seeker. - CORRECT ANSWER The biggest advantage to the company is that it can reach a potentially limitless talent pool at minimal cost and beyond its normal geographic location. It allows the company to provide more information about the position to job seekers than does a typical print ad. Internet recruiting also allows companies to provide up-to-date information on their corporate image. Internet recruiting allows them to apply for many jobs quickly at no cost other than that of an Internet connection - CORRECT ANSWER It gives job seekers access to a larger geographic area than other recruitment sources and provides them with a feel for the labour market. Internet recruiting allows them to apply for many jobs quickly at no cost other than that of an Internet connection. - CORRECT ANSWER It gives job seekers access to a larger geographic area than other recruitment sources and provides them with a feel for the labour market. Job seekers can use the Internet 24/7 with the advantage of time savings and quick turnaround time on their applications. Résumés remain in the database for a specified length of time, and can usually be modified at any time. - CORRECT ANSWER job seekers registered with some Internet job sites receive information about new job openings as they become available. Internet recruiting is not without its disadvantages. - CORRECT ANSWER The ease of submitting résumés coupled with the sheer number of websites devoted to jobs and careers means that a company may be flooded with applications. whatever savings a company makes through Internet recruiting may be eroded by the costs of dealing with the large volume of applications. The disadvantages of Internet recruiting for job seekers take a different form. First, given a choice, some job seekers prefer to read job postings in traditional paper formats, as opposed to Web-based postings. Job seekers are also turned off by low-quality websites. Internet recruiting brings with it an overwhelming number of applicants, many of whom are unqualified. The cost savings from using the Internet are soon consumed by staff time required to sift through the résumés that are received. Next, Internet recruiting and job searching are available only to job seekers who have access to the Internet and the expertise to use computers and related software. This restriction may impede an organization's ability to attract candidates from different population subgroups and meet employment equity goals; it may be seen as discriminatory. However, most public libraries offer computer and Internet access free of charge, somewhat ameliorating this concern. Perhaps the major concern of job seekers is related to privacy. When a résumé is included in a database, or when it is circulated, it becomes more or less a public document. Corporate recruiters regularly "mine" job sites using sophisticated technology to gather lists of prospects. - CORRECT ANSWER They also mine news articles and corporate websites for candidates, even though those individuals may not be seeking employment elsewhere. Internet recruiting is used as part of a mix of methods to obtain the "best" candidates. - CORRECT ANSWER With the phenomenal growth of the Internet, this may change very rapidly as more companies start to rely solely on Internet recruiting. 87 percent of recruiters used some form of social media to recruit for their organizations; this was an increase from 78 percent in 2008. - CORRECT ANSWER The vast majority of recruiters used LinkedIn to vet applicants during the hiring process, particularly those under the age of 45 years old. A recent 2017 survey by Jobvite found that 28 percent of applicants in the 18-29 years age group were more likely to use Instagram as their preferred social media - CORRECT ANSWER Almost 59 percent of the job seekers surveyed reported that they had used social media to research the company culture of the organization that they were interested in joining. Information gathered from social media sites should not be used alone in making decisions about candidates. - CORRECT ANSWER true Social networks - CORRECT ANSWER are Internet sites that allow users to post a profile with a certain amount of information that is visible to the public. The more popular sites for recruiters include LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. These sites allow users to share information online including photos and videos. the Jobvite survey found that 94 percent of the companies surveyed used LinkedIn, followed by 65 percent for Facebook and 55 percent for Twitter - CORRECT ANSWER Another 15 percent of companies used YouTube as a recruiting tool. As noted earlier, LinkedIn especially is a very popular recruiting tool. BENEFITS OF SOCIAL NETWORK RECRUITING - CORRECT ANSWER HR professionals who have engaged in social network recruiting believe that the people hired through social networks perform better on the job and stay with the company for longer periods of time. The costs associated with social networking are confined to the HR staff charged with the recruiting. Unlike job boards, there is no cost to joining a social network. Thus, the returns on investment for social network recruiting can far exceed those associated with other recruiting sources. Additionally, social network recruiting can identify "passive" applicants, those not actively seeking a new job but who can be targeted by the recruiter because of their apparent skills and abilities. Many recruiters join LinkedIn to scout potential talent for their organization whether or not they are looking for a job. THE DOWNSIDE OF SOCIAL NETWORK RECRUITING - CORRECT ANSWER The most significant disadvantage of social network recruiting is that it may have adverse impacts on members of protected groups. While data for Canada are lacking, studies in the United States show that Hispanics and African-Americans participate in LinkedIn to a lesser degree than members of those groups in the total U.S. population—2 percent versus 15.4 percent for Hispanics and 5 percent versus 12.8 percent for African-Americans. Most likely, the participation rates for other social networks are similar. Recruiting only from social networks may leave a company open to charges of systemic discrimination. SOCIAL NETWORK RECRUITING GUIDELINES - CORRECT ANSWER Develop a written policy on the use of social networks in recruiting and screening. 2.Document your use of the social network sites; keep detailed records of your searches that can be used to show that hiring decisions were related to job-relevant criteria. 3.Do not use social networking sites as the only recruiting source; doing so may lead to charges of adverse impact by members of protected groups. 4.Avoid using social networks for screening candidates unless you can be assured that the information on those sites is reliable and accurate. 5.Disclose to candidates that you will review social networking sites. If you discover negative information about a job candidate, give the candidate an opportunity to respond to that information. Internal recruitment is also relatively inexpensive. - CORRECT ANSWER Most middle-level jobs in an organization are filled through this means. External recruitment, on the other hand, is used mostly to staff jobs at either the entry or executive levels. External recruitment brings needed skills and competencies to an organization and prevents organizations from becoming "inbred." It exposes companies to new people, new ideas, and new ways of doing things. External recruitment may be the only means through which employment equity programs succeed. External recruitment can be very time consuming and expensive. Person-job fit - CORRECT ANSWER Occurs when a job candidate has the knowledge, skills, abilities, or other attributes and competencies required by the job in question. Person-organization fit - CORRECT ANSWER Occurs when a job candidate fits the organization's values and culture and has the contextual attributes desired by the organization predictions based only on P-O fit are not very accurate - CORRECT ANSWER Meta-analysis has shown that P-O fit is not a good predictor of job performance (r = .15), although a somewhat better predictor of job turnover (r = .24) Mismatches can be quite costly in terms of absenteeism, low productivity, and turnover. - CORRECT ANSWER A major goal of any recruitment campaign should be to improve the chance of making a good fit between candidates and the organization. Realistic job preview - CORRECT ANSWER A procedure designed to reduce turnover and increase satisfaction among newcomers to an organization by providing job candidates with accurate information about the job and the organization. Other hoped-for outcomes of the RJP are: - CORRECT ANSWER (1) that the job candidates will develop realistic perceptions of what it is like to work in the organization, (2) that they will view the organization in a more credible light, and (3) that, if they accept the job offer, they will be more satisfied with their job and committed to the organization. Extensive research shows that while RJPs accomplish their goals, they do so at a modest level. presenting negative information as part of the RJP may have positive effects. - CORRECT ANSWER In addition to lowering job candidates' expectations and attraction to the organization, RJPs may increase perceptions of the trustworthiness of the organization and facilitate a person-organization match more so than a traditional job preview RJPs remain one of the most intriguing aspects of the recruiting process - CORRECT ANSWER Notwithstanding the methodological flaws in RJP research, RJPs lead to accurate expectations on the part of job candidates, to reductions in turnover, and to improvements in job satisfaction however, the magnitudes of these significant effects are small, raising questions about whether the costs and time needed to develop an RJP are balanced or offset by its benefits. Rynes and Cable do not expect RJPs to remain a major priority for recruitment research, given the modest effects found by Phillips in her meta-analysis The Canadian Forces (CF) uses RJPs as part of its recruitment program. - CORRECT ANSWER The program was designed to reduce early attrition of new recruits by improving identification of both the person-job fit and person-organization fit. RJPs are carried out throughout the Canadian Forces as a matter of policy. Screening - CORRECT ANSWER The first step of the selection process; involves identifying individuals from the applicant pool who lack the minimum qualifications for the target position(s). Candidates "passing" this first hurdle then undergo more extensive assessment. Minimum qualifications (MQs) - CORRECT ANSWER Knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience deemed necessary for minimally acceptable performance in one or more positions; designed for making the "first cut" in screening applicants, and sometimes referred to as selection criteria. Designated targeted groups - CORRECT ANSWER The four groups (women, visible minorities, Aboriginal people, and people with disabilities) designated in the federal government's Employment Equity Act that receive legal "protection" in employment policies and practices because of their underrepresentation in the workforce. recruitment - CORRECT ANSWER to acquire a sufficient number of qualified applicants screening - CORRECT ANSWER eliminates applicants who fail to meet minimum requirements selection - CORRECT ANSWER identifies the remaining candidates who are most likely to be successful in the target job. Selection ratio - CORRECT ANSWER The proportion of applicants for one or more positions who are hired. False positives - CORRECT ANSWER Individuals who, based on their screening outcomes, are expected to perform well in the target job, but who do not. False negatives - CORRECT ANSWER Individuals who, based on their screening outcomes, are expected to be unsuccessful in the job, but who nonetheless would have performed satisfactorily if given the chance. The legal implications and psychometric properties associated with screening tools should be carefully evaluated to avoid: - CORRECT ANSWER litigation, bad publicity, and loss of competitive advantage. Employers cannot ask for information that is prohibited on discriminatory grounds under human rights legislation unless it can be established that the information is a bona fide occupational requirement (BFOR) - CORRECT ANSWER If there is a court challenge, the employer must be able to show that the information in question is a BFOR. For decisions concerning application form content, consider: - CORRECT ANSWER What is the purpose of including the item and how will the information be used? •Does the item conflict with provincial, territorial, or federal human rights guidelines concerning questions that cannot be asked on an application form •If the item-based information is used in the screening decision, is it likely to have an adverse impact on a protected minority group? •Is it more appropriate to obtain the information only after making a job offer? •Has the job-relatedness of the item been established? information that the employer would rather not see on a resume - CORRECT ANSWER citizenship, national origin, age, and marital status when business professionals selected the two individuals they would invite for interviews from among seven sets of four résumés, one-page résumés fared better than two-page offerings - CORRECT ANSWER specific objective statements were better regarded than general ones; general impression-management tactics such as use of self-descriptive adjectives like "excellent," "extremely hard working," and "energetic" (e.g., not tied to specific accomplishments) led to negative impressions. - CORRECT ANSWER Studies also suggest that HR managers consider résumé characteristics as reflections of different aspects of the applicant in much the same way as a projective personality test A reference check can be distinguished from employment verification, wherein the focus is on the accuracy of the job history information provided by the applicant (in the application, résumé, or verbally), including matters such as dates, salary, and job title. - CORRECT ANSWER Reference check Information gathered about a job candidate from supervisors, coworkers, clients, or other people named as references by the candidate. The information is usually collected from the written references and/or from contacts over the phone. Since reference checks are typically collected only for applicants who make it through earlier stages of screening, they tend to be conducted near the end of the screening process. - CORRECT ANSWER . This minimizes the time and costs and protects the confidentiality of candidates who prefer that their current employer is kept unaware of their job search. It is likely that the use of virtual reality technology in employee screening, selection, and development will grow exponentially over the next few years as the depth and richness of the software applications (e.g., virtual reality) continue to improve and the cost declines. - CORRECT ANSWER yes In most hiring situations, there are more applicants than there are positions to be filled. - CORRECT ANSWER The goal is to select those candidates who best possess the knowledge, skills, abilities, or other attributes and competencies (KSAOs) that bring value to the organization. To demonstrate their value, the KSAOs must be shown to predict important work-related criteria (e.g., success in training, job performance, tenure, organizational citizenship behaviour, and promotion through the ranks Testing Standards - CORRECT ANSWER Employment assessments must be reliable, valid, unbiased, and fair. The psychometric properties of the test must be established before it is used for decision-making purposes. Who Can Test? - CORRECT ANSWER The availability of employment tests and computerized scoring and interpretation systems often tempts unqualified people to administer tests and to interpret results from them. However, proficiency in employment testing requires a considerable degree of training and experience. Reputable test publishers require purchasers to establish their expertise in using a test before allowing its purchase. These safeguards help protect the public against misuse of tests and information collected through testing. The CPHR National Code of Ethics requires HR professionals to recognize their own limits and to practise within the limits of their competence, culture, and experience. Cautions in Using Employment Tests - CORRECT ANSWER 1.Informed consent. Job applicants must be told why they are being tested; they must be informed in clear language that the test results may be provided to a prospective employer and that those results may be used in making employment decisions. 2.Access to test results. Whenever possible and feasible, job applicants should receive feedback on their test performance and on any decisions that are based on those tests, unless this right has been waived by the applicant or if it is prohibited by law or court order. 3.Privacy and confidentiality. Job applicants reveal information about themselves during the job selection process, but there is no justification for obtaining any information that is not job related. Applicants have a right to privacy, so information that is provided by job applicants must be held in confidence. 4.Language and culture. Job applicants have the right to be tested in a language in which they are fluent. Administering a test to applicants who do not have good command of the language in which the test is written will lead to test bias; the test results will be confounded by incomprehension of the language. 5.Accommodation. Employers are expected to make reasonable accommodation to meet the needs of employees or applicants with disabilities who meet job requirements. Employment tests should be given to an applicant in a way that accommodates the applicant's disability, even at the expense of changing standardized testing procedures Abilities - CORRECT ANSWER Enduring, general traits or characteristics on which people differ and which they bring to a work situation. Skill - CORRECT ANSWER An individual's degree of proficiency or competency on a given task, which develops through performing the task. Aptitude - CORRECT ANSWER A specific, narrow ability or skill that may be used to predict job performance. Over the years, Fleishman and his associates7 have identified 52 distinct human abilities, which can be grouped into four broad categories: - CORRECT ANSWER cognitive, psychomotor, physical, and sensory/perceptual abilities. Over time, many psychometrically sound tests have been developed to assess these different abilities. GMA is not a "higher order factor" as is presumed in the hierarchical model described above. - CORRECT ANSWER With respect to this nested model, then, specific cognitive abilities develop to varying strengths, depending less on GMA and more on genetic and environmental differences among people. Where one person, either through genetics or environmental exposure, has high capacity for memory processes, another may have high capacity for spatial relations, and during development such capacity advantages facilitate development of other cognitive capacities. - CORRECT ANSWER This means that people with different types of initial capacity advantages will develop high performance on a broad variety of cognitive abilities, whereas others without such initial capacity advantage will not. In using a data analytic approach most suited to the nested-factors model (relative importance analysis), Jonas et al. found that GMA accounted for between 10.9 percent and 28.6 percent of the total variance explained in job performance and, importantly, though GMA was an important predictor, so was verbal comprehension (a specific ability). - CORRECT ANSWER Their analyses drew from a meta-analytic inter-correlation matrix they constructed from a large body of studies that used a German ability test battery (the Wilde Intelligence Test), suggesting their results to be quite robust (i.e., reliable). On the face of it, it seems reasonable that job applicants who do well on GMA may not possess the narrower abilities particularly important to performance - CORRECT ANSWER If a set of specific abilities is likely essential for successful performance, then inclusion of predictors related to those abilities in selection systems should lead to improved validity. Work samples and simulations - CORRECT ANSWER Testing procedures that require job candidates to produce behaviours related to job performance under controlled conditions that approximate those found in the job. Females tend to outperform males on work samples weighted heavily on social and writing skills, whereas males tend to outperform females on work samples weighted heavily on technical skills. - CORRECT ANSWER Situational judgment tests (SJTs), also known as job situation exercises, are a special type of situational exercise designed to measure an applicant's judgment in workplace or professional situations. They are normally paper-and-pencil tests that ask candidates how they would respond to various job relevant situations as described in each of a number of SJT items. Situational exercises - CORRECT ANSWER Assess aptitude or proficiency in performing important job tasks by using tasks that are abstract and less realistic than those performed on the actual job. One study showed that "should do" responses produce SJT scores of lower variability, reliability, and predictive validity. Clearly, the instructions for completing the responses to an SJT should be carefully considered and match the purpose of the test administration. - CORRECT ANSWER Low correlations with GMA are typically considered good because this suggests that the SJT will provide unique incremental prediction of performance beyond GMA.