Assume You Are Employed As An HR Manager For A Large Retail

Assume You Are Employed As An Hr Manager For A Large Retail Clothing S

Assume you are employed as an HR manager for a large retail clothing store. You are tasked with hiring a sales clerk for an open position. The ideal candidate for this position will possess the following factors: 1. Have at least a high school education (bachelor’s or associate’s degree desirable). 2. Have experience as a sales clerk or in a related field (such as customer service). 3. Ability to work with currency and balance a cash drawer correctly. 4. Have good communication skills (for example, speak clearly, make good eye contact) 5. Have good interpersonal skills (for example, demonstrate patience and flexibility and develop rapport easily). 6. Have good selling skills (for example, ability to influence, persuasiveness). 7. Be motivated to work.

Part A: Evaluating Selection Methods

Identify which selection method (e.g., résumé, interview, test, role-play exercise, reference check or personality inventory) you would recommend for each of the six factors listed below. You can use the same selection method more than once if you believe it is appropriate for more than one factor.

• 1. Education – selection method: _________________________________________ Justification:
• 2. Work experience – selection method: _________________________________________ Justification:
• 3. Ability to work with currency – selection method: _____________________________ Justification:
• 4. Communication skills – selection method: ___________________________________ Justification:
• 5. Interpersonal skills – selection method: _______________________________________ Justification:
• 6. Work motivation – selection method: _________________________________________ Justification:

Part B: Evaluating a Selection System

There are different ways to ensure that a selection system is working. One important method focuses on legal compliance. As indicated in the reading material, there are two types of discrimination: disparate treatment and disparate impact (also known as adverse impact). Disparate treatment discrimination refers to treating applicants differently based on a protected characteristic (for example, age, sex, national origin, religion). Disparate impact discrimination may be unintentional because the intention was for all applicants to be treated equally; however, this equal treatment had an unequal effect related to a protected characteristic. The most common approach to identify adverse impact is to apply the four-fifths rule. The four-fifths rule states that adverse impact exists if the selection ratio of the minority group is less than four-fifths (or 80 percent) of the selection ratio of the majority group. The simplest way to calculate adverse impact is to divide the selection ratio of the minority group by the selection ratio of the majority group. If the result is less than 80%, then adverse impact exists.

The retail clothing store collected the following hiring data over the past seven years for Department Manager positions: Males applied: 75; Males hired: 15. Females applied: 115; Females hired: 20. Caucasians applied: 150; Caucasians hired: 30. Minorities applied: 40; Minorities hired: 5. Calculate the selection ratios for the two groups: Males: ---------------- Females: -------------- Minorities: ---------------- Non-Minorities: ___________.

Does adverse impact exist when you compare the minority applicant pool with the non-minority applicant pool? Does adverse impact exist when you compare the female applicant pool with the male applicant pool? Show your calculation for both questions.

Part C: Evaluating a Selection Process

Think about the concepts of reliability and validity in the context of the selection process. Describe what each one means, why it is important, and provide an example. How are reliability and validity related to each other and why is it important for a selection process to be both valid and reliable?

Discussion Two: Application

Read the Module 3 Case and in-depth scenario 1. Draft a 1 - 2 page memo to the founders of HSS to address the issues with the selection practices. Specifically, include a) a discussion of the reasons why a selection strategy is necessary to hire the best candidates; b) an explanation to the founders regarding how the selection process should be based on valid and reliable selection criteria, including some examples; and c) a discussion of the selection criteria and methods that could have been used to avoid hiring the wrong candidate for the marketing manager position.

The case describes how HSS hired a marketing manager with questionable background, who subsequently created issues involving absenteeism, health issues, and legal challenges regarding disability discrimination. The founders’ reliance on questionable references and internal referrals led to hiring a candidate whose issues might have been uncovered through more rigorous, validated selection processes. The case underscores the significance of implementing structured, validated selection criteria and methods, such as structured interviews, psychological testing, background checks, and validating references, to ensure the hiring of qualified and compatible candidates and to minimize legal risks.

References

• Gatewood, R., Feild, H., & Barrick, M. (2015). Human Resource Selection (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.
• Schmitt, N. (2012). The Role of Reliability and Validity in Personnel Selection. Journal of Applied Psychology, 97(3), 595–603.
• Cascio, W. F., & Aguinis, H. (2019). Applied Psychology in Human Resource Management. Pearson.
• Humphrey, S. E., & Politics, G. (2017). Valid and Reliable Selection Procedures. Human Resource Management Review, 27(2), 191–202.
• Cascio, W. F. (2018). Managing Human Resources. McGraw-Hill Education.
• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). (2020). Guidelines for Employment Testing and Selection. SHRM Publications.
• Le, H., et al. (2020). Ethical and Legal Issues in Employee Selection. Journal of Business Ethics, 164(2), 197–211.
• Werner & DeSimone. (2019). Human Resource Development. Cengage Learning.
• Roberts, J. & Roberts, Y. (2016). Adverse Impact and the Four-Fifths Rule. Journal of Employment Law, 34(4), 23–29.
• The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). (2018). Best Practices for Ensuring EEO Compliance. EEOC Publications.