Outright discrimination, or disparate treatment, involves treating people differently on the basis of a protected classification.Įxamples of such illegal personnel decisions are disqualifying all women from arc-welding jobs on the assumption that they cannot operate the equipment, or hiring field workers only if they were born in Mexico. In terms of discrimination one can distinguish-to use the language of the courts-between (1) disparate treatment and (2) adverse impact. It is illegal-and a poor business practice-to discriminate on the basis of such protected characteristics as age (40 or older), sex, race and color, national origin, disability, and religion.

First, however, let’s consider a legal issue that is closely connected to validity: employment discrimination.

In this chapter we will (1) review ways of improving the consistency or reliability of the selection process (2) discuss two methods for measuring validity and (3) present two cases that illustrate these methods. Validity embodies not only what positive outcomes a selection approach may predict, but also how consistently (i.e., reliably) it does so. For example, a test that effectively predicts the work quality of strawberry pickers may be useless in the selection of a capable crew foreman.Ī critical component of validity is reliability. A selection process is not valid on its own, but rather, relative to a specific purpose. It is possible to evaluate hiring decisions in terms of such valued outcomes as high picking speed, low absenteeism, or a good safety record. A selection process is valid if it helps you increase the chances of hiring the right person for the job. Validity is a measure of the effectiveness of a given approach. I think 10 to 15 years from now a pruning test will be the standard for the industry.' 1 We don’t have the problem any more of hiring people who claim to know how to prune only to find after they are on the job that they don’t know. I feel the only fair way to hire pruners is through a practical test. 'A couple of years ago we started experimenting with a new hiring procedure for our pruning crews. Validating the Selection Process | UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

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