Understanding the determinants of employer use of selection methods

Abstract

This study uses national probability data from over 3,000 employers to examine why employers differ in their use of employee selection methods. Although the research on employee selection is voluminous, there have been only a handful of studies that look at the employers' selection decisions. In contrast to those other studies, we focus on characteristics of work as predictors of firms' decisions regarding selection practices. Beyond the relationship to the overall extent of selection methods used, we argue that specific work characteristics will affect the use of specific types of selection methods. We find, for example, that the greater the skill requirements of a position, the more likely that the establishment will use those types of selection methods that tap into the ability and skills of the applicants, namely, academic achievement and test performance. Discussion and suggestions for future research are offered.