Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology > Research & Publications > IOP Journal > IOP Focal Articles

Selection Tests Work Better Than We Think They Do, and Have for Years

Jeff Foster, Piers Steel, Peter Harms, Thomas O’Neill, & Dustin Wood

Abstract

We can make better decisions when we have a better understanding of the different sources of variance that impact job performance ratings. A failure to do so can not only lead to inaccurate conclusions when interpreting job performance ratings but often misguided efforts aimed at improving our ability to explain and predict them. In this paper, we outline six recommendations relating to the interpretation of predictive validity coefficients and efforts aimed at predicting job performance ratings. The first three focus on the need to evaluate the effectiveness of selection instruments and systems based only on the variance they can possibly account for. When doing so, we find that it is not only possible to account for the majority of the variance in job performance ratings that most select systems can possibly predict, but that we’ve been able to account for this variance for years. Our last three recommendations focus on the need to incorporate components related to additional sources of variance in our predictive models. We conclude with a discussion of their implications for both research and practice.

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Quiet Environments and the Intentional Practice of Silence:
Toward a New Perspective in the Analysis of Silence in Organizations

Alexandre Asselineau, Gilles Grolleau, & Naoufel Mzoughi

Abstract

Although nonspeech communication and “metaphorical” silence (in opposition to voice) have benefited from considerable academic attention, less is known about quiet environments and the intentional practice of silence. We theorize these silences as potential catalysts of internal and collective reflection. Such silences can strongly impact individual and organizational processes and outcomes, notably in the workplace. The meaning, valence, and effects of these silences are highly context and perspective dependent. By characterizing and studying these silences and their effects, we show how they are functional or dysfunctional to individuals or organizations. These silences can notably serve as emotion regulators and generate an environment favorable to individual and collective decision making. Examining what is lost by individuals and organizations due to a lack of these silences and what can be gained with a better harnessing of their power is promising.