Discuss how personnel psychologists determine the skills needed for jobs, how job candidates are evaluated, and the information provided by each evaluation method

What will be an ideal response?


Answer will include that personnel psychology is concerned with testing, selection, placement, and promotion of employees. Personnel selection usually begins with job analysis, a detailed description of the skills, knowledge, and activities required by a particular job. A job analysis may be done by interviewing expert workers, giving questionnaires, directly observing work, or identifying critical incidents, which are situations with which competent employees must be able to cope. In addition, some psychologists are now doing a broader "work analysis.". In this case, they try to identify general characteristics that a person must have to succeed in a variety of work roles, rather than in just a specific job. Once job requirements are known, psychologists can state what skills, aptitudes, and interests are needed and then evaluate job candidates. One common method for evaluating job candidates includes collecting biodata, which is detailed biographical information. The idea behind biodata is that looking at past behavior is a good way to predict future behavior. Some of the most useful items of biodata include past athletic interests, academic achievements, scientific interests, extracurricular activities, religious activities, social popularity, conflict with brothers and sisters, attitudes toward school, and parents' socioeconomic status. College grade point average (GPA) also predicts success in many types of work. There are civil liberty and privacy concerns around the collection of sensitive biodata. The traditional personal interview is still one of the most popular ways to select people for jobs or promotions. In a personal interview, job applicants are questioned about their qualifications; and interviewers gain an impression of the applicant's personality. Interviews are subject to the halo effect. General mental ability tests

Psychology

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Psychology