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Step 8 
Make a 
provisional offer 
to the successful candidate. 
 
6
Selection methods in outline 
All 
selection methods
are 
limited
in their ability to predict future job performance! 
6.1 A range of methods 
We will briefly list the main selection methods here. The more important are discussed in the following 
sections. 
Methods 
Examples 
Interviewing

Individual 
(one-to-one) 

Interview 
panels 

Selection 
boards 
Selection tests

Intelligence 

Aptitude 

Personality 

Proficiency 

Medical 
Reference checking

Job 
references 

Character 
references 
Work sampling

Portfolios 

Trial periods or exercises 
Group selection methods

Assessment 
centres 
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CHAPTER 12
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RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION 
 
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6.2 Which method is best? 
Smith and Abrahamsen developed a scale that plots selection methods according to how accurately they 
predict a candidate's future performance in the job. This is known as a 
predictive validity 
scale. The 
scale ranges from 1 (meaning that a method is right every time) to 0 (meaning that a method is no 
better than chance).
Method 
% use by firms 
Predictive validity 
Interviews 92 
0.17 
References 74 
0.13 
Work sampling 
18 
0.57 
Assessment centres 
14 
0.40 
Personality tests 
13 
0.40 
Cognitive tests 
11 
0.54 
Biodata (biography analysis) 
4 
0.40 
Graphology (handwriting analysis) 
3 
0.00 
The results surprisingly show a pattern of employers relying most heavily on the 
least
 
accurate selection 
methods. Interviews in particular (for reasons which we will discuss below) seem not much better than 
tossing a coin.