This chapter has explained what is involved in making effective selection decisions. The basic objective of selection is to obtain the employees who are most likely to meet the organization's standards of performance and who will be satisfied and developed on the job.

1. Selection is influenced by environmental characteristics: whether the organization is public or private, labor market conditions and the selection ratio, union requirements, and legal restrictions on selection.
2. Reasonable criteria for the choice must be set prior to selection. The best way to identify these criteria is through thorough job analysis.
3. The typical selection process can include up to five steps:
   1. Preliminary screening with an application blank and a brief interview.
   2. Employment interviews.
   3. Employment tests.
   4. Reference checks and letters of recommendation.
   5. Physical examination as a part of a conditional job offer.
4. For more important positions (measured by higher pay and responsibility), the selection decision is more likely to be formalized and to use more selection techniques.
5. Many organizations prefer to select people already in the organization instead of outside candidates.
6. The accuracy of selection decisions can often be increased if both HR professionals and operating managers are involved in hiring.
7. Using a greater number of accepted methods to gather data for selection decisions increases the number of successful candidates selected.
8. Larger organizations are more likely to use sophisticated selection techniques.
9. For more measurable jobs or for those lower in the hierarchy, tests can be used more effectively in the selection decisions.
10. A selection system will make some mistakes; and even if the most able applicant is chosen, there is no guarantee of successful performance on the job.
11. Accurate selection tests are a major tool in helping organizations avoid the costs of poor performance; they also help to ensure that an organization is hiring people in legally acceptable ways.