USA Hire cheat sheet

Validity is the degree to which a selection procedure measures what it claims to measure and predicts job performance; reliability is consistency of measurement across time, raters, or items.

Criterion-related validity correlates test scores with a job-performance criterion; concurrent designs use current employees, predictive designs use applicants tested before hire.

Content validity is established by expert judgment that test content represents the job's tasks; it suits work-sample and knowledge tests rather than abstract traits.

Construct validity is the degree to which a test measures the intended psychological construct and not unrelated constructs.

Criterion validity coefficients near .30-.50 are typical for single selection methods; combining methods generally raises validity but also cost and adverse impact risk.

Reliability sets the ceiling on validity: a test's validity cannot exceed the square root of its reliability.

The four-fifths rule flags adverse impact when the selection rate of a protected group is less than 80% of the highest group's rate.

Structured interviews with job-related, behaviorally anchored questions typically show higher validity and lower adverse impact than unstructured interviews.

Utility analysis estimates selection-system payoff through validity, selection ratio, base rate of success, and the standard deviation of job performance in dollars.

Job analysis is the foundation of hiring: it identifies tasks, duties, and required knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) that selection tools must target.

A job description states duties and responsibilities; a job specification states the minimum qualifications and KSAOs a candidate must possess.

Essential functions are duties fundamental to a position; reasonable accommodation may be required for qualified applicants with disabilities.

Bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ) permits a protected-characteristic requirement only when it is reasonably necessary to the normal operation of the business.

The Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures (1978) govern how employers demonstrate the job-relatedness of selection procedures and record adverse impact.

Applicant tracking systems screen on keyword and structured-field matches; qualification-based, job-related criteria reduce legal risk versus arbitrary filters.

Background and reference checks should be job-related, consistently applied across candidates, and compliant with the Fair Credit Reporting Act when third parties conduct them.

Offers should specify at-will status where applicable, compensation, start date, and contingencies such as background check or drug screen completion.