Applicant retesting policy: Key considerations and best practices

Bourdeau, Nicole R.; Cober, Alana B.; Hurd, Jennifer M.; Holland, Brent D.; Morrison, J.; Noon, Andrew L.; Ross, Ryan A.

doi:10.1037/e518442013-446

PsycEXTRA Dataset 2008

DOI: 10.1037/e518442013-446

|View full text |Cite

Applicant retesting policy: Key considerations and best practices

Nicole R. Bourdeau¹,

Alana B. Cober²,

Jennifer M. Hurd³

et al.

Help me understand this report

Search citation statements

Order By: Relevance

Paper Sections

Select...

Citation Types

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Year Published

2010

2011

Publication Types

Select...

Article2

Relationship

Self Cite0

Independent2

Authors

Journals

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The practice of allowing applicants to retake staffing procedures has received increased attention among human resources practitioners in recent years (e.g., Bourdeau, 2008; Wheeler, 2004). This is understandable given that decisions about retesting may have substantial consequences for organizations.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Can I retake it? Exploring subgroup differences and criterion-related validity in promotion retesting.

Iddekinge

Morgeson

Schleicher

et al. 2011

Journal of Applied Psychology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Despite recent interest in the practice of allowing job applicants to retest, surprisingly little is known about how retesting affects 2 of the most critical factors on which staffing procedures are evaluated: subgroup differences and criterion-related validity. We examined these important issues in a sample of internal candidates who completed a job-knowledge test for a within-job promotion. This was a useful context for these questions because we had job-performance data on all candidates (N = 403), regardless of whether they passed or failed the promotion test (i.e., there was no direct range restriction). We found that retest effects varied by subgroup, such that females and younger candidates improved more upon retesting than did males and older candidates. There also was some evidence that Black candidates did not improve as much as did candidates from other racial groups. In addition, among candidates who retested, their retest scores were somewhat better predictors of subsequent job performance than were their initial test scores (rs = .38 vs. .27). The overall results suggest that retesting does not negatively affect criterion-related validity and may even enhance it. Furthermore, retesting may reduce the likelihood of adverse impact against some subgroups (e.g., female candidates) but increase the likelihood of adverse impact against other subgroups (e.g., older candidates).

show abstract

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Can I retake it? Exploring subgroup differences and criterion-related validity in promotion retesting.

Iddekinge

Morgeson

Schleicher

et al. 2011

Journal of Applied Psychology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Candidate Persistence and Personality Test Practice Effects: Implications for Staffing System Management

Hausknecht

2010

Personnel Psychology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Candidates persist in selection settings for numerous reasons, prompting several concerns regarding staffing system management. Predictors of the propensity to retest and personality test practice effects were investigated among a sample of 15,338 candidates who applied for supervisory positions (and 357 who repeated the selection process) over a four-year period with a large organization in the service industry. Results reveal greater likelihood of retesting among internal candidates and overall evidence of small to moderate personality test practice effects. Compared to passing candidates who retested for various reasons, failing candidates pursued alternative response strategies upon retesting and generated dimension-level practice effects that reached .40 to .60, whereas passing candidates generally replicated their initial profiles. For several subscales, low initial scores were associated with practice effects that exceeded a full standard deviation. Implications for research, practice, and policy are discussed. Candidates persist in selection settings for numerous reasons, prompting several concerns regarding staffing system management. Predictors of the propensity to retest and personality test practice effects were investigated among a sample of 15,338 candidates who applied for supervisory positions (and 357 who repeated the selection process) over a four-year period with a large organization in the service industry. Results reveal greater likelihood of retesting among internal candidates and overall evidence of small to moderate personality test practice effects.Compared to passing candidates who retested for various reasons, failing candidates pursued alternative response strategies upon retesting and generated dimension-level practice effects that reached .40 to .60, whereas passing candidates generally replicated their initial profiles. For several subscales, low initial scores were associated with practice effects that exceeded a full standard deviation. Implications for research, practice, and policy are discussed.

show abstract

scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.

Contact Info

customersupport@researchsolutions.com

10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614

Henderson, NV 89052, USA

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Blog Terms and Conditions API Terms Privacy Policy Contact Cookie Preferences Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

Made with 💙 for researchers

Part of the Research Solutions Family.

Applicant retesting policy: Key considerations and best practices

Cited by 2 publications

References 0 publications

Can I retake it? Exploring subgroup differences and criterion-related validity in promotion retesting.

Can I retake it? Exploring subgroup differences and criterion-related validity in promotion retesting.

Candidate Persistence and Personality Test Practice Effects: Implications for Staffing System Management

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About