Despite the importance of hiring managers in choosing the right candidates, they are rarely judged on the quality of their selection decisions. They often use unstructured interviews, which have been shown to be ineffective. This article argues for adopting structured selection procedures to improve the quality of hires.
This fact sheet provides an overview of the most commonly used (psychological) selection methods, both classical and modern. The figures are based on meta-analyses and dominant scientific literature.
| Method | Predictive validity (r) | Typical reliability |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive ability (GMA test) | .51 | High (.85-.95) |
| Work test | .54 | High (inter-rater ≥.70) |
| Structured interview | .51 | Medium-high (.60-.75) |
| Unstructured interview | .18-.38 | Low-medium (.40-.55) |
| Integrity test | .41 | High (α ≥.80) |
| Conscientiousness (Big Five) | .31 | Medium-high (α ~.75-.85) |
| Job knowledge test | .48 | High (≥.80) |
| Years of service | .18 | Not applicable |
| Video/asynchronous interview (incl. AI) | .30-.40 | Good at structuring; algorithmically variable |
| Machine learning / algorithmic models | .20-.50 | Depends on dataset; generalizability limited |
| Serious games / game-based work samples | .35-.50 | High on objective metrics |
| Social media screening | .00-.20 | Low and variable |
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