Applicant Reactions to Alternative Selection Procedures

The present study solicited the reactions of 390 current and future job seekers to 13 selection procedures. Results suggest that applicants prefer selection methods with high apparent content validity, in particular, simulations (both written and oral) and tests with business-related content. Reference checks also received positive evaluations, while personality inventories, drug testing and honesty testing were generally viewed as neutral. Reactions to interviews varied according to interview content and nature of the interviewer (line versus staff). Overall, reactions were predictable on the basis of applicants' faith in the employer's ability to accurately interpret the procedure; their beliefs about the extent to which the employer actually needs to use the procedure, and their beliefs about likely self-performance on the procedure.