Effect of applicant sample on ratings of valid information in an employment setting

Abstract

Studied the effect of the previous job applicant upon ratings of test results for the following applicant. 2 informational aspects of the previous job applicant were varied: overall level of information favorability, and order of information within the previous job applicant. Interviewers were life insurance agency managers who through classroom instruction had been trained in the interpretation of test results. Results indicate that 55% of the criterion variance was accounted for by the test results while the favorability of the previous job applicant accounted for 4%. Thus, although the quality of the previous job applicant had a statistically significant effect on the evaluation of valid test results, its effect on the employment decision was negligible. By implication, the results also points to the necessity of building models on additional criteria than statistical significance. (25 ref.) (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)