Staff Selection Decision Making into the 1990s

Abstract

Most managers would agree that the calibre of an organisation′s employees is vital to its business success. However, to many managers, selection is a headache: job descriptions have to be written, advertisements placed, a shortlist of candidates agreed, assessments of candidates carried out, and a final decision reached. The process is time‐consuming, costly and an unwanted interruption of critical business activities. Throughout the 1980s, many advances have been made in personnel selection by occupational psychologists in the US, Canada and Europe. Unfortunately, the substantial developments have not been taken up by many practising managers in Britain. This article attempts to review and summarise the critical trends and themes in the advances in systematic staff selection over recent years.