Validity and Utility of Alternative Predictors of Job Performance

Abstract:

This study is a meta-analysis done in 1984 on the cumulative research up to that point on the various predictors of job performance. It showed that for entry-level jobs, tests measuring cognitive ability were the best predictor of job performance, but had adverse effects on hiring rates for minority groups.

Perhaps most interesting, the authors hypothesized that using other predictors such as social skills and personality traits in conjunction with measures of cognitive ability could both increase the validity of job tests and reduce the adverse impacts on minority groups. 

At the time, however, they conceded that the research didn’t yet exist to support this hypothesis.

Key Points:

• Cognitive ability is the single best predictor of job performance for entry-level jobs.
• However, tests that measure only cognitive ability can adversely affect hiring rates for minority groups.
• Tests that include other predictors of performance in addition to cognitive ability could increase test validity while reducing bias.

Takeaway: 

Using predictors such as social skills and personality traits in conjunction with measures of cognitive ability has the potential to increase the accuracy of job tests while reducing bias in hiring.