Science, System, or Hunch: Alternative Approaches to Improving Employee Selection

Abstract

Since the scientific management movement of the early 20th century, managers have attempted to improve employee selection by introducing innovative techniques. The federal government's Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) validation requirements have affected many institutions' selection efforts negatively, stifling innovation and leading to increased reliance on unreliable, informal interviews. Some managers cannot improve selection without first reassessing their assumptions about science, validity, EEO, and the law.