Staffing Strategies, Essay Example

There are two general ways to combine information in making staffing decisions; this can be in the form of statistical information and clinical information. In clinical decision making, or commonly referred to as the intuitive method, the evaluator, or the one making the decisions examines numerous pieces of information which can be in the form of documents or the like. After this, he or she is to way this information in his or her head. Through judgment, the clinical decisions are made about the relative view of one candidate over the other. Studies have stated that clinical methods can be unreliable and idiosyncratic. Additionally, there poses evidence that clinical decision making causes one to be led to biased decisions. This was analyzed, and a review of some federal managers in regards to their decisions on promotions to high-level government positions were looked into. These decisions were seen as related to gender, race, age and other things which are biased.

In statistical decision making, also known as actuarial decision making, information is put together according to a mathematical formula. This can be done according to test scores of some candidates for a job. Assessments for individuals are seen numerically and through methods of scoring which is provided by consulting companies. This type of system employs statistical combinations for assessments and data for recommendations in terms of hiring.

As an I O practitioner, I would chose the statistical decision making over the clinical decision making if the situation were of chosing a job candidate. This would be because there is no biased whatsoever when collecting and evaluating the results, it is pure mathematics. In clinical decision making, even the evaluation itself can be biased as to how the evaluator may want to proceed with the evaluation. Therefore, I believe a statistical approach is best.

The purpose of job analysis is to simply understand the important tasks involved in a job. This includes how the work is carried out, what types of people are needed, what human attributes are required to fulfill the tasks and what will make these individuals successful in their job. Job analysis is therefore an attempt to develop a type of human behavior about the job being analyzed. This theory on job performance includes things such as performance expectations, required abilities which suit the job, knowledge and experience, skill, as well as personal characteristics needed in an individual that will guarantee him or her success in the field.

Regardless of the approach of a job analyst, information about the job is the backbone for the evaluation of the job. Methods of job analysis include the following:

1. Observation – this is a method in which job analysts and I O psychologists will first turn to. This is when they simply watch their subjects perform the jobs and take notes about the aspects in which they feel is relevant.
2. Interviews – an important part which goes with observations are talking to the subjects, this can be either at the worksite or in a different location. This type of method is only successful when an organized set of questions are made based on the observations.
3. Critical incidents and work diaries – this is when I O psychologists use their techniques to be able to capture important information on jobs. It is when a critical incident technique is used where the evaluator identifies aspects of behaviors in the subject regarding the job, which has led to success or failure.
4. Questionnaires/Surveys – Individuals are asked to respond to certain questionnaires or surveys. These include tasks and things like statements in the form of work behavior. This is then statistically analyzed to provide more information on the components of the job.

Out of the methods, if I were to evaluate the effectiveness of the four, I would choose to use observations and questionnaires/surveys. The observations, I believe can give the most impression on the type of job, working environment and the people within the facility. This can give a greater scope of information, which then would lead to the formulation of the questionnaires and surveys. These questionnaires and surveys can give statistical information on the individuals and provide more depth on the job in a non biased way.