Project Description
How are staff hired in Swiss hotels? Are more sophisticated tools than job interviews, such as personality or intelligence tests, used to evaluate candidates?
Some selection methods are more reliable than others. Indeed, a synthesis of research carried out over more than 100 years showed that certain selection methods make it possible to predict the future performance of candidates at work. Companies that rely on these valid selection methods are more productive, have better financial results and are less subject to high turnover.
Despite the evidence provided by researchers, surveys have shown that some of the most valid methods are still little used, since their benefits are unknown to recruiters. Why wouldn't recruiters use the most effective selection techniques? Several reasons are studied in this research project, in which we draw up an inventory of the selection methods used in Swiss hotels.
In 2013, we sent a questionnaire on selection practices to the 1,447 Swiss 3, 4 and 5 star hotels listed by HotellerieSuisse. Hotel managers and human resources directors who responded to the questionnaire helped us identify how often recruiters use the following eight selection methods: 1) CV/cover letter, 2) references, 3) interview, 4) job shadowing of the candidate , 5) analysis of the candidate's journey through an application form, 6) personality tests, 7) intelligence and logic tests, 8) analysis of the writing (which can be associated with graphology). Although there are more methods than the eight mentioned, we have chosen to focus on the best known and those that have been the subject of sufficient publications on their effectiveness and popularity among practitioners.
Some selection methods are more reliable than others. Indeed, a synthesis of research carried out over more than 100 years showed that certain selection methods make it possible to predict the future performance of candidates at work. Companies that rely on these valid selection methods are more productive, have better financial results and are less subject to high turnover.
Despite the evidence provided by researchers, surveys have shown that some of the most valid methods are still little used, since their benefits are unknown to recruiters. Why wouldn't recruiters use the most effective selection techniques? Several reasons are studied in this research project, in which we draw up an inventory of the selection methods used in Swiss hotels.
In 2013, we sent a questionnaire on selection practices to the 1,447 Swiss 3, 4 and 5 star hotels listed by HotellerieSuisse. Hotel managers and human resources directors who responded to the questionnaire helped us identify how often recruiters use the following eight selection methods: 1) CV/cover letter, 2) references, 3) interview, 4) job shadowing of the candidate , 5) analysis of the candidate's journey through an application form, 6) personality tests, 7) intelligence and logic tests, 8) analysis of the writing (which can be associated with graphology). Although there are more methods than the eight mentioned, we have chosen to focus on the best known and those that have been the subject of sufficient publications on their effectiveness and popularity among practitioners.