The management selection practices of Australia's top 500 companies were examined and the data compared to past Australian studies. Despite calls for better practice, little has changed. The preferred tools were: interviewing, reference checking and application forms—methods associated with lower validity. Methods differed between the private and public sector. The government sector reported greater use of two or three interviewers at one interview session. The business sector made significantly greater use of cognitive testing.
The interview remains popular because employers view it as the best way to determine the fit between the applicant and the organization's values. Since the interview is here to stay, the goal is to assist organizations improve the way in which interviews are conducted. Perhaps then, the chasm between research and practice may be reduced.
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