Personnel Selection Practices in a Comparative Setting

Abstract

Managers in Israel, Slovenia, and the U.S.A. were surveyed to determine similarities and differences in their propensity to use particular personnel selection techniques. The interview and reference/background checks are the most common methods of selecting employees in the three countries. However, there are differences in usage based on firm size, nature of industry, and country-specific conditions. Israeli firms are more likely to use a comprehensive battery of tests to select employees while Slovenian firms rarely use drug/alcohol testing, assessment centers, or headhunters. Psychological exams and assessment centers are less common in the U.S.A. The implications of the findings for international firms are discussed in the context of the global convergence-divergence construct of human resource practices.

Key Words:

• Personnel selection
• selection techniques
• Israel
• Slovenia
• human resource management