Human Resource Selection

This is one of the strongest selection textbooks available in terms of breadth and depth of coverage. However, what really sets it apart is the accessibility in writing. I know many PhD-level academics and practitioners who have a copy of this book on their shelves, but I would also have no qualms about assigning it to a class of upper-level undergraduates in a selection course. The writing is polished and clearly directed toward students, and any controversial issues are given a good, balanced treatment. It also helps that the authors are quite willing to poke fun at themselves and the intensity with which they approach a topic that, to a student, probably seems obsessively nerdy. A major strength area for the book is its coverage of job analysis, which includes a "core" chapter that provides a firm grounding and introduces some of the better-known JA methods, followed by a "supplemental" chapter that goes into additional methods that are not as widely used for those who need more detail. The chapter on cognitive ability testing is also quite good and earns points for the frankness with which the authors address the controversies surrounding this topic.

Gatewood and Feild have definitely written the authoritative volume on selecting employees. They cover everything: legal issues, measurement, selection decision making strategies, job analysis, and the whole gamut of selection devices: application forms, biodata, interviews, ability tests, personality tests, assessment centers, integrity testing, and so on and so forth. And they cover these topics IN DEPTH -- not just a brief overview. The countless examples are very helpful. And the authors display a great dry humor -- the author bios and dedications are priceless (also be sure and check out the graphologist's interpretation of Gatewood's personality, and his responses)! I definitely recommend this book as a text for graduate and undergraduate classes, and also for the HR person who needs to beef up their selection know-how. A great reference source full of the latest selection research -- a must have for every practitioner's and student's collection.