An Update on the Diversity - Validity Dilemma in Personnel Selection: A Review

Authors

  • Britt De Soete Department of Personnel Management, and Work and Organizational Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium
  • Filip Lievens Department of Personnel Management, and Work and Organizational Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium
  • Celina Druart Department of Data Analysis, Ghent University, Belgium

Keywords:

diversity-validity dilemma, personnel selection, strategies for dealing with the diversity-validity dilemma

Abstract

As globalization increases and labor markets become substantially more diverse, increasing diversity during personnel selection has become a dominant theme in personnel selection in human resource management. However, while trying to pursue this goal, researchers and practitioners find themselves confronted with the diversity-validity dilemma, as some of the most valid selection instruments display considerable ethnic subgroup differences in test performance. The goal of the current paper is twofold. First, we update and review the literature on the diversity-validity dilemma and discuss several strategies that aim to increase diversity without jeopardizing criterion-related validity. Second, we provide researchers and practitioners with evidence-based guidelines for dealing with the dilemma. Additionally, we identify several new avenues for future research.

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Published

2012-12-31

Issue

Section

Articles