Deck 6: Selecting and Hiring Applicants

Question 1

A short application blank ordinarily is used only as an initial screening device.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

In the interviewing process,ordinarily a company should not rely on only one interview as the basis for selecting a salesperson.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Virtually no salesperson is ever hired without a personal interview,and there are no satisfactory substitutes for this procedure.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

In the process of selecting salespeople,the least costly selection tools should be used first.

Question 5

It is illegal to ask applicants why they left their previous jobs.

Question 6

The informal,nondirected type of personal interview is a very accurate predictor of performance.

Question 7

Validation is a process used to insure that the criteria used in selection decisions are a predictor of job performance.

Question 8

An on-the-job interview allows current reps to observe and interact with applicants and may reveal certain undesirable behaviors and traits which would not have been observed otherwise.

Question 9

In the sales selection process,it is illegal to ask questions about an applicant's age,marital status,or ethnic background.

Question 10

In the sales selection process,it is generally illegal to as questions about an applicant's spouse or family members.

Question 11

Guided interviews can help to overcome some of the major problems encountered in using personal interviews as a selection technique.

Question 12

When hiring for a team selling position,it is best not to include the team in the interviewing process.

Question 13

Pre-employment medical screening should be conducted when the firm is ready to extend an offer to a candidate for a specific job and not after an actual offer is made.

Question 14

Many questions traditionally asked on an application blank either are no longer legally permissible or must be handled with extreme care.

Question 15

From a legal point of view,a company must validate its selection tools before using them.

Question 16

In general,managers should make selections decisions based on "gut" feelings.

Question 17

Behavior-based interviews are better than structured situational based interviews.

Question 18

An application blank is an excellent tool for gathering information about an applicant's work experience,but the blank is not useful for determining any personality traits.

Question 19

Research results show that interviews are a good predictor of an applicant's success in a sales job.

Question 20

It is expected that the use of videoconferencing to interview candidates will not become widely used due to the high costs involved.

Question 21

It is wise to let the person learn about any unfavorable factors of the job prior to being hired.

Question 22

In the selection process,a reference check is of value only when a sales manager is personally acquainted with the person used as a reference.

Question 23

To avoid risk of legal liability which occurs in checking references,candidates should be asked to sign a release form which grants permission to contact previous employers.

Question 24

In the selection process,ordinarily it is a mistake to use psychological tests as the sole deciding "knockout" factor.

Question 25

A physical examination should be treated as a necessary part of the sales selection process.

Question 26

The need for a socialization program will not be minimized by establishing an excellent selection program.

Question 27

The high cost of the assessment-centered technique is a major factor limiting the use of this tool in the selection process.

Question 28

The process of selecting salespeople:

A)Essentially is an exercise in "screening."
B)Should not involve subjective executive judgement.
C)Should discourage the use of interviewing.
D)Should use only low-cost selection tools.
E)Should avoid the use of psychological tests.

Question 29

With regard to foreign assignments,cultural training should be provided to the whole family.

Question 30

If the sales manager has hired the right people,he or she should let them find their own way in the organization for the first few weeks.

Question 31

Which of the following tools is least likely to be used in selecting salespeople?

A)Interviews.
B)Application blank.
C)Reference check.
D)Lie-detector test (polygraph).
E)Battery of psychological tests.

Question 32

The sales manager should avoid giving the new person more than normal supervision for fear of incurring jealousies among the rest of the sales force.

Question 33

Research studies show that psychological tests can be a good predictor of sales job performance.

Question 34

Psychological testing which has undoubtedly been the most controversial of all selection tools and has the added burden of complying with legal guidelines has become less popular as a selection tool used today.

Question 35

As more and more families have dual careers,businesses are careful to select only those individuals whose spouse is already employed;this frees the firm from needing to help spouses find employment.

Question 36

Which of the following normally is not part of the task of selecting applicants for a sales job?

A)Having the recruits fill out an application blank.
B)Advertising to generate applications.
C)Checking their references.
D)Extensively interviewing them before hiring.
E)All of these are part of the selection.

Question 37

The main reason to give recruits information about the company even before hiring them is that they can share the information with friends who might be interested in the job.

Question 38

The social needs of the trainee's spouse should not be considered by the sales manager.

Question 39

The sales manager has no responsibility for the social orientation of a new sales representative and family.

Question 40

Today there are no legal limits on the use of testing in the selection process.

Question 41

With respect to the selection tools that are used in processing applicants for a sales job:

A)The most effective sequence is to start with an application blank and follow up with a series of interviews.
B)The least costly tools should be used first.
C)Under Affirmative Action guidelines,a company is not allowed to use psychological tests.
D)Companies should use standardized forms (developed for general use by any company)as much as possible.
E)None of these is correct.

Question 42

The selection tool most likely used as an initial screening device is a:

A)Long guided interview.
B)Battery of psychological tests.
C)Reference check.
D)Short application blank.
E)Long informal interview.

Question 43

Regarding the legal aspects of processing applicants for sales jobs:

A)Every selection tool must be validated before it can be legally used.
B)In some hiring situations it may be perfectly legal to discriminate on the basis of age,sex,or ethnic origin.
C)The use of guided interviews is legally prohibited.
D)A company can no longer use psychological testing as part of its sales selection process.
E)None of these is correct.

Question 44

With regard to selection tools,

A)It is not advisable to use more than two.
B)Increases in comprehensiveness are related to increases in productivity.
C)If you recruit the proper people,then minimal use of selection tools is advised.
D)The most costly tool should be used first.
E)None of these are correct.

Question 45

With respect to the legal considerations in processing applicants for sales jobs,which of the following is false?

A)During an interview,a manager cannot legally ask an applicant how old he or she is.
B)On an application blank it is not legally permissible to ask about the applicant's marital status.
C)Each major selection tool must be validated before it can be legally used.
D)If management wants to continue to use an application blank that is rejecting a disproportionately high percentage of women,then the company must validate the use of this blank.
E)It is illegal to ask about an applicant's nationality,race,or religion.

Question 46

All of the following inquiries may be lawfully asked of a potential sales rep except:

A)Should the applicant be addressed as Mr. ,Mrs. ,Ms,or Miss.
B)What the applicant didn't like about a job and why the applicant left a job.
C)Inquiries to the applicant's education and the years attending specific academic institutions.
D)Questions about convictions if they relate to the fitness of the applicant to do the job.
E)Who will care for the children if the applicant is hired.

Question 47

A short application blank is:

A)Very useful in building a job description.
B)Often used instead of a longer guided interview.
C)Likely to be used as an initial screening device.
D)A good tool to use in determining hiring qualifications.
E)Usually the main source of personal history information about an applicant.

Question 48

A hardware wholesaler located in the Southeast established the following five sets (among others)of hiring qualifications for a sales job.For which of the five is management least likely to rely on an application blank to get the information?

A)Be able to analyze a problem logically and make decisions.
B)Three years' experience in selling.
C)Completed at least two years of college.
D)Possesses normal amounts of mental intelligence.
E)Belongs to at least two social organizations.

Question 49

The information gathered from various sections of an application blank:

A)Is all equally important.
B)Can be best used to judge mental capacities.
C)Varies in importance.
D)Is not very useful in predicting sales success.
E)None of it is important compared to the information gained from the interview.

Question 50

The most widely used of all sales selection tools is the:

A)Long application blank.
B)Personal interview.
C)Reference check.
D)Psychological tests.
E)Physical exam.

Question 51

Selection tools such as application blanks,interviews,and reference checks:

A)Are very useful in building a job description.
B)Are used heavily in the recruiting stage of the selection process.
C)Are used to help measure each applicant against predetermined hiring qualifications.
D)Can be bypassed by sales managers who are good at judging people.
E)None of these is true.

Question 52

With respect to the processing of applicants for sales jobs:

A)Initial screening should be done with an application blank.
B)Management should use long,guided interviews for each applicant.
C)Management should develop individualized forms designed for the particular needs of the given firm.
D)Each company should determine its most effective selection tool,and then use only that tool.
E)None of these is correct.

Question 53

A generalization regarding the use of application blanks in the sales force selection process is that they:

A)Are the best of the selection tools.
B)Are not used very much by small companies.
C)Frequently provide a basis for asking questions in an interview.
D)Are illegal when they are very long.
E)None of these is correct.

Question 54

A long,detailed application blank in sales force selection ordinarily is used:

A)As a data base for later re-evaluating the hiring qualifications for the job.
B)As a source of a sales representative's personal history record.
C)As a basis for later probing in an interview.
D)For all of these purposes.
E)For only two of A-B-C above.

Question 55

A grocery products manufacturer located in the Midwest established the following five sets (among others)of hiring qualifications for a type of selling job.For which of the five is management least likely to rely on an application blank to get the information?

A)A college graduate who partially financed himself through school.
B)A normal amount of mental intelligence.
C)25-35 years of age,married,and in good health.
D)Some experience in selling.
E)Adequate emotional stability and good judgment.

Question 56

When selecting salespeople,which of the following qualifications can be determined most easily by an application blank?

A)Aptitude and personality for selling.
B)How badly the applicant needs the job.
C)Whether the job fits in with the applicant's self-concept.
D)Membership in organizations,and other environmental qualifications.
E)What are the applicant's goals in life?

Question 57

As a general rule in an interview for a sales job,which of the following questions are you legally allowed to ask an applicant before hiring the person?

A)How old are you?
B)Are you married? (It's okay to ask a man this question,but not a woman. )
C)Have you ever been arrested?
D)Do you own your own home?
E)None of these.

Question 58

A company will most likely use a (an)______ when it wants to start a personal-history file for a prospective sales rep.

A)Guided interview.
B)Aptitude test.
C)Reference check.
D)Screening interview.
E)Application blank.

Question 59

An electrical products manufacturer located on the Pacific Coast established the following five sets (among others)of hiring qualifications for one of its sales jobs.For which of the five is an application blank the least appropriate tool for obtaining the information?

A)Two years' experience in technical selling jobs.
B)The job must be compatible with the applicant's self-concept.
C)Own an automobile and be willing to use it for company business.
D)Be willing to travel;be away from home on an average of two nights a week.
E)Have a hobby interest in two fields outside of the electrical industry.

Question 60

Which of the following is illegal to ask in the selection process?

A)Why the applicant wants the job.
B)What languages the applicant speaks.
C)Whether the applicant has ever been arrested.
D)Why the applicant left his/her last job.
E)None of these are illegal to ask.

Question 61

In the selection process,management will most likely use a personal interview to determine:

A)The applicant's prior work experience.
B)How badly an applicant wants or needs the sales job.
C)What former employers think of the applicant.
D)The applicant's educational background.
E)The applicant's membership in social organizations.

Question 62

A common weakness in interviewing is:

A)Interviewer is unfamiliar with job description.
B)Not knowing what questions to ask.
C)Interviewers cannot interpret the answers to many of their questions.
D)All of these are common weaknesses.
E)Only two of A-B-C are weaknesses.

Question 63

Which of the following job qualifications can be determined better by some selection tool other than a personal interview?

A)Spouse of sales rep must be in favor of the job.
B)Salesperson must know how to conduct himself or herself at a party and in other social situations.
C)Must be well groomed and speak fluently.
D)Job must fit in with applicant's self-image.
E)Must be a college graduate with a minimum of C+ grade average and participate in extracurricular activities.

Question 64

The best way to overcome the common weaknesses in interviewing is to:

A)Use informal,non-structured interviews.
B)Rely more on guided interviews.
C)Rely more on psychological tests.
D)Let one good interviewer do all the interviewing.
E)Use non-directed interviews.

Question 65

If you want to find out how badly an applicant wants (or needs)a sales job,probably the best selection tool is a:

A)Long application blank.
B)Check with former employers.
C)Personal interviews.
D)Group of psychological tests.
E)Weighted application blank.

Question 66

When hiring salespeople,a personal interview with the applicants is the tool most likely used to determine:

A)The applicant's physical condition.
B)The applicant's educational record.
C)What the applicants perceive to be their goals in life.
D)What former employers think of the applicant.
E)A chronological record of jobs held by the person.

Question 67

Probably the best selection tool for determining whether a given sales job will fit in with an applicant's self-image is a:

A)Long application blank.
B)Reference check.
C)Series of personal interviews.
D)Group of psychological tests.
E)Weighted application blank.

Question 68

The major problem in a non-directed interview is that:

A)A lot of time may be wasted.
B)Very little relevant information may be learned.
C)The interviewer may talk too much.
D)The interviewee may talk too much.
E)A and B may both be major problems.

Question 69

Some ways to improve the validity of interviews as predictors of job performance include all of the following except:

A)Multiple interviews with each candidate.
B)A review of the applicant's resume or application before proceeding to the selection process.
C)To train interviewers on how to conduct interviews and how to use rating forms.
D)Restricting the interview process to one interviewer only eliminating confusion.
E)Use of standardized rating forms which are filled out following each applicant's interview.

Question 70

Most interviewers would avoid hiring someone who:

A)Uses bad language.
B)Dresses sloppily.
C)Looks unstylish
D)Has visible tattoos.
E)All of these.

Question 71

When selecting salespeople,management is least likely to use a personal interview to:

A)Determine what former employers think about the applicant.
B)Evaluate an applicant's speaking voice and physical appearance.
C)Determine how much the applicant wants the job.
D)Tell the recruit something about the company and the job.
E)Interpret statements made on an application blank.

Question 72

With regard to the types of interviews:

A)Behavior-based interviews are best at predicting sales success.
B)Situation-based interviews pose questions about behaviors in future situations.
C)Behavior and situation based interviews are highly unstructured.
D)Performance based interviews are interviews conducted by senior salespeople in the field.
E)None of these is correct.

Question 73

Probably the best selection tool for determining whether a given sales job will furnish an applicant with the success and satisfaction he or she wants is a:

A)Check with former employers.
B)Series of personal interviews.
C)Some kind of application blank.
D)Credit check.
E)Battery of tests.

Question 74

A problem connected with the informal,non-directed type of hiring interview is that:

A)It may take a lot of time and uncover little information.
B)It requires more interpretive skill on the part of the interviewer than is true in guided interviews.
C)The interviewer is more limited to certain types of questions than is true in a guided interview.
D)All of these are correct.
E)Only two of A-B-C are problems with non-directed interviews.

Question 75

Which of the following is true?

A)"Do you get along with people?" is a situation-based interview question.
B)"What qualities do you think are important for this job?" is a behavior-based interview question.
C)"Tell me about your greatest failure" is a behavior-based interview question.
D)" Tell me about your biggest frustration in your current position" is situation-based interview question.
E)"What is your biggest weakness?" is a stress interview question.

Question 76

Which of the following is a reason for using a guided interview for selecting salespeople?

A)The interviewer does not know what questions to ask.
B)This makes comparing applicants easier.
C)There is more than one interviewer interviewing different candidates for the same job.
D)All of these are reasons.
E)None of these are reasons.

Question 77

A personal interview with a sales rep is a reliable predictor of success in the sales job because:

A)Interviews are the most widely used selection tool.
B)The sales job requires skills similar to those which are on display in the interview.
C)It enables the interviewer to get a "gut" reaction instead of a merely objective evaluation.
D)The sales manager is known to be a highly effective interviewer and can consistently react so as to affect applicants' responses.

Question 78

The best rationale for developing a team-based interviewing process where existing team members evaluate the applicant is:

A)The new recruit can learn the most about the company by listening to the existing team members.
B)The team members can learn more about the recruit than others in the firm would be able to.
C)The team members are the best people to evaluate how well the candidate will fit into the team's culture.
D)The existing team members may be prejudiced against the recruit.
E)None of these are reasons.

Question 79

The main objective of a nondirected interview is to:

A)Get the applicants to talk about themselves.
B)Probe in depth into the applicant's work experience.
C)See how the applicant reacts under stress.
D)Provide standards for comparing the various applicants.
E)Help a company who has inexperienced interviewers.

Question 80

When comparing guided interviews with nondirected (unstructured)interviews,it is correct to say that:

A)The guided interview is more likely to require an experienced interviewer.
B)In a guided interview,the interviewer is more likely to neglect some key topics.
C)The nondirected interview puts the applicant under greater stress.
D)The guided interview is not good as an initial screening device.
E)None of these is correct.