Selection for Service and Sales Jobs

Abstract

[Excerpt] This chapter provides a review of selection research for service and sales occupations and is organized into three major sections. First, we describe the nature of service and sales work and define the competencies that underlie success in these jobs. Second, we summarize past research concerning the methods that have been used to select service and sales employees with attention to issues of validity, applicant reactions, and adverse impact. Finally, we discuss the implications of this body of work for practice and future research, highlighting several important but often overlooked issues concerning selection system design for this critical segment of today’s workforce.