Decision processes in graduate pre‐selection

Transcriptions of recordings of seven graduate recruiters as they thought aloud while pre‐selecting 722 application forms were analysed. Their remarks were categorized into positively and negatively evaluated items of information and inferences from information. Inferences were further categorized into seven types. Significant differences were found between recruiters. Inferences occurred more frequently relative to items near the end of the protocols, implying the function of reducing information load. Prediction of decision to accept or reject on the basis of items and inferences compared favourably with prediction based on items coded from the application forms themselves. Inferences, and especially negatively evaluated ones, predicted decisions better than did items for most recruiters. The development of a decision aid for recruiters is discussed

Cognitive psychology · Graduate students · Inference · Think aloud protocol · Applied Psychology · Computer Science · Employer Branding and e-HRM · Medical Education and Admissions · Psychology · Social Psychology · Artificial Intelligence