Best Practices in Employee Selection: How Toyota Created a World-Class Workforce
August 8, 2006
Questions
What was the pre-screen
comprised of? Was it a
standardized off-the-shelf test?
How did you respond to multiple
languages of various applicants
with your virtual tour of the jobs?
Do you still utilize the IVR phone
application?
Regarding the “group exercise” –
how long is the exercise? What are
the objectives of the group
exercise? What kinds of activities
are performed?
Are these assessment tools
customizable across different
industries?
Who does the scoring on the email
in-basket? Trained assessors or is
this somehow automated?
What was the scoring procedure
for the 6-hour segment of the
assessment? Was there a report
produced on each candidate’s
performance?
When developing the virtual
auditions, screening, simulations,
etc., what did you do in order to
make sure you didn’t have
disparate impact issues?
(1) Typically, how long does a
candidate take to complete the
web-based assessment?
(2) How do you set candidates’
expectations on the time it takes to
complete the assessment (and other
simulations/exercises)?
(3) Finally, do candidates resist the
amount of time it takes to go
through entire application process?
Attendee Questions & Answers Webinar
Answers
Toyota uses Select International’s EZ App, which is an automated, interactive
application process that allows applicants to apply for open positions using a
touch-tone phone or the Internet. The entire application process usually lasts
just 10 minutes and automatically determines qualified candidates for the next
step in your hiring process. The EZ App process is customized through your
tailored questions and scripts, allowing candidates to get an accurate
description of the job and your company.
English is the official language of Toyota, so it is a job requirement that all
applicants speak English.
Yes, it is utilized in facilities across Toyota.
The group exercise is a hands-on simulation where candidates must work
together as a team to build toy cars. They are given ambiguous data to
encourage discussion amongst the team members during the decision making
process. The following competencies are measured during the assessment:
-Working with Others
-Positive Attitude
-Leadership
-Oral Communication
The simulation takes approximately two hours.
Yes. Select International has a variety of tools designed for use in most
industries. The assessment tools can be further customized to account for
organizational, regional, and environmental differences within industries.
All scoring is performed by a trained assessor.
Toyota’s simulation was computer automated so that they were automatically
able to retrieve candidate scores on such competencies such as Work Pace,
Attention to Detail, and Fine Motor Skills. Assessors’ primary duty was to
monitor candidates’ Safety Orientation. Scoring was based on norms
developed from a large data sample that was collected from the first few
hundred candidates, in conjunction with a scoring profile that was based on an
in depth job analysis of the position being assessed.
A validation study was performed to make sure there weren’t any disparate
impact issues.
(1) Generally, it takes a candidate between 90 and 120 minutes to complete the
web-based assessment.
(2) Select International recommends using proctored sessions, where the
proctor goes through a script with all participants prior to them beginning the
assessment. In addition, candidates are informed of what to expect when
scheduling their assessment session.
(3) No – candidates do not resist the amount of time it takes to go through the
entire application process. Select has performed several studies where we
survey candidates at various stages in the hiring process. These studies have
found that candidates have very favorable impressions of this type of
application process. In fact, most studies indicate that people prefer job-
relevant hiring processes where they are given ample opportunity to
demonstrate their ability. Further, applicants haveand have them a favorable
impression of Toyota even if they were selected as an employee.
 Best Practices in Employee Selection: How Toyota Created a World-Class Workforce
August 8, 2006 Attendee Questions & Answers Webinar
Questions Answers
Specifically, what are the The Select Assessment for Manufacturing is modular and is tailored to
components of the Virtual Web individual companies and positions within those companies.
Based Assessment?
What happens if the candidates All candidates are given a safety orientation and sign a waiver prior to
injure themselves during the VJA participating in the VJA. In addition assessors monitor each candidate’s
process? behavior and advise them when they are unsafe. The VJA was conducted near
the Toyota plant, so there was also an EMT nearby for quick response as a
precaution.
How long did it actually take to put For Toyota, it took about 18 months to develop the simulation process. A
together the actual simulations? typical production simulation takes 4-8 months, depending on the complexity
of it.
Are there any jobs that you If you are not an employer of choice in the area where you have a facility or if
wouldn’t suggest be candidates for the work is such that you have trouble finding applicants at all, then web-based
web-based assessments? assessments generally aren’t a good fit for your problem.
How often do the simulations get Select constantly monitors the utility of the systems and modifies as necessary.
updated? Do they get outdated Typically modifications are made to the scoring profile and not to the
quickly or often? simulation itself as they are designed with the future in mind.
(1) Do you have an assessment tool (1) The simulations are all developed by Select International using our in-
that you use to actually create the house technology.
simulation? (2) And how do core (2) The Virtual Job Audition is tailored to each client weighing competencies
competencies come into effect with that are important to each job family. It is a modular system, so it is easily
the design of the simulation and customizable for each client or specific job.
are responses weighted?
What is the most effective way to The most effective way to sniff out a cutter is through a very thorough
sniff out a cutter? assessment process, like the Virtual Job Audition.
Can you give an example of a There is no magic question that can identify a cutter. Select Interviewing™ is
question that can identify a cutter? an in-depth interview training program that equips interviewers with questions,
How do you screen out someone techniques and resources to aid them in identifying cutters.
faking their answers, per regular
behavioral interviews?
How were the Job Fit questions The job fit questions are developed from the thorough Job Analysis performed
developed? Is this customized or by Select International, where they walk the floor, meet with focus groups, etc.
off-the-shelf? The job fit questions are customized for each client based on this job analysis
At what point in the process is a Select International uses the definition outlined in 2005 by the OFCCP
candidate considered an concerning who is an "applicant" in the context of the Internet and related
“Applicant” for Affirmative Action technologies.
reporting purposes?
How do you verify who you are For Toyota, the initial application process is the only phase where the
assessing is the real candidate you applicant isn’t in a proctored environment. All applicants are required to bring
are considering hiring (that they a photo ID to the assessment center for testing and the assessment itself as well
don’t have another person as the production exercise is proctored.
complete online requirements for
them)?
Please describe the process you Select implies rigorous content and criterion-related validation studies to
went through to validate that your ensure that all pieces of the selection process are job-related and predict
selection process was not performance. Additionally, Select takes special care to ensure that the hiring
discriminatory or result in adverse systems do not have adverse impact.
impact.
(1) Do you use a job fit survey of (1) Select analyzed the jobs for which the process is being created using an in-
some kind to determine the depth job analysis process. This included: a work environment analysis,
patterns of your star performers interviews with high performing incumbents, supervisors, and other people
and then survey candidates and try with expert job knowledge; surveying incumbents, supervisors and managers,
to find people that match the and a job visioning meeting. This data was analyzed and used to set the hiring
 Best Practices in Employee Selection: How Toyota Created a World-Class Workforce
August 8, 2006
Questions
pattern of the star performers?
(2) How do you, if you do at all,
focus on a person’s talent rather
than just skills?
What data do you have to say how
successful each assessment is in
predicting job performance?
What are your thoughts on using
recruiters for certain positions?
How can I find “structured
behavioral interviewing training”
for managers?
Is there an automated way that
applicants are informed that they
have not “passed” into the next
stage or how is this communicated
to them?
Do you think that this employee
selection process should be used
by state government agencies?
How does the virtual assessment
process address Affirmative Action
reporting requirements?
Where can I get more information
about your call center virtual job
audition process?
What vendor technologies/products
did Toyota use to facilitate the
automated processing, assessments
and video presentations?
What training does Select
International have for structured
behavioral interviewing?
We are an old facility with little
technology within our equipment
but still want to get the best in
class of the available candidates.
Is it still good to use the VJA
process?
Attendee Questions & Answers Webinar
Answers
profiles and cutoffs. (2) Select International’s selection systems are
competency-based, focusing on an individual’s aptitude (talent).
Select has conducted over 20 empirical validation studies for entry-level
manufacturing employees. Additionally, Select has conducted meta-analytical
studies to combine the results across studies. To learn more about the Meta
Analysis, please read the Select Perspective on Entry-Level Manufacturing,
available here on Select International’s website.
If you have trouble getting people in the hiring funnel or if you are hiring
someone in a very competitive labor market for a specialized position, then
recruiters are effective.
Select International offers both 1-day and 3-day certification trainings for
behavioral interviewing. Select’s behavioral interviewing program is called
Select Interviewing and can be delivered either on-site at your location or in a
public workshop setting several times throughout the year.
Letters are mailed out automatically to applicants in most case letting them
know that they haven’t passed into the next stage of the application process.
This process can be used to hire people for any organization and in any
industry. State and government agencies could drastically reduce their
administrative costs associated with hiring and also decrease several undesired
employee behaviors (turnover, absenteeism, etc.)
SelecTrak, Select International’s Applicant Tracking System can show
comparative pass ratios for EEOC and standard deviation for the OFCCP.
You can contact Select International at (800) 786-8595 x1521 or visit us on the
web at www.selectinternational.com
Select International developed all of the automated technologies for Toyota’s
hiring process.
Select Interviewing is Select International’s structured interviewing process
based on extensive research and more than a decade of firsthand experience
training thousands of interviewers. It eliminates the time-consuming and
unproductive elements of traditional structured interviews and concentrates on
what really works. Your interviewers will conduct interviews that are
consistently accurate, efficient, and legally defensible. Plus they’ll give
potential new hires a favorable impression of your company - essential in
today’s competitive market. The training is efficient and thorough, with an
interactive format that provides hands-on practice and feedback. Each section
of the training is also accompanied by a high-impact video vignette making it
easy to understand and easy to facilitate.
Although Select’s systems employ cutting edge technology, they were
designed to be used by people with little to no computer experience. Online
computer tutorials preface each computer-based assessment and instructions
are made simple. Although the assessments are computer-based, they are not a
test of computer skills. Great care is taken to ensure that the assessments are
easily accessible for all.