The decisions that organizations make regarding who is going to be part of the team and who is going to be turned away are some of the most important decisions that a firm will make in terms of gaining a competitive advantage. In addition, as we saw in Abercrobie case study, these decisions also have a major impact on the lives of individuals, and it may sometimes require flexibility to project a particular brand image and also employ a diverse workforce. The importance of these decisions means that they have to be based upon procedures that have been empirically validated and not left to idiosyncratic judgments of untrained individuals who may be subject to stereotyped biases. This chapter has summarized hundreds of years of research and demonstrated a large and varied set of tactics that firms can use to make the right hiring decisions when it comes to the selection process.

Answer the following questions in this week's discussion forum:

$1.$ Based on this chapter, what are the best methods of obtaining information about job applicants?

$2.$ What are the best characteristics to look for in applicants, and how does this depend on the nature of the job?

$3.$ If you could use only two of the methods described in this chapter and could assess only two of the characteristics discussed, which would you choose, and why?