Application form items as predictors of performance and longevity among respiratory therapists: a multiple regression analysis

Errors in employee selection and consequent high turnover rates are expensive and can result in poor staff morale and possible harm to patients and personnel.

We investigated the predictive validity of commonly used application blank items as measures of future performance, absenteeism, tardiness, and tenure (the criterion variables) among 100 hospital-employed respiratory therapists and looked at the relationships among the criterion variables.

Regression analysis showed the most significant predictive variables to be grade point average in respiratory therapy school, college education in addition to respiratory therapy training (particularly an associate degree in health sciences or a baccalaureate degree), and, surprisingly, the neatness of the application form itself. No important differences were found among the types of respiratory therapy program attended or the length of previous respiratory therapy experience.

The data offer cautious evidence for the validity of some application items to predict some employee behaviors. The relatively low correlations among the criterion variables (absenteeism, tardiness, tenure, and performance) suggest that these items may be assessing substantially different aspects of employee behavior.