DECISION-PROCESSES DURING THE SCREENING O F APPLICATION FORMS

We analyzed decision-making processes of personnel staff during the sc reening of application forms by means of TYPAG. TYPAG is a formal meth od for the detection of frequent decision rules in predictor data. The study is based on judgments of 331 real application forms made by per sonnel staff at 23 German companies. Large differences emerged between the importance of various aspects of the application as rated by pers onnel staff during the screening of application forms, and the importa nce of these aspects according to the reconstruction of the decision-m aking rules by means of TYPAG. in addition, negative decisions (i.e., a decision that applicants should not be invited for an interview) are dominated by format aspects, whereas in positive decisions (to invite an applicant) the applicants vocational qualifications receive more w eight, although formal aspects still have some importance. Finally, th e use and limits of TYPAG for analyzing decision-making are discussed.