Job requirements biodata as a predictor of performance in customer serviceroles

A job requirements approach to biodata. item specification, similar to the content-valid job analysis approach developed by Pannone (1984), is used to predict customer service. Applicants rate the extent to which their curren t and previous jobs involve tasks and behaviours that have been identified through an analysis of the target job. On a sample of 245 employees in an i nternational hotel the criterion-related validity of job requirements bioda ta compares favourably with traditional construct-oriented biodata measures of customer service, cognitive ability and personality (Conscientiousness, Agreeableness and Extroversion). The job requirements approach provides a simple, direct and content-valid method of biodata item specification. As t he approach can also be tailored for particular jobs or organizations, vali dity is also potentially optimized.