Presidente en Iberoamerican Academy of Management (2013-2016), Ph.D. de la Universidad de Albany, Universidad Estatal de Nueva York; premio de Carreras por la Academia de la División de Métodos de Investigación del Manejo.
Herman Aguinis interview
by Antonio Pamos
1. What is the most common Profile of HR professionals in the US?
The vast majority still do not hold a degree in HR in spite of the fact that many universities offer HR degrees at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Some schools also offer MBA degrees with an HR emphasis, which I think is particularly helpful for HR professionals who would like to eventually be leaders in their organizations. But, many are now seeking HR certification to increase the legitimacy of their credentials. However, the issue of HR certification is controversial because we still do not have clear evidence that an HR professional who is certified benefits in terms of career advancement, salary, or other job-related issues. My colleagues, studetns, and I discussed these issues in detail in the following articles, which are available at http://mypage.iu.edu/~haguinis/pubs.html
- Aguinis, H., & Lengnick-Hall, M. L. 2012. Assessing the value of human resource certification: A call for evidence-based human resource management. Human Resource Management Review, 22: 281-284.
- Lengnick-Hall, M. L., & Aguinis, H. 2012. What is the value of human resource certification? A multi-level framework for research. Human Resource Management Review, 22: 246–257.
- Aguinis, H., Michaelis, S. E., & Jones, N. M. 2005. Demand for certified human resources professionals in Internet-based job announcements. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 13: 160-171.
2. How important are social networks in the professional recruitment?
Social media is just another way to gather Information. If we are planning on using social media information for selectin purposes, we need to apply the same standards applied to data collected via other methods (e.g., self-reports, interviews, assessment centers). In other words, is the particular tool in question valid and reliable? More information on the general issue of test validation and selection decision making is available in the following article (available at http://mypage.iu.edu/~haguinis/pubs.html):
- Cascio, W. F., & Aguinis, H. 2005. Test development and use: New twists on old questions. Human Resource Management, 44: 219-235.
3. What do you think about decision making in HR focused in advance analytics methods from other methods more classics?
Similar to my response about social media, the use of advanced analytics methods should be assessed within the particular context within which they are used. Also, the term “advanced analytics” is often used to describe methods that have been in use for a long time, mostly based on the general linear model, but applied to big data. There are many types of advanced analytics methods that can be used effectively for particular purposes, such as market basket analysis. For more information on this issue, please see the following article (available at http://mypage.iu.edu/~haguinis/pubs.html):
- Aguinis, H., Forcum, L. E., & Joo, H. 2013. Using market basket analysis in management research. Journal of Management, 39: 1799-1824
4. Does the US have enough human talent to cover all recruitment needs?
No. This is a worldwide problem: Many job applicants, but not enough qualified job applicants. This is why training and development is so crucial globally.
5. In your opinion, which will be the most important skills for the next years?
Different competencies are needed for different hierarchical positions and also for positions in different functional areas. However, competencies such as leadership and quantitative skills are needed across the board.
