It is necessary for personnel selection systems to be effective, fair, and legally appropriate. Sometimes these goals are complementary, whereas other times they conflict (leading to the so-called “validity-diversity dilemma”). In this practice forum, we trace the history and legality of proposed approaches for simultaneously maximizing job performance and diversity through personnel selection, leading to a review of a more recent method, the Pareto-optimization approach. We first describe the method at various levels of complexity and provide guidance (with examples) for implementing the technique in practice. Then, we review the potential points at which the method might be challenged legally and present defenses against those challenges. Finally, we conclude with practical tips for implementing Pareto-optimization within personnel selection.

The U.S. labor market continues to grapple with a “skills gap” (Marshall & Craig, 2019): a disconnect between the skills employers need and the number of job-seekers with those skills. Compounded by historically low unemployment rates, this gap is leaving employers with unfilled jobs and narrow talent pipelines. Concurrently, there are lingering concerns regarding underrepresentation of women and minorities in certain sectors of the labor market—particularly occupations in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This article examines how the traditional interest-only career guidance tools used in education significantly influence the gender-based skills gaps that persist in high-demand careers and introduces YouScience, a company that is helping ameliorate the skills gap by combining measures of aptitudes and interests in a new career discovery platform. We close by presenting action steps for students, parents, educators, and counselors, as well as positing possible effects of COVID-19 on career exploration and counseling.