CHAPTER 6 Employee recruitment & selection

For use with Human Resource Management in South Africa 4eby Grobler, Wärnich et al

ISBN: 1408019515 © 2010 Cengage Learning

CHAPTER 6 Employee

recruitment & selection



Chapter outcomes

• Identify different ways that labour markets can be identified and approached

• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of internal versus external recruiting

• Identify internal and external methods of recruiting• List and discuss a number of hiring alternatives• Explain the HR department's role in the selection process



Chapter outcomes (continued)• Diagram and discuss the sequence of a typical selection process• Discuss several types of selection interviews and some key

considerations when conducting these interviews• Discuss the merits of references• Describe the various decision strategies for selection • Explain how legal concerns impact on both recruitment and

selection



Definitions

• Recruitment – the process of acquiring applicants who are available and qualified to fill positions in organisations

• Selection – the process of choosing from a group of applicants the individual best suited for a particular position



External labour market

Selection activities

Recruitment activities

Organisation’s need for

additional labour

Linking the role of recruitment and selection



Environment

HRP

AA & EE

Specific requests

Satisfacto

ry po

ol

of recru

its

Manager’s comments

JA info

Job

op

enin

gs id

entified

Job

requ

iremen

ts

Internal sources

Internal methods

External sources

External methods

The recruitment process



Recruitment strategies in a diverse workforce

• Non-traditional recruitment strategies:– Disadvantaged training programmes– Learnerships/apprenticeships and mentoring programmes– Career exhibitions– Telerecruiting– Diversity data banks



Labour markets information

• Labour market sources– Part-time employees– Underemployed individuals– Pirating

• Operation of the labour market



Recruitment sources

• Internal sources

(Also discuss employee relocation, glass ceiling)• External sources

(also discuss Peter Principle)



Advantages

• Internal recruitment Morale– Knowledge of records– Chain effect of promotion– Need to hire at entry

level– Usually faster, less

expensive

• External recruitment– Applicant pool is bigger– New ideas, contact Internal infighting– Minimises Peter Principle



Disadvantages

• Internal recruitment– Unhealthy competition– Inbreeding– Morale problem for those

not promoted– Strong management

development programme needed

• External recruitment– Destroy incentive of

employees to strive for promotion

– Individual’s ability to fit in is unknown

– Increased adjustment problem



Methods of recruitment

• External methods– Direct applications– Employee referrals– University campus recruiting– Private employment agencies– Advertising– Direct mail– Radio, TV & the Internet



Methods of recruitment

• External methods– Direct applications– Employee referrals– University campus recruiting– Private employment agencies– Advertising– Direct mail– Radio, TV & the Internet



Hiring alternatives

• Assigning overtime• Temporary help• Leasing employees



Recruitment and the law

• LRA 66 of 1995

• BCEA 75 of 1997

• EEA 55 of 1998 (amended)



Selection

• An HR responsibility• Selection and the law• Selection process



Framework for selection

Organisational goals

Job design

Job success criterion

Job specification

Selection instruments



Steps in the selection process

Initial screening

Application blank

Pre-employment testing

Interviews

Reference checks

Medical examination

Comply?

Yes/NoYes/No

Yes/NoYes/No

Yes/NoYes/No

Yes/NoYes/No

Yes/NoYes/No

Yes/NoYes/No

Reject

Job offerJob offer



Initial screening (step 1)

• Removing obviously unqualified/undesired applicants• Critical job specifications or requirements of EEA• CV red flags• CV tracking system



Application blank (step 2)

• Information obtained is compared to JS to determine if there is a potential match

• Weighted application blank• CV method• Uses of application blank



Pre-employment testing (step 3)

• Reliability of a test refers to consistency of measurement, usually across time but also across different raters

• Validity is the extent to which scores on a test or interview correspond to actual job performance



Pre-employment testing (continued)

• Employment Equity Act Section 8 of Chapter II• Managerial selection devices

– Assessment centres



Interviews (step 4)

• Purpose of the interview:(1) Does the applicant have the ability to perform the job? (2) Will the applicant be motivated to be successful? (3) Will the applicant match the needs of the organisation?



Interviews (continued)• Reliability & validity of interviews• Problems with interview• Structured & objective process• Effective interviewing:

– Setting – Documentation – Standardisation – Scoring– Reviewing specifications– Reviewing the application blank– Training the interviewer– Job-related questions



Interviews (continued)

• Types of interviews– One-on-One– Panel

• Structured interview (directive/patterned)• Unstructured (not advisable)• Realistic job preview



Reference checks (step 5)

• Methods (personal visits, telephonic, mail)• Telephone – advantages:

– Immediate clarification– More information– Relatively little expense– Additional areas– A structured form



Reference checks (continued)• Personal references

– Verify data received on application blank– Evaluate the quality of the personal

recommendation– Determine how well the person knows the

applicant

• Previous employers



Medical examination (step 6)

• After job offer has been made• Contingent to passing the medical examination• EEA Section 7(1) and (2) & Section 50(4)

– Can test if it can be justified



The selection decision

• Compensatory selection – all applicants who pass the initial screening will be tested, interviewed etc

• Multiple hurdles selection – applicant needs to pass each hurdle (step)



Record keeping

• EEA• LRA• Keep complete set of records of the recruitment and selection

process• Proof of non-discrimination• Keep documents such as advertisements, contract with

employment agencies etc



Summary• Recruitment requires the HR specialist to acquire a pool of

available and qualified applicants. The recruiters can tap a variety of sources, including current employees, part-time workers, the unemployed and employees of other organisations who feel they are underemployed.

• Job-posting programmes are widely used to recruit applicants for positions. New voice-mail and electronic-mail systems offer several advantages over traditional bulletin boards.

• Effective recruitment advertising has increased because of the use of common marketing research tools. The need for advertising has increased because of dual-career couples and a general unwillingness to relocate on the part of professional and technical employees.

• Current employees are the most common source of applicants for higher-level positions. They offer the organisation several advantages over external applicants and give all employees the incentive of knowing that they may be promoted as a reward for hard work.



Summary• Overtime, temporary help and leasing are alternative

sources of additional labour. Depending on the number of hours and skills needed, these recruitment sources may be more desirable than hiring permanent employees.

• University/school campus recruitment has become more competitive and employers more sophisticated in their methods. A poor economy should signal to students the need to sue innovative job leads.

• Pre-employment tests can be effective tools in the selection process. If carefully selected, validated and monitored, they can help select applicants who will match the position's requirements.

• Reference checking has increased in use but has been subjected to legal challenges. Employers can legally provide factual and accurate information, but they should be able to verify any job-related information they release.

Documents

CHAPTER 6 Employee recruitment & selection