HR - Recruitment and Selection

8/13/2019 HR - Recruitment and Selection

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Human Resources

Recruitment and Selection

C O U R T E S Y O F S C H O O X . C O M


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Human Resources Recruitment and Selection

2 Source: assembled from free course on SchooX.com.

Table of Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 3

Learning Outcomes ......................................................................................................................... 3

Overview ......................................................................................................................................... 3

Effective Recruitment and Selection .............................................................................................. 3

PersonJob Fit or PersonOrganisation Fit? ................................................................................... 5

A Two-way Process ..................................................................................................................... 5

PersonJob Fit ............................................................................................................................. 6

PersonOrganisation Fit ............................................................................................................. 6

Specifying Job and Person Requirements ....................................................................................... 6

Initial Assessment ....................................................................................................................... 6

Job Analysis ................................................................................................................................. 7

Organisational Analysis ............................................................................................................... 9

Job Description............................................................................................................................ 9

Person Specification .................................................................................................................. 11

Recruiting and Selecting Internal Candidates ........................................................................... 14

Attracting Applicants ................................................................................................................ 14

Advertising ................................................................................................................................ 15

Further Particulars, Application Forms and Paperwork ........................................................... 16

Shortlisting ................................................................................................................................ 16References ................................................................................................................................ 19

Candidates Make Decisions Too ............................................................................................... 19

Methods of selection .................................................................................................................... 20

The Interview as a Selection Method: Pros and Cons .............................................................. 20

Tests as a Selection Tool ........................................................................................................... 20

The Selection Interview ............................................................................................................ 21

Structuring the Interview .......................................................................................................... 23

Closing and Deciding ................................................................................................................. 26

Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 27

References .................................................................................................................................... 28

Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... 29


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Introduction

In this session we look at the first stage of managing peopleattracting and selecting staff.

Recruitment and selection are usually considered as one process. However, we will make the

distinction here between the initial actions and considerations when planning staff recruitmentand the process of selecting an individual from a pool of applicants. Recruitment needs to be

carefully planned in order to attract the right type of applicant. Ultimately, this increases the

chances of making a suitable selection and appointment. Your involvement may be limited to a

discussion of the need for a particular job within your team or work area, or you may be

required to interview job applicants. Whatever your involvement, this session makes it clear

that it is important for you to understand the whole process to make an effective contribution

to the staffing of your organisation.

Learning Outcomes

After studying this unit you should be able to:

list the skills and knowledge needed to conduct full and fair recruitment and selection,and be able to undertake it systematically.

Overview

The unit begins by looking at how it can be difficult for a manager in the process of recruitment

and selection to maintain objectivity. Drawing up clear criteria to use throughout recruitment

and selection can help the process. It then addresses the difference between the personjob

and personorganisation approaches to recruitment. Subsequent sections review the different

tasks to be completed and the different methods which can be used by the manager in this

important process.

Effective Recruitment and Selection

The key to successful recruitment is to ensure that the criteria of suitability are overt and

relevant to the job itself. Once these criteria are agreed and shared it is possible to make more

rational decisions about someone's suitability for a job, based on evidence rather than gut

feeling or instinct. Effective recruitment and selection should notbe about the luck of the

draw. Systematic planning and preparation will increase the likelihood of taking on the right

person. The key to effective recruitment is preparation: knowing the job and what is required ofsomeone to perform it well. The costs of recruiting the wrong person can be significant. The

cost of employing someone may be at least twice their salary when factors such as training,

expenses and employer's contributions to their pension are added.

Incorrect assumptions about class, gender, ethnic group or physical ability, or any other type of

discrimination, can cloud your objectivity in recruitment and selection. At worst this may


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contravene legislation that exists to protect individuals from discrimination. Other prejudices

may be generated by particular organisational traditions regarding the type of person

considered suitable. However, it is important to ensure that the qualities of the successful

applicant match what the organisation requires, perhaps in terms of being forward looking,

customer focused or market orientated. It is easy to discriminate in the recruitment and

selection process through personal responses and reactions to certain types of people. Therecruiter's perception is often influenced by striking characteristics or similarities to themselves.

This is called the halo effect and can work in either a positive or negative direction (the latter

is sometimes called the horns effect). The halo effect acts as a filter to any information that

contradicts first impressions. For example, someone who attended the same college or

university as the recruiter would be at an advantage, while a person not wearing a suit would

not be management material. It is often the case that people judge more favourably those

individuals with whom they have something in common. Ultimately, you are seeking the best

person for the job and any discrimination, intentional or not, may prevent you from achieving

that.

Before we look more closely at the recruitment process, spend about ten minutes on the

following activity.

Activity 1 - 10 minutes

Basing your ideas on your own initial reactions to the characters outlined below, complete the

table to describe what would typically be the characteristics associated with them. Do not take

too much time to thinkjust jot down ideas as they come to you. To demonstrate, we have

suggested how some people might see the first example; you may not agree with the

stereotyping evident in the suggested characteristics!

Job Age range Gender Politics Hobbies Car

Social worker 2743 Either Liberal or

Green, left-

wing

Camping

cycling

rambling

Old Volvo or

Saab

Supermarket

checkout operative

Building labourer

AccountantSenior civil

servant/government

official

Personal secretary

to managing

director


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Police inspector

Salesperson

Fundraiser for a

charity

We all harbour stereotypes of what types of people are suitable or unsuitable for particular

jobs, and everyone will complete the table differently. However, let us look at a couple of

examples. Did you think that the supermarket checkout person would be male or female? The

majority of people completing this exercise would have an expectation that a checkout person

would be either a very young single female or an older woman who works part-time. They

would be unlikely to associate working on a supermarket checkout with a middle-aged man.

What cars did you suggest the building labourer and accountant might drive? Which one was

more likely to own an executive car? What would you expect the senior civil servant's hobbies

to begardening or sky diving? The point of this simple exercise is to make you aware of the

stereotypes and expectations that may exist about people associated with particular jobs.When recruiting for any job, take care that you are not simply looking for a certain type of

person because they are normally associated with the work of the vacant post.

When recruiting people, be alert to any personal prejudices or preferences you have which are

not linked to the ability to do the job. Try to set these aside in favour of objective criteria of

suitability related to the skills, experience and ability needed to perform the job. But should

these criteria relate solely to the job or task requirements? We consider the issue of fit with the

wider organisation in the next section.

Person

Job Fit or Person

Organisation Fit?A Two-way Process

It is important for both the job applicant and the organisation to ensure that the right job goes

to the right person. Taking the wrong job may be just as disastrous for the employee as for the

organisation. Recruitment and selection, therefore, involves the organisation (represented by

the manager) and the applicant trying to discover the extent to which their separate interests

are likely to be served by the appointment. In other words, it is a two-way process. Applicants

should have a realistic picture of the job so that they can decide if they really want it and

whether they could do it well. They should also be given the opportunity to consider what type

of organisation they may be joining and whether it would suit them. There are two different

approaches to assessing suitability for a particular job: person-job fit and person-organisation

fit. They are based on different assumptions about people and what determines their behaviour

at work.


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PersonJob Fit

The traditional approach to recruitment and selection is based on the view that organisations

should specify the requirements of the job as closely as possible and then look for individuals

whose personal attributes fit those requirements. It is based on the assumption that human

behaviour is determined by factors particular to the individual, and the clear implication is thatselection techniques should be concerned with accessing and measuring these personal factors,

which can then be compared with those required for the job.

The person-job fit approach has been criticised for a variety of reasons. In particular, the

amount and pace of change in organisations mean that the jobs for which people are recruited

often change. Consequently, organisations may be interested in potential beyond the

immediate job, and people have the capacity to influence the organisation's performance

beyond the boundaries of their own jobs. Increasingly, it is seen as important to ensure that

there is also a fit between the applicant and the organisation.

PersonOrganisation Fit

This approach stresses that people's behaviour and performance are strongly influenced by the

environment in which they find themselves. So being successful in a job in one organisation

does not necessarily imply success in a similar job in another. In assessing the suitability of a job

applicant a manager should explore the reasons why a person has performed well in their

existing job and consider whether similar conditions apply in the new job. Advocates of the

person-organisation fit approach stress that an important consideration in recruitment is how

suited the applicant is to the organisationits style, approach, pace of change and informal

ways of working. In other words, you need to think beyond whether someone simply has the

technical skills to perform in the job and assess their fit with the culture of the organisation.

However, this carries the danger of excluding suitably qualified candidates because their face

does not fit. This approach suggests a greater need to describe the context of the job to

applicants, including the difficulties and pressures associated with it. In general, overselling a

job can result in individuals leaving after a short time and hence the costs of a repeat

recruitment and selection process and further managerial time.

Specifying Job and Person Requirements

Initial Assessment

To find the right person for the job, you need to have an accurate idea of the job itself and of

the particular skills and attributes it demands. This can be carried out in a series of stages, as

shown in Figure 1.

This is a mapping diagram showing the relationship between a job and the skills and attributes

it demands. There is a row of three boxes. The left hand box represents Job analysis. It


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instructs: Look in detail at what the job involves. Anarrow feeds from this box into the middle

box, which represents Job description. It instructs: Structure this analysis into written

statement of responsibilities and tasks. An arrow feeds from this box to a box below it

representing Person specification. It instructs: List specifics that applicant will need to

perform job. The box on the right of the Job description box represents Organisational

analysis. It instructs: Look at what organisation requires. An arrow feeds from theOrganisational analysis box into the Job description box.

Figure 1: Stages of job and person analysis

However, beforeor indeed afterthe job analysis you might consider whether the vacant job

needs to be filled at all. Reallocation of work, internal promotion or temporary transfer could

be used to cover the tasks associated with the vacancy. Ask yourself whether the job needs to

be changed, updated or filled at all before going any further. An apparent vacancy provides areal opportunity to consider the way work is organised and the skills the organisation needs to

secure its future success; you might wish to consider aspects of person-organisation fit to help

develop the job.

Assuming you decide to go ahead and recruit to the existing or changed post, you now need to

analyse exactly what the job entails.

Job Analysis

Job analysis involves examining a job systematically and in detail. There is no single way of

doing this. Direct observation may be helpful if you are analysing repetitive manual jobs, for

example. Discussion with the current job holder and supervisor or line manager is also a useful

source of information. Another method of job analysis is to use the checklist approach

illustrated in Box 1, ticking off the various aspects of the job as you consider them.


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Box 1: Checklistundertaking a job analysis

Check 1The key words approach

What is done? When is it done? Where is it done? How is it done?

Check 2What is the job holder responsible for?

Responsibility for the work of others Responsibility for physical resources Responsibility for budgets/money

Check 3What sorts of working relationships are involved?

Relationships with superiors (if any) Relationships with colleagues Relationships with other departments or agencies Relationships with customers/clients/users Relationships with individuals supervised

Check 4What are the job requirements?

Required standard of performance and results Required skills and experience Required analytical skills Required education and training Required physique and health (if appropriate) Required motivation and social skills Required attitude or general approach to the work involved

Check 5What are the working conditions?

The physical environment The social conditions and work group context The economic conditions including funding and pay

Check 6Who should be consulted about the analysis?

Check back with the job holder Check back with his or her line manager

(Source: based on Cowling and Mailer, 1981, p. 9)


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Organisational Analysis

The broader organisational requirements can be as important as the specific ones for the job

itself. The organisation needs creativity, flexibility, the ability to work in a small team, and so

on, from the job holder. In line with the person-organisation fit described earlier, it is important

to think beyond the technical aspects of the job to the cultural aspects of the organisation.

Job Description

From your analysis of the job you can write a job description which will state what the job

holder is responsible for and what they are required to do (see Example 1).

Example 1: Job description for a Buying Manager

Job title: Buying Department Manager

Job grade: 10Responsible to: Contracts Manager

A: Summary of main responsibilities and activities

Has overall responsibility for procurement of contracts for both direct orders andsubcontracts, including negotiating terms and conditions with suppliers, initiating

enquiries, analysing quotations, with detailed involvement in very large or complex

orders.

Liaises with Estimating and Engineering departments for technical and cost information;makes recommendations on selection of suppliers.

Responsible for preparation of contracts. Arranges storage of material for delayed contracts. Responsible for inspection and expedition of orders to ensure that material, plant and

equipment meet the specifications for the job and are available when required. Issues

inspection and test reports to the client.

Authorises payment to suppliers and subcontractors. Negotiates increased costs with suppliers in association with Contracts Manager.

B: Specific responsibilities

1. Staff

Direct: Responsible for Senior Buyer, Buyer, Assistant Buyer, Senior Expediter. Indirect: Responsible for selection, training, development and appraisal of all buying and

inspection staff in liaison with Contracts Manager.

2. Assets

Recommends selection of suppliers and equipment.


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3. Planning

Plans allocation and organisation of work in Contract Buying and ExpeditionDepartment.

Provides advice to Contracts Manager during contract planning.4. Technical decisions

Recommends selection of suppliers and subcontractors on the basis of commercialconsiderations.

5. Financial

Responsible for negotiating terms and conditions with suppliers and subcontractors,up to 150,000.

Ensures that all orders are executed within Estimators budget. Recommends authorisation of final payments to suppliers and subcontractors.

6. Confidential information Prices, discounts, profit margins and similar commercial information.

7. Degree of supervision

Works within the broad directives of Contracts Manager. Reports monthly ondeviations in terms of cost, time, quality, etc.

8. Contacts

Liaises with Head Office staff, for example Contracts Manager, Project Engineer,Design Engineers.

Suppliers and subcontractors.

Clients (occasional). Site staff.

9. Working conditions

Head Office based, in city centre; fortnightly visits to suppliers. Pace of work is often demanding, working with strict time pressures; involves overall

responsibility for a large number of contracts simultaneously.

10. Organisational requirements

Must be flexible and able to work on own initiative. Must be able to work as part of ateam and to interact effectively with external contacts.

(Source: Cowling and Mailer, 1981, pp. 1213)

Example 1 is a comprehensive description, setting out a full range of responsibilities. There is no

one right way of setting out job descriptions and you may find that the ones used in your

organisation look different and may be less detailed in comparison. An accurate job description


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has various uses outside the recruitment process: for example, it can be used to review staff

performance in appraisals or to assess training needs when someone new starts with the

organisation. Within the recruitment process, the job description leads on to the next stage of

specifying the type of person you are looking for to fill your vacancy.

Person Specification

Once the job and organisational analyses and the job description have been completed (see

Figure 1), the next stage is to write a specification of the kind of person needed to fill the job

you have just described. It is important to be as precise as possible about the skills, knowledge,

qualifications and attributes that are required for the job and about the experience and

personal characteristics that are needed. It is good practice to specify what is essential or the

minimum required to perform the job, as well as what is desirable. To decide on the qualities

required for the person specification you need to pick out key features from the job

description. Think also about the context of the job and the wider organisational requirements

to specify any elements of person-organisation fit that are important.

Table 1 is an example of a completed person specification; we have added some imaginary

aspects of person-organisation fit under Personality.

When constructing a person specification you need not follow the format described in the

table; your organisation may have a standard approach. The exact format of the person

specification is less important than making sure you capture what the suitable applicant

requires in order to perform the job and fit with the organisation's way of working and culture.

You will have noted the How ascertained? column in the table. This signals the need to think

through how you will measure or assess the specification you are looking for.

Table 1: Person specification for the position of Buying Department Manager

Characteristics Essential/minimum Desirable How ascertained?

Physical attributes Good health record Excellent health

record

Medical report

Few absences from

work

Previous employers'

sickness records

Tidy appearance Smart appearance

Creates goodimpression on others

Interview

Capable of working

for long hours under

pressure

Give examples at

interview

Mental attributes Top 50 per cent for

general intelligence,

Top 30 per cent for

general intelligence,

Possible use of selection

tests


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verbal ability and

numerical ability

verbal ability and

numerical ability

Education and

qualifications

Good general school

results with particular

aptitude for English

Two A-levels (post-16

higher examination)

or equivalentCertificate or Diploma

in Management

Qualification certificates

Membership of

professional body

Membership of

professional institute

Documentation

Experience, training

and skills

Five years experience

in purchasing

Ten years experience

in purchasing

Curriculum vitae (CV)

Two years experience

of supervising small

office or section

Successful record of

supervising qualified

staff

CV/interview: examples

Successful

completion of

reputable

management training

course

Attendance/qualification

certificates

Good social skills

Fluent in two

European languages,

including English

Ability to write good

reports and

understand basic

financial information

Ability to plan,

organise, coordinate

and control work

under pressure

CV/interview: examples

Personality Career record shows

ability to adjust to

normal social

circumstances

Mature and socially

well adjusted

Interview

Thrives on challenge

and change and has an

ability to develop new

approaches to the

work

Able to communicate

at all levels

Interview

Evidence of

experience of dealing

CV


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with external clients

Special

circumstances

Able to work overtime

and at weekends

Willing to work long

hours when required,

and to transfer to

other locations inEurope

Person's experience

Able to travel to

suppliers

Fully mobile with

valid driving licence

Interview

(Source: based on Cowling and Mailer, 1981, p. 19)


If you have a job description for your current post, construct a person specification for the job

based on a format similar to that in Table 1. Decide what you think should be in the personspecification, even if this differs from any actual person specification there may be for your job.

Alternatively, or in addition, you could do this for a person who works with or for you. If you do

not have a description for your current job, try to work from the main duties and

responsibilities you have. (This may convince you that it is easier to work from a fairly thorough

job description.) Also, in constructing this person specification, try to indicate some person-

organisation fit requirements which may be relevant to your own situation.

Physical attributes Mental attributes

Education and qualifications Experience, training and skills Personality Special circumstances

When you have completed this task, check what you have written, bearing the following points

in mind.

Have you thought about the qualities needed to cope with the difficult parts of thejob?

Have you considered any particular qualities that would be required to fit the cultureof the organisation?

How carefully have you thought through the education/training needed for the work?Remember that qualifications are only one way of knowing what people have to offer.

Skills and experience gained in a whole variety of contextsfor example parenting,

voluntary work, leisure interestscan sometimes be just as relevant.

Have you included any rigid requirements based on age, physical ability or length ofpaid work experience which may be questionable on equal opportunities grounds and


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constitute indirect discrimination (specifying a criterion that would effectively debar

someone because of their ethnic group, gender, age, disability, etc.)?

Have you said which qualities and attributes would be essential and which desirable?Remember, if something is essential you should be able to justify it.

Is the specification credible? Do such people exist? Are they likely to apply for thesalary offered? What are the options if the answers to these questions are probablyno'?

Recruiting and Selecting Internal Candidates

Where an existing member of staff is applying for a post, you will already have knowledge of

their personality, skills, fit with the organisation and so on. However, whether the job they are

applying for is very similar to or different from the one they are doing currently, you need to

ensure that they receive the same treatment as other candidates. Being an internal candidate is

not easy. It can be both an advantage and a disadvantage to be known! Maintaining our theme

of objectivity, the recruitment and selection process needs to be seen by all to be fair andequitable.

Attracting Applicants

You have now established the criteria for recruiting the kind of person you are looking for; the

next step is to find someone who meets these criteria. Obviously, you must make it known to

people that a vacancy exists. Before placing an expensive advertisement in a newspaper or

professional journal you should consider alternatives. There are a variety of methods of

publicising recruitment in addition to the traditional media advertisement (see Box 2).

Box 2: Sources of recruits

Internal advertisements Advertising in a range of newspapers and professional and specialist publications Employment agencies and job centres Selection consultants who advertise on your behalf and may screen applicants Executive search consultants (headhunters) who will try to track down suitable

candidates for your post

Introductions by existing staff, word of mouth. To prevent discrimination this shouldbe accompanied by more formal mechanisms

Previous applicants Unsolicited applications The Internet School or university contacts Planned promotions from formal assessment schemes


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Advertising

If you are managing the recruitment process by a traditional route you will now need to

consider advertising the vacancy. Your organisation may have a specific policy or rules

governing advertising. The cost of advertising can constitute a significant proportion of any

recruitment expenditure and you need to ensure you get an effective response at the leastpossible cost. The important factors are:

the content of the advertisement (key elements of the job, location, salary, etc.) the medium used to carry the advertisement (national paper, professional journal, local

magazine, etc.)

the timing of the advertisement.Where you advertise the job is important. If you are looking for specialist skills, then targeting

professional journals may be more effective than using a national newspaper. If you are

attempting to encourage applicants from specific groups such as people with disabilities, then

the websites or magazines of particular societies may be an option.

Just as the content of the advertisement should encourage suitable people to apply for the job,

it should also discourage unsuitable candidates from applying. Much individual and

organisational time can be wasted in sifting through unsuitable applications, and it is unfair to

applicants to raise false expectations. The information contained in the advertisement should

be taken largely from the job analysis and the job description (see Box 3).

Box 3: Contents of a job advertisement

The advertisement should be factual, truthful and relevant. Ludlow and Panton (1991) suggest

that it should contain the following:

the job title, in terms likely to be familiar to the reader; avoid jargon the name of the organisation, the nature of its activity and the location of the job the aims and responsibilities of the job the qualifications required and the experience neededthis will be a summary of the

person specification

the salary and fringe benefits; where possible, state the salary range genuine promotion prospects the manner in which applications should be made; for example asking the applicant to

send a CV, or to write or telephone for an application form and further information

the closing date, if there is one, for applications.Remember that the advertisement is a public relations opportunity for the organisation. It

needs to present the best face of the organisation in order to attract the best applicants.

Antidiscrimination employment legislation in many countries applies to most stages of the

recruitment process, including advertising. Legislation may make it illegal to discriminate, either

directly or indirectly, on the grounds of ethnicity, disability, colour, gender or marital status.


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Further Particulars, Application Forms and Paperwork

One way of offering more information than can be put into an advertisement is to send further

particulars to people who respond. These could explain, for example, current and future

developments within the organisation. If your organisation already has a standard application

form, you will almost certainly use that. Otherwise, you could ask applicants to write a letter ofapplication, possibly accompanied by a CV. It is also useful to ask for details of referees at this

stage, but bear in mind that candidates might have objections to them being contacted before

the job is offered.

Handling the administration of the recruitment process is largely a clerical activitybut that

does not mean you can ignore it. Here are a few points you should bear in mind:

Candidates will be particularly anxious to know what is happening, so you will probablyneed to brief the switchboard and your colleagues or secretary to handle expected calls.

Application forms and further particulars should be ready to go out immediately after acandidate contacts the organisation. Keep records of the people to whom they are sent.

Keep a record of returned application forms, and acknowledge these by return of post,preferably with some indication of what the next step will be. If costs prevent this, invite

applicants to include a stamped addressed envelope if they require acknowledgement

of receipt.

Give as much notice as possible to those whom you intend to interview, giving themsome choice of date and time if that is feasible, and ask them if they have any special

needs. They should also be given a name and telephone number to contact if they have

any queries. Make sure they know where and when to attend for the interview.

Send a courteous letter to those who are not shortlisted as soon as you are certain theywill not be required.

If you intend to take up references, you should send out letters as soon as possible,allowing plenty of time for the references to arrive before the date of the interviews.

But make sure candidates are happy for you to ask for references from their current

employer before you send out the letters.

Keep detailed records of all correspondence at every stage.Shortlisting

It is common to shortlist up to six applicants per position, but the exact number may reflect the

time you have available for interviewing and the strength of the applicants. The important point

is to ensure that as far as possible you finish up with the best possible candidates on theshortlist. This can best be achieved by approaching the task systematically. In other words, the

systematic use of criteria as detailed in the job specification should be preferred to reliance on

intuition. It is sensible to reject those applications that do not match these key criteria closely. If

feasible, keeping a set of notes as you shortlist is a good idea. This helps you to remember or

explain the grounds on which you decided to interview or reject each candidate.


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information local Chamber of

Commerce

Professional

Diploma in

Management;

fluent English and

Danish

Professional

Diploma in

Management

German and

French; studying

for MBA

Who would you shortlist? Why did you make this choice?

The following table might help you to make a decision. It records whether each candidate

reaches the minimum or the desirable level.

Terry Churchill Anne Olsen Colin Compton Renate Schmidt

Education Desirable Minimum Desirable Desirable

Further

education

Desirable Desirable Desirable Desirable

Professional

qualifications

Desirable Minimum Desirable None

Experience of

purchasing

Desirable (too

much?)

Possibly Desirable Desirable

Management of

people

Desirable Minimum Minimum Desirable

Languages None Some None Desirable

Travel Desirable Desirable Possibly Desirable

Several of the characteristics on the job specification are impossible to determine from a

candidate's application form. And several of the observable characteristics require some

guesswork. You must, therefore, be careful not to put too much weight on subjective

judgements. However, the following factors may affect your decision.

Anne Olsen seems the least qualified candidate, mainly because the buying skills required for a

retail shop are likely to be very different from the buying skills that you are looking for.

Colin Compton seems excellent, apart from his lack of a driving licence and his conviction. Buthe lives locally and could easily get to work. How essential is a driving licence for the fortnightly

visits to suppliers? As for the conviction, he has paid the penaltyshould he be further

disadvantaged?

Terry Churchill seems an excellent candidate, but two factors might have influenced you against

him: his age and his experience. He is 58 years old and he seems very senior. Is he too senior?

But is that a fair question to ask? His motivation for applying is important, not his age. It is


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important to ask questions in order to reveal whether the candidate is able to do the job, and

not for other reasons.

Two factors appear to weaken Renate Schmidt's application: she is not a member of a

professional body and she needs to relocate. However, in Germany it is not common for people

to join professional bodies and she has applied for the job in the knowledge that she mustrelocate.

References

References can be useful, but they do have some limitations: no one would supply the name of

a referee who was likely to give a bad reference. However, it is always a good idea to request

them of the candidates who have been shortlisted (but, as we have already said, bear in mind

that some candidates may not want their employers approached until they have actually been

offered a job). It is helpful for referees if you enclose all the information sent out to the

prospective candidate and point out clearly any essential requirements of the job. You maywant to ask specific questions relating to the candidate's suitability in certain areas.

Candidates Make Decisions Too

In the past people have tended to see selection primarily as organisations choosing between

individuals. However, we must not forget that candidates are also making choices: about

whether to write in for an application form, whether to apply, whether to attend an interview,

whether to accept an offered job. This makes it important for organisations to treat candidates

in a sensitive and responsive manner. They will need to pay attention to their recruitment

materials, to provide realistic job descriptions and to be aware of how candidates are treated.

Recruitment processes vary between sectors and between organisations. They are also

constantly changing (Box 4).

Box 4: Internet recruitment

There has been a significant increase in the use of the Internet for recruitment purposes. One

way of using the Internet is to post vacancy advertisements on some of the specially created

job boards electronic versions of a newspaper's situations pages. Another method is to

incorporate a recruitment section in a company website. Although there are capital costs to

this, they may represent a modest investment considering the price of national newspaperadvertisements and the potential long-term use of a website. Organisations need to encourage

potential recruits to visit the site by placing small advertisements on job boards and in the press

indicating the organisation's web address.

The audience for recruitment websites has been concentrated in younger age groups and

professional occupations, although this is likely to broaden out. Recruitment costs may be

reducedsome US firms claim a 45 per cent saving by using the Internet.


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Criteria for success are that visitors to a company website should find it convenient to use, up

to date and offering online application facilities. The advantage to the organisation is the

technical simplicity of adding applicant details to its database and in conducting online dialogue

with applicants about job and career requirements so that they can be advised when a suitable

vacancy arises.

Thus the Internet offers several attractions to both recruiters and job hunters.

Methods of selection

The Interview as a Selection Method: Pros and Cons

Traditionally, the interview has been the main means of assessing the suitability of candidates

for a job. Almost all organisations use the interview at some stage in their selection process.

Similarly, most applicants expect to be interviewed. Interviews are useful for assessing suchpersonal characteristics as practical intelligence and interpersonal and communication skills.

The interview can be used for answering applicants questions, selling the organisation and

negotiating terms and conditions. It is a matter of debate whether an interview accurately

assesses ability at work, relevant experience and work skills. A further problem with interviews

is that factors that are not related to the job influence the decision: clothing, colour, ethnic

origin, gender, accent, physical features or a disability might be such factors. There is also

evidence that interviewers make decisions very rapidly on little information. You need to be

aware of the potential pitfalls in using selection interviews and may choose to supplement

them with a variety of tests. Some of these are considered below.

Tests as a Selection Tool

There are various types of tests and ways in which they might be used as part of the selection

process (see Box 5). Before using any kind of test you should ensure that you know why you are

using it and how it relates to the job specification.

Box 5: Selection tests

Aptitude tests

Tests of physical ability: used for the selection of manual workers. For example, a test ofthe ability to perform lifting operations might be used.

Mental ability tests: tests of literacy, numeracy and intelligence. Analogous tests: tests which simulate some of the actual tasks in the job, for example a

typing or word-processing test for secretaries. Group problem-solving exercises and

presentations may be suitable for managerial jobs.


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Personality tests

The use of these in selection comes from the assumption that certain jobs require certain

personalities and that tests can identify them. The most common form of personality test is

questionnaires designed to rate respondents on various personality dimensions. The individual

is rated for being persuasive, socially confident, competitive, decisive, introspective, artistic,conceptual, traditional, independent, extravert, stable, optimistic, and so on. Most reputable

personality tests need to be administered and scored by trained and licensed users.

Organisations selling personality tests usually recommend that they are not the only method

used for selection.

Assessment centre

This is a process, rather than a place, that uses a number of selection techniques in

combination. A typical assessment centre would assemble 12 applicants after screening and

subject them to tests such as intelligence tests, presentations, group work and interviews.

Tests can be very useful in the selection process as they actually replicate certain parts of the

job, whereas a selection interview can only indicate whether the person has that ability.

However, most tests are time-consuming to administer and can be used indiscriminately. It

would be very unusual to use a test as the sole means of selecting and, particularly with

personality tests, it should not be the major evidence on which the decision to appoint or not is

made. Very often the results of personality tests are used in interviews as the basis for further

investigation and questioning about an applicant's abilities.

The Selection Interview

The aim of the selection interview is to determine whether the candidate is interested in the

job and competent to do it. A selection interview also has the following functions:

to explain the work of the organisation, the job and any features such as induction andprobation

to set expectations on both sides, including a realistic discussion of any potentialdifficulties (if appropriate)

to enable the candidate to assess whether they want the job being offered.Selection interviews are not easy to conduct and it is preferablesome organisations insist on

itthat everyone involved has participated in some kind of training. Most managers believethey can interview competently but probably few have subjected their interviewing practice to

close scrutiny and thought about how they can improve their performance. Important decisions

have to be made, such as how many people should be on the interview panel, who would be

the most appropriate people, and what role they should play. One-to-one selection interviews

are difficult to conduct, not least because there is more likelihood of subjectivity creeping in.


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Preparation is an extremely important stage in the process. Box 6 indicates four factors to

consider in preparing for an interview and gives some examples.

Box 6: Considerations in interview preparation

What does the interviewer(s) need for the interview? Job description, person specification Individual application forms, CVs, etc. Details of terms and conditions of employment: hours of work, fringe benefits, perks,

etc.

Information on general prospects, training, induction etc. within the organisationWhat does the candidate need?

Details of venue; to be met on arrival Access to facilities: toilets, any special needs for candidates with disabilities Comfortable waiting area

Location requirements

Suitable room and layout: consider whether formal or informal and what type of settingto create

Freedom from interruptions and other discomforts and distractions such as extraneousnoise, uncomfortable furniture, extremes of temperature, etc.

Appropriate access for people with special needsRequirements of a good interview

A structured interview plan enabling the interviewer(s) to assess what they are lookingfor in the candidate and whether the person:o could do the job (assessment against the person specification)o would do the job (judgements of motivation and commitment)o would fit (elements of person-organisation fit) (Note: a well-developed person

specification should include criteria relating to all three areas.)

A clear idea of the areas of questioning for each candidate to check that they fulfil thecriteria

Agreement on the roles of those involved in the interview if there is a panel: who willchair and how questions will be divided among the panel members in an organised way

A disciplined approach to timing: enough time for each candidate and not too manycandidates per day

Interviews have distinct and recognisable stages, and individuals have certain expectations

about what should happen when, but try not to become routinised or mechanistic in your

approach.


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Structuring the Interview

Introduction and starting

In a panel interview one member will need to take the chair; this person will then be

responsible for initiating, controlling and closing the interview. It is also the role of the chair tolink and control the contributions of the panel members.

If you are the chair, you should always introduce the panel members to the candidate and

explain how the interview will be conducted. A relaxed and skilful lead interviewer will then

continue to establish and maintain rapport throughout the exchange with the candidate.

The main body of the interview

Your main objective is to gather information. A practical target is to expect the candidate to talk

for 70 per cent of the time. Example 2 describes the kind of conduct to avoid wheninterviewing.

Example 2: Interview weaknesses

David was really pleased to have been asked to an interview for the job of Project Manager. He

spent a lot of time preparing for the interview, finding out more about the organisation in his

local library and collating the documentation required, such as qualification certificates,

additional references and so on.

On the day of the interview, David arrived early but was not asked into the interview room until

30 minutes after his allotted time. The first thing he was asked to do by a member of the panel

was describe your major weaknesses and what you have done to overcome them. This

completely floored David and he struggled to respond. It was not a good start. A second

member of the panel quizzed him closely about his fluency in other languages but was sharply

reminded by his colleague that it was not that job they were interviewing for. The third

member of the panel asked some relevant questions, but all the time David was talking he was

looking through a pile of papers on the desk in front of him.

David received a letter a week later offering him the job; he decided not to accept.

Some essential interviewing skills are outlined below.

Effective questioning. The level of detail you require from a question should determine the way

you ask it. Some questions have a very broad focus and will stimulate the candidate to talk at

length while you look out for specific things you want to check on. When you find something,

you can zoom in on it and ask a probing question so that you receive a precise answer (a

closed question). The skill in questioning is, therefore, to frame your questions to suit your


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purpose. When you open up a new area of enquiry, you need to use open questions that will

start the candidate talking. Take care not to make them too broad, especially in the early

stages, or you will leave the candidate floundering and wondering what to say. As you identify

specific items that you want to concentrate on, you can start to focus your questions using

different types as appropriate.

Another common approach is the use of questions about specific incidents from the past that

demonstrate the candidate's suitability for the current job. This is sometimes known as

behavioural interviewing. Consider approaches to assessing whether someone is a good project

manager. You could say to them, Tell me what you know about project management. Equally,

you could ask, How would you ensure that a project runs to plan? The skilful interviewee will

take this opportunity to present their wide range of knowledge about project management

approaches and techniques, almost textbook fashion. However, does this mean that they are a

good project manager in practice? An alternative approach would be to ask them about actual

instances when they have managed projects and what they did to ensure the success of the

project. For example, a question such as Tell me about the most complex project you have hadto manage in the past will open up the discussion. You could then listen for cues to probe

specifically what they contributed to that project in order to assess their project management

skills. The interviewee might say, There was one particular project that was really difficult as

we were working to such tight deadlines, but we met them. The interviewer's probing question

would be something like, What did you do personally to ensure that the deadlines were met?

The probing is used to elicit actual examples of what someone has done in the past to show

they are skilled in a particular area. This can be much more effective than asking hypothetical

questions that only test a person's knowledge.

Some examples of questions you might ask in relation to other aspects of managerial jobs are

set out in Table 2.

Table 2: Examples of behavioural questions for managerial jobs

Aspect of job Possible questions

Developing staff What has been your most satisfying

experience in the past of developing a staff

member? What did you do specifically to

achieve it?

Managing conflict Tell me about a time when you have had to

mediate in a conflict between two people.What did you do?

Representing your group or organisation What has been the most difficult

representational role you have had to perform

in the past? How did you ensure that the best

interests of the group/organisation were

safeguarded?


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There are some general points about interview questions:

The questions should be capable of eliciting information that is relevant to success orfailure at work.

They should not be random or overlapping; rather, they should be comprehensive,grouped in an organised way and clearly distinguishable.

Similar areas of questioning should be used for all candidates. The questions should allow you to compare each candidate with the job/person

specification.

We have been looking at examples of questions about the job itself, but how can you assess the

degree of fit between the person and the organisation, as discussed previously? Box 7 provides

some examples of questions related to fit with the organisation which you might find useful.

Box 7: Examples of organisation fit questions

Could you compare the cultures of the organisations where you have worked beforeand say how the differences affected your behaviour at work?

Where were you happiest at work? (followed by) What was it about the place that madeyou feel like this?

Why did you decide to join each of the organisations you have worked for? What factors will cause you to decide whether or not to leave your current employer? How is your effectiveness measured in your present job? How do you cope with working in teams? What are the things you have regretted leaving behind at places where you have

worked in the past?

(Source: based on Billsberry, 2000, pp. 1567)

Controlling the flow of the interview. This is the second key interview skill: the ability to keep a

candidate talking about the things you need to know about. Different kinds of interview require

different levels of control. A good interviewer can adjust their style to the particular

circumstances of the interview while it is in progress. To be able to control the direction and

flow of the interview so that it corresponds closely with the plan, an interviewer needs to be

aware of the control mechanisms available. These can be the types of questions asked and

encouraging sounds and body language, such as maintaining eye contact, sitting forward,

nodding and smiling as appropriate.

Using listening skills. Your third essential skill is active listening. This means you need to

concentrate, give all your attention to someone and, where appropriate, summarise and reflect

on what they say. Be aware of factorspersonal and environmentalthat can interfere with

your ability to receive and interpret signals, such as noise outside the room, room temperature

and clarity of speech.


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Evaluating the information. Your fourth skill is concerned with assessing what you hear from

the candidate. As the interview proceeds you will need to be assessing whether the answers to

your questions are producing useful evidence of job suitability, or are superficial and raise

doubts about suitability.

Closing and Deciding

Drawing the interview to a close

Up to now we have been considering how to control and conduct the main body of an

interview. There remains, however, the need to draw it to a satisfactory close. You should

remember that, while you are trying to select the best candidate, the candidates are also

selecting you. You need to remember that you as an interviewer are being assessed and

selected, and you need to ensure your presentational and interpersonal skills are up to the job.

When you are satisfied that you have all the information you require, it is important that yougive the candidate two invitations:

first, to tell you about anything that has not been covered, or to expand on anythingthat has not been adequately covered (for example, a relevant accomplishment that the

candidate wants you to know about)

second, to ask you questions in order to clarify any features of the job or the terms andconditions associated with it.

Only when the candidate has had this opportunity should you begin concluding the interview. It

is good practice to summarise any agreements or understandings that may have been reached

and to give a clear indication of what is likely to happen next, and when.

Reaching a final decision

Having seen all the candidates, you can now start to pull together your notes and impressions

and make a final decision. It is probably worth allowing a little time to gather your thoughts

and/or discuss initial observations with colleagues or the interview panel after every interview

so that your memory is not confused. The person specification should again play a major role in

your final decision. Your questions should have been geared to elicit the necessary information

from each applicant to enable you to ascertain their suitability against the agreed criteria.

Example 3 shows the importance of meeting the person specification.

Example 3: Meeting the criteria

In the city hospital, the Personnel Manager was called upon by the Outpatients supervisor to

help in a case of poor performancethe individual concerned was generally offhand with staff

and patients and was only meeting minimum standards in her written work. She had been in

post for about six months.


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The Personnel Manager asked about the appointment. The supervisor admitted that the

individual's references had not been all that impressive. She also admitted later: No one on the

panel wanted to appoint her but she met all the criteria so we felt we had towe can never

recruit to these posts anyway.

The Personnel Manager was worried by this and made a mental note to talk to her colleaguesabout it. She was aware that it was extremely difficult to fill advertised posts in certain

departments in the hospital. However, she felt strongly that this should not result in the

appointment of staff who did not meet the person specification. More thought was required in

terms of where the posts were advertised and the shortlisting and interviewing skills of staff in

the hospital.

The planning of the selection process will help you to reach an objective decision, but intuition

cannot be completely ignored. What is important is that you can explain objectively

preferably to colleagues and not just to yourselfthe basis of your intuition. If you feel that

one candidate would fit perfectly into your team, what is it preciselythat gives you thatimpression?


Think back to the most recent interview you have participated in, either as an interviewer or as

an interviewee. With the models and suggestions of this session in mind:

Identify and explain at least one positive aspect of the way the interview wasconducted.

Identify and explain at least one weak aspect of it. Make a note of three things from this session that you will try to apply when next

conducting an interview.

There is no universal formula for conducting interviews successfully. Your own style and your

panel's self-confidence in pursuing what they want to ascertain are important ingredients of an

effective interview. However, the discussion of common pitfalls and proven techniques may

help you to increase your confidence and effectiveness in this important selection medium.

Summary

This unit has looked at specifying the requirements of a job by drawing up a job description and

a person specification. We considered how you might indicate the qualities required ofindividuals in relation to person-organisation fit as well as the more traditional approach of

person-job fit. We then considered various methods of attracting candidates and the process of

arriving at a shortlist. We have stressed the importance of preparing for the selection process,

be it an interview alone or with accompanying tests. The importance of effective interviewing

skills was also emphasised.


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Objective recruitment requires preparation and an awareness of the tendency ofrecruiters to look positively on similarities with themselves and negatively on

differences (halo and horns effects).

The personjob fit approach concentrates on measuring the candidate's attributes inrelation to the specific job vacancy.

The personorganisation fit approach considers how well suited the candidate is to theorganisation.

The key stages of good selection are: the job analysis; the job description; the personspecification.

Applicants can be attracted by a wide range of media, but all advertising requireseffective back-up recruitment administration, including the shortlisting and reference

processes.

Job advertisements need to be carefully constructed to attract high-quality applicants. Aptitude and personality tests can supplement interviews, sometimes using assessment

centres.

Key features of effective selection interviews include:

training of interviewers composition of panel preparation, including details of who will ask which questions timing role of panel chair the candidate doing most of the talking open and behavioural questions organisation fit questions controlling the flow listening skills closure using the person specification to reach final decisions

References

Billsberry, J. (2000) Finding and keeping the Right People, 2nd edn, London, Prentice-Hall

Cowling, A.G. and Mailer, C.J.B (1981) Managing Human Resources, London, EdwardArnold.

Ludlow, R. and Panton, F. (1991) The Essence of Successful Staff Selection, London,Prentice-Hall.


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Acknowledgements

The content acknowledged below is Proprietary (see terms and conditions) and is used under

licence.

Grateful acknowledgement is made to the following sources for permission to reproduce

material in this product:

Box 1Reprinted from "Managing Human Resources", Cowling, A.G. and Mailer, C.J.R.,p.9, 1981, with permission from Elsevier;

Example 1Reprinted from "Managing Human Resources", Cowling, A.G. and Mailer,C.J.R., pp 12-13, 1981, with permission from Elsevier;

Table 1Reprinted from "Managing Human Resources", Cowling, A.G. and Mailer, C.J.R.,p.19, 1981, with permission from Elsevier

Documents

HR - Recruitment and Selection