Recruitment and Selection

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

RECRUITMENT, INTERVIEW AND SELECTION

INTRODUCTION

A business, also known as an enterprise or a firm, is an organization involved in

the trade of goods, services, or both consumers. Businesses are prevalent

in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and provide goods and

services to customers in exchange for other goods, services, or money. Businesses may also

be not-for-profit or state-owned. A business owned by multiple individuals may be referred

to as a company.

Business can refer to a particular organization or to an entire market sector, e.g. "the

music business". Compound forms such as agribusiness represent subsets of the word's

broader meaning, which encompasses all activity by suppliers of goods and services. The

goal is for sales to be more than expenditures resulting in a profit

An organization or organisation (see spelling differences) is an entity comprising

multiple people, such as an institution or an association, that has a collective goal and is

linked to an external environment [citation needed].

The word is derived from the Greek word organon, which means "organ".

There are a variety of legal types of organisations, including corporations, governments, non-

governmental organisations, political organizations, international organisations, armed forces,

charities, not-for-profit corporations, partnerships, cooperatives, and educational institutions.

ST.PHILOMENA’S COLLEGEPage 1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agribusiness

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_sector

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Company

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government-owned_corporation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-profit_organization

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_property

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitalism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_(economics)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_(economics)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization

A hybrid organisation is a body that operates in both the public sector and the private

sector simultaneously, fulfilling public duties and developing commercial market activities.

A voluntary association is an organisation consisting of volunteers. Such

organisations may be able to operate without legal formalities, depending on jurisdiction,

including informal clubs.

Organisations may also operate in secret and/or illegally in the case of secret

societies, criminal organisations and resistance movements.

Human resource management (HRM, or simply HR) is a function in organizations

designed [by whom?] to maximize employee performance in service of an employer's

strategic objectives. HR is primarily concerned with the management of people within

organizations, focusing on policies and on systems. HR departments and units in

organizations typically undertake a number of activities, including employee recruitment,

"training and development", performance appraisal, and rewarding (e.g., managing pay and

benefit systems). HR also concerns itself with industrial relations, that is, the balancing of

organizational practices with requirements arising from collective bargaining and from

governmental laws.

HR is a product of the human relations movement of the early 20th century, when

researchers began documenting ways of creating business value through the strategic

management of the workforce. The function was initially dominated by transactional work,

such as payroll and benefits administration, but due to globalization, company consolidation,

technological advances, and further research, HR as of 2015 focuses on strategic initiatives

like mergers and acquisitions, talent management, succession planning, industrial and labor

relations, and diversity and inclusion.


In start up companies, trained professionals may perform HR duties. In larger

companies, an entire functional group is typically dedicated to the discipline, with staff

specializing in various HR tasks and functional leadership engaging in strategic decision-

making across the business. To train practitioners for the profession, institutions of higher

education, professional associations, and companies themselves have established programs of

study dedicated explicitly to the duties of the function. Academic and practitioner

organizations likewise seek to engage and further the field of HR, as evidenced by several

field-specific publications. HR is also a field of research study that is popular within the

fields of management and industrial/organizational psychology, with research articles

appearing in a number of academic journals, including those mentioned later in this article.

In the current global work environment, most companies focus on lowering employee

turnover and on retaining the talent and knowledge held by their workforce.[citation needed]

New hiring not only entails a high cost but also increases the risk of a newcomer not being

able to replace the person who worked in a position before. HR departments strive to offer

benefits that will appeal to workers, thus reducing the risk of losing corporate knowledge.

Recruitment refers to the overall process of attracting, selecting and appointing

suitable candidates for jobs (either permanent or temporary) within an organization.

Recruitment can also refer to processes involved in choosing individuals for unpaid positions,

such as voluntary roles or unpaid trainee roles. Managers, human resource generalists and

recruitment specialists may be tasked with carrying out recruitment, but in some cases public-

sector employment agencies, commercial recruitment agencies, or specialist search

consultancies are used to undertake parts of the process. Internet-based technologies to

support all aspects of recruitment have become widespread.


Selection is the process used to hire (or, less commonly, promote) individuals.

Although the term can apply to all aspects of the process (recruitment, selection, hiring,

acculturation, etc.) the most common meaning focuses on the selection of workers. In this

respect, selected prospects are separated from rejected applicants with the intention of

choosing the person who will be the most successful and make the most valuable

contributions to the organization.

The professional standards of industrial-organizational psychologists (I-O

psychologists) require that any selection system be based on a job analysis to ensure that the

selection criteria are job-related. The requirements for a selection system are knowledge,

skills, ability, and other characteristics, known as KSAOs. US law also recognizes bona fide

occupational qualifications (BFOQs), which are requirements for a job which would be

discriminatory were they not necessary—such as only employing men as wardens of

maximum-security male prisons, enforcing a mandatory retirement age for airline pilots, or a

religious college only employing professors of its religion to teach its theology.

Personnel selection systems employ evidence-based practices to determine the most

qualified candidates and involve both the newly hired and those individuals who can be

promoted from within the organization. Common selection tools include ability tests (e.g.,

cognitive, physical, or psychomotor), knowledge tests, personality tests, structured

interviews, the systematic collection of biographical data, and work samples. Development

and implementation of such screening methods is sometimes done by human resources

departments; larger organizations hire consultants or firms that specialize in developing

personnel selection systems. I-O psychologists must evaluate evidence regarding the extent to

which selection tools predict job performance, evidence that bears on the validity of selection

tools. These procedures are usually validated (shown to be job relevant), using one or more of


the following types of validity: content validity, construct validity, and/or criterion-related

validity.

When focusing on the recruitment and selection of employees for your business, there

are some general considerations you should always keep in mind:

The first point to recognise about recruitment is that it is a process with a number of

key stages, all of which combine to enhance your chances of finding the best candidates

available for any advertised position.

It is also worth pointing out that in terms of leading and managing employees if you

are not recruiting the best people available, then it is always going to be an uphill struggle to

manage them day-to-day.

Another general rule is that when seeking to fill any vacancy you should always

consider the internal candidates that could be promoted to the available post and then recruit

externally for the more junior position.

Too often senior managers pay scant attention to the recruitment process and only

become actively involved when a senior post is being filled, or at the end of the process for a

quick ‘final’ interview. This is a mistake and you should be concerned with the quality and

suitability of every employee who joins your business.

It is often assumed that interviewing is something that any experienced manager can

do. Again, this is a mistake: yes, anybody can conduct an interview, but few can do it well

unless they are appropriately trained. Nobody in your business should conduct interviews

without adequate training.


There are many legal issues associated with the recruitment process and you should

familiarise yourself with all relevant legislation. The principle objective of the recruitment

process should be to recruit, select and appoint employees appropriate to the present and

future needs of your business.

Recruitment and Selection Policy

In seeking to define and communicate your company’s approach to recruitment and

selection, if you don’t already have one in place, it is useful to prepare an overall policy to set

the parameters for how you manage this vital area. Such a policy provides for both internal

and external communication of your commitments in this area but also ensures that fairness

and transparency apply. A sample policy is shown at the end of this guide.


CHAPTER 2


Recruitment

Refers to the overall process of attracting, selecting and appointing suitable candidates

for jobs (either permanent or temporary) within an organization. Recruitment can also refer to

processes involved in choosing individuals for unpaid positions, such as voluntary roles or

unpaid trainee roles. Managers, human resource generalists and recruitment specialists may

be tasked with carrying out recruitment, but in some cases public-sector employment

agencies, commercial recruitment agencies, or specialist search consultancies are used to

undertake parts of the process. Internet-based technologies to support all aspects of

recruitment have become widespread.

Process

These are the steps taken by a recruiter in order to select the best qualified candidate

for a position/job in an organization. The "process" is a guide to how recruitment and

selection should be carried out.


1. Job analysis

In situations where multiple new jobs are created and recruited for the first time, or

the nature of a job has substantially changed, a job analysis might be undertaken to document

the knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics (KSAOs) required or sought for the

job. From these the relevant information is captured in such documents as job descriptions

and job specifications. Often, a company already has job descriptions for existing positions.

Where already drawn up, these documents may require review and updating to reflect

current requirements. Prior to the recruitment stage, a person specification should be finalized

to provide the recruiters with the project's requirements and objectives.

2. Sourcing

Sourcing is the use of one or more strategies to attract or identify candidates to fill job

vacancies. It may involve internal and/or external recruitment advertising, using appropriate

media, such as local or national newspapers, specialist recruitment media, professional

publications, window advertisements, job centers, or in a variety of ways via the internet.

Alternatively, employers may use recruitment consultancies or agencies to find

otherwise scarce candidates—who, in many cases, may be content in their current positions

and are not actively looking to move. This initial research for candidates—also called name

generation—produces contact information for potential candidates, whom the recruiter can

then discreetly contact and screen.

3. Screening and selection

Recruiters typically assess suitability for a job by looking for a candidate with the

KSAOs (see above) desirable for that job. They determine these via one or more of:


Screening résumés or curriculum vitae (CVs)

4. Job applications

Biographical information blanks—assessments that ask for a more extensive

background than applications

5. Job interviews.

Various psychological tests can assess a variety of KSAOs, including literacy.

Assessments are also available to measure physical ability. Recruiters and agencies may use

applicant tracking systems to filter candidates, along with software tools for psychometric

testing and performance-based assessment. In many countries, employers are legally

mandated to ensure their screening and selection processes meet equal opportunity and

ethical standards. Some employers seek to go further than the bare minimum of "equal

opportunity awareness" among hiring staff, by specifically seeking to create diversity in their

workforces.

Employers are likely to recognize the value of candidates who encompass soft skills

such as interpersonal or team leadership.[citation needed] Many companies, including

multinational organizations and those that recruit from a range of nationalities, are also often

concerned about whether candidates fits the prevailing company culture.

Disabled candidates

The word disability carries few positive connotations for most employers. Research

has shown that employer biases tend to improve through first-hand experience and exposure

with proper supports for the employee and the employer making the hiring decisions. As for

most companies, money and job stability are two of the contributing factors to the


productivity of a disabled employee, which in return equates to the growth and success of a

business. Hiring disabled workers produce more advantages than disadvantages.[5] Disabled

workers are more likely to stay with the company and make their a work a career than most

due to the fact that they appreciate having a job and are more stable because they can work at

high levels.[citation needed] There is no difference in the daily production of a disabled

worker. Given their situation, they are more likely to adapt to their environmental

surroundings and acquaint themselves with equipment, enabling them to solve problems and

overcome adversity as with other employees. The U.S. IRS grants companies Disabled

Access Credit when they meet eligibility criteria. These funds can assist with costs of

reasonable accommodations and other expenses such as supervision and assistance of those

who encounter problems, or the hiring of more qualified personnel (to cover for a supervisor

when they are unavailable). Ensuring adequate space and property changes such as ramps,

restricting parking spaces, and posting handicap signs can be fairly inexpensive. Sometimes

companies lose skilled workers due to the depth of responsibility entailed in overseeing

employees that are disabled.


Sources of Recruitment

The different sources of recruitment are classified into two categories,

Internal: sources of recruitment are from within the organisation.

External: sources of recruitment are from outside the organisation.

1. INTERNAL SOURCES

Internal sourcing is the practice of advertising a new or recently vacated position

within a business to existing employees. More businesses have come to use internal sourcing

as a method to recruit employees upward or laterally within the company because little or no

training is needed, and expenses that include advertising for a new employee and running

background checks are spared. It also fosters loyalty and parity among team members .

Internal sources are as follows:

1. Promotions:

Promotion means to give a higher position, status, salary and


responsibility to the employee. So, the vacancy can be filled by promoting a suitable

candidate from the same organisation.

2. Transfers:

Transfer means a change in the place of employment without any change in

the position, status, salary and responsibility of the employee. So, the vacancy can be

filled by transferring a suitable candidate from the same organisation.

3. Internal Advertisements:

Here, the vacancy is advertised within the organisation. The existing

employees are asked to apply for the vacancy. So, recruitment is done from within the

organisation.

4. Retired Managers:

Sometimes, retired managers may be recalled for a short period. This is done

when the organisation cannot find a suitable candidate.

5. Recall from Long Leave:

The organisation may recall a manager who has gone on a long leave.

This is done when the organisation faces a problem which can only be solved by that

particular manager. After he solves the problem, his leave is extended.

Square Merits of Internal Sources

The benefits / advantages / merits of using internal sources of recruitment:-

1. It is time saving, economical, simple and reliable.

2. There is no need of induction training because the candidate already knows

everything about the organisation, the work, the employee, the rules and regulations,

etc.


3. It motivates the employees of work hard in order to get higher jobs in the same

organisation.

4. It increases the morale of the employees and it improves the relations in the

organisation.

5. It reduce executive turnover.

6. It develops loyalty and a sense of responsibility.

Square Demerits of Internal Sources

The limitations / demerits of using internal sources of recruitment:-

1. It prevents new blood from entering the organisation. New blood brings innovative

ideas, fresh thinking and dynamism into the organisation.

2. It has limited scope because it is not possible to fill up all types of vacancies from

within the organisation.

3. The position of the person who is promoted or transferred will be vacant.

4. There may be bias or partiality in promoting or transferring persons from within the

organisation.

5. Those who are not promoted will be unhappy.

6. The right person may be promoted or transferred only if proper confidential reports of

all employees are maintained. This involves a lot of time, money and energy.


2. EXTERNAL SOURCES

External sourcing is a method of recruitment that conducts an employee candidate

search through external recruitment tools, such as job boards, newspaper advertisements and

trade publication announcements. This method favors bringing in job candidates that may or

may not have direct experience in your small business' line of work; a candidate within a

satellite field may offer a fresh, out-of-the-box perspective to the organization. External

sourcing is also used when the open position is not able to be filled by a current employee

because of the technicality or specialty of the position. Small Business recommends that you

know exactly what type of job candidate you are looking for before advertising the position

and accepting resumes.

The external sources of recruitment are:-

1. Management Consultants:

Management consultants are used for selecting higher-level staff. They act as a

representative of the employer. They make all the necessary arrangements for

recruitment and selection. In return for their services, they take a service charge or

commission.

2. Public Advertisements:

The Personnel department of a company advertises the vacancy in

newspapers, the internet, etc. This advertisement gives information about the

company, the job and the required qualities of the candidate. It invites applications

from suitable candidates. This source is the most popular source of recruitment. This

is because it gives a very wide choice. However, it is very costly and time consuming.

3. Campus Recruitment:

The organisation conducts interviews in the campuses of Management


institutes and Engineering Colleges. Final year students, who're soon to get graduate,

are interviewed. Suitable candidates are selected by the organisation based on their

academic record, communication skills, intelligence, etc. This source is used for

recruiting qualified, trained but inexperienced candidates.

4. Recommendations:

The organisation may also recruit candidates based on the

recommendations received from existing managers or from sister companies.

5. Deputation Personnel:

The organisation may also recruit candidates who are sent on

deputation by the Government or Financial institutions or by holding or subsidiary

companies.

Advantages of External Sources

The benefits / merits / advantages of using external sources of recruitment:-

1. It encourages young blood with new ideas to enter the organisation.

2. It offers wide scope for selection. This is because a large number of suitable

candidates will come for the selection process.


3. There are less chances of bias or partiality.

4. Here there is no need to maintain confidential records.

Limitations of External Sources

The demerits / limitations of using external sources of recruitment:-

1. It is very costly. This is because advertisements, test, medical examination etc., has to

be conducted.

2. It is very time consuming. This is because the selection process is very lengthy.

3. It may not develop loyalty among the existing managers.

4. The existing managers may leave the organisation if outsiders are given higher post.

Top five recruiting challenges HR professionals faceand how to overcome them

Every HR professional comes up against certain challenges when they are trying to

hire new workers. From not receiving resumes from candidates with enough experience to

being unable to shift through applications effectively, many recruiters encounter numerous

issues with acquiring new employees every day. However, there are some obstacles that

many HR professionals must tackle in their search for great talent that are just emerging.

These types of issues require HR representatives to adopt specific solutions and strategies if

they want to improve their recruiting.

Here are five of these challenges and how to overcome them:

1. The need to make a speedy hire.

According to an article in HR resource ERE.net, one of the biggest struggles

recruiters are starting to encounter is the need to make a quick hire. Many HR

professionals had time during the recession to deliberate over candidates' qualifications

and conduct multiple rounds of interviews, but competition is heating up once more for


great talent. In addition, many companies are growing so fast and need to fill multiple

positions at the same time that recruiters no longer have a lot of time to recruit workers.

Solution: HR professionals should examine their recruitment tools, especially their

software and employee management strategies. Recruiters can spend a lot of extra time

trying to input candidates' information into systems or speaking with managers about

the specific requirements of a certain position. Ensuring all of the needed information is

already documented and easily accessible can save recruiters some steps and cut down

on their recruitment time.

2. Not having enough resources.

Many HR professionals have to make do with the resources they have, and

sometimes there isn't much to work with. While some HR departments are given large

budgets to place ads across the Internet so job openings are in the hottest recruitment

spots, others may have to use free job boards or take out space in more traditional

recruiting channels. This can present big problems with finding qualified candidates.

Solution: Not every department can boost its recruitment budget, but HR professionals

are able to examine where the best hires are searching for jobs. Platforms like social

media can be great and affordable solutions to this issue for HR professionals, who can

use their LinkedIn profiles, for example, to send out information about open positions to

others on the social site.

3. Being unable to find the perfect candidate for a certain position.

HR professionals often see themselves stuck when they aren't receiving

resumes from candidates with strong backgrounds or skill sets needed for the position.

Even if these recruiters reach out to passive job seekers, they may hit a brick wall in

terms of finding the talent they need. This is an all-too-common problem for recruiters,


but one that they are starting to face more often as the competition for key performers

heats up.

Daniel Ha, founder and CEO of communications firm Disqus, told Smart Recruiters this

was a significant problem his company encountered, especially since it had limited

resources.

Solution: Ha said his company was able "to strike a great balance between hiring

someone for position-need versus hiring someone that's great regardless of position."

HR professionals need to get out of the mindset of hiring for a position rather than

assembling superstar talent. While recruiters may have to fill a certain position, they

should also be open to training and educating talented workers so they can acquire

needed skills.

HR representatives can also adjust the position's job description. According to Brazen

Careerist, a job description's wording may not correctly explain the position and its

needs. Some of the qualifications may not be realistic for the position's true

requirements.

4. Understanding and using analytics effectively.

Big data may be a topic that's old news to many HR professionals, but

analytics remains a large challenge for many HR professionals. According to HR Den,

being able to sort through and harness data acquired through human resource

information systems and other types of technology can be difficult for HR

professionals. Making sense of the collected data can be especially tricky.

Solution: HR professionals should work with data analytics experts or HR solution

vendors to understand what various data points mean and how the department can


harness them. Recruiters can then create cheat-sheets to help them understand how

certain types of information can be used in the future.

5. Finding workers who fit the company culture.

New hires need to be able to integrate into a team and work well in the

company environment, otherwise HR professionals will have to start the talent

acquisition process all over again. Jennifer Barbee, founder and CEO of a tourism

marketing company, told Smart Recruiters finding workers who fit the company culture

was the business's top recruiting challenge. This was an issue as well for Nathan

Parcells, founder and CMO of Intern Match, who told Smart Recruiters his team had to

let great candidates go because they didn't gel with the team.

Solution: HR professionals should ensure they describe the company culture as best as

they can in job descriptions. Displaying the company's mission and aspects of its

internal environment can help job seekers understand the organization better, which can

ensure only those candidates who may fit well will apply.

RATE


INTERVIEW

An interview is a conversation where questions are asked and answers are

given. In common parlance, the word "interview" refers to a one-on-one conversation with

one person acting in the role of the interviewer and the other in the role of the interviewee.

The interviewer asks questions, the interviewee responds, with participants taking turns

talking. Interviews usually involve a transfer of information from interviewee to interviewer,

which is usually the primary purpose of the interview, although information transfers can

happen in both directions simultaneously. One can contrast an interview which involves bi-

directional communication with a one-way flow of information, such as a speech or oration.

Interviews usually take place face-to-face and in person, although modern

communications technologies such as the Internet have enabled conversations to happen in

which parties are separated geographically, such as with videoconferencing software, and of

course telephone interviews can happen without visual contact. Interviews almost always

involve spoken conversation between two or more parties, although in some instances a

"conversation" can happen between two persons who type questions and answers back and

forth. Interviews can range from unstructured or free-wheeling and open-ended conversations

in which there is no predetermined plan with prearranged questions, to highly structured

conversations in which specific questions occur in a specified order. They can follow diverse

formats; for example, in a ladder interview, a respondent's answers typically guide

subsequent interviews, with the object being to explore a respondent's subconscious motives.

Typically the interviewer has some way of recording the information that is gleaned from the

interviewee, often by writing with a pencil and paper, sometimes transcribing with a video or

audio recorder, depending on the context and extent of information and the length of the


interview. Interviews have a duration in time, in the sense that the interview has a beginning

and an ending.

Interviewing Candidates: be prepared for the interview

PREPARATION BY THE INTERVIEWER

To ensure that you are fully prepared you must:

Review all the relevant information beforehand - job descriptions, employee profiles,

application forms etc. You should examine each CV or application form to identify areas to

question during the interview.

Prepare a plan of how you intend to conduct each interview - consistency is important.

This should include an outline of similar questions to ask all candidates based on the job

description, employee profile and CVs, so that you can compare like with like.

Prepare a suitable venue for the interviews. The choice of location and the layout of the

room will have an impact on the outcome.


Make sure you are free from disruptions when you are interviewing and do not schedule

too many interviews on the same day.

Allow adequate intervals between each interview, giving yourself some time after each one

to finalise your notes.

Provide a list of candidates and their interview times to your receptionist. This will help to

present a professional image to candidates on arrival.

If two or more of you are conducting the interviews this obviously increases the preparation

required so that each knows what role they will play during the interview.

Conducting an Interview

There is a well-known and easy to apply structure for conducting interviews

known as the WASP approach. It enables you to offer a similar format to each candidate,

thereby ensuring consistency in the interviewing process and assisting your evaluation at the

end.

Welcome

During this initial phase of the interview you should:

Establish Rapport - Break the Ice. A relaxed candidate will perform better.

Explain the purpose of the interview.

Outline the format for the interview with approximate timings.

Inform the candidate that you will be taking notes.

Acquire Information


In this phase of the interview you are seeking to gather as many relevant

details from the candidate as possible so that you can make an informed decision about their

suitability.

Begin with general questions before moving to the more specific.

Use your question technique to explore background, attitudes, suitability etc., relevant to

the employee profile and job description.

Probe to explore any ‘gaps’- but do not interrogate them.

Let the candidate speak, use your listening skills!!! They should speak for 80% of the time.

Remember as you assess the candidate they are also assessing you and making some

judgements about you and the company.

Supply Information

Once you have obtained all the relevant information you need, then you should allow the

candidate to ask you questions about the position. You should ensure that you:

Outline the job description in greater detail giving an overview of their potential role in the

company.

Provide the candidate with details on the salary and conditions associated with the

position.

Answer any remaining interviewee questions.

Plan and Part

The final part of the interview is designed to ensure that both parties leave the

interview fully aware of the next steps in the selection process. You should:


Ask to check references – you do need permission to do so.

Discuss salary if not mentioned already

Give timetable for your decision and how they will be notified

Thank them

In some cases you may wish to provide the candidate with a tour of your

facilities.

This can be done at this stage but inform them at the outset. Improve your interviewing skills

Interview environment

If the interview is conducted in a location that is uncomfortable for one or both

parties then this will affect the outcome of the interview.

Too many interviews

If too many candidates are interviewed on the same day, then those arriving

later in the afternoon will have to work harder to create a good impression. As interviewers

become tired they are harder to impress.

Poor interviewing skills

Many interviewers do not work to improve their skills. They make some or all of the

mistakes identified above. In addition to these, other common problems are that they often:

Ask badly worded questions which don’t allow the candidate to open up.

Do too much talking during the interview.

Become confrontational with candidates.


Allow prejudices to influence their decisions.

Keep these points in mind as you plan future interviews.

Types of Interviews

There are many different types of interviews as well as interview methods and

techniques. Every job is different, so be prepared! You may experience a combination or all

of these. Also, remember than in professional interviewing, you will almost always go

through a series of interviews. As a general rule, each subsequent interview will become

longer and more detailed. Remember that the key to success is to be well prepared for every

interview.

Screening Interviews

Screening interviews are generally conducted when an employer has a large

applicant pool which they want to narrow down to a more manageable number. The purpose

is to “weed out” the applicants who are obviously not a fit. Screening interviews are usually

done by phone, tend to be very short, and the questions will focus on basic qualifications.

Phone Interviews

Most screening interviews are done by phone, but phone interviews will also

be used for other reasons, such as geographic obstacles – the applicant lives in another city or

state. In this case, phone interviews will be longer and more detailed. Here are a few do’s and

don’ts of phone interviews in all situations:

Be well prepared.


Never conduct a phone interview in your car or in a public area – you need to focus all your

attention on the interview.

Use a land line to avoid the possibility of a cell phone call being dropped or poor

reception.

Conduct the interview in a quiet private area.

Ask family members and friends not to disturb you during the interview.

No eating, surfing the web, I/M or text messaging during the phone interview – avoid

distractions and focus on the interview. Also, phone interviews are often not scheduled in

advance, they will just call you. If you are busy, driving or in any way not able to focus 100%

on the interview, tell them you are busy and ask to schedule a time later in the day or week.

Don’t worry, interviewers know they are calling you without an appointment and are very

flexible – they will work with you.

One-on-One Interviews

This is the most common interview method and involves you and the

interviewer alone in a private office. Once you are face-to-face with the interviewer your

dress, appearance, non-verbal communication skills and other visual factors, as well as your

verbal communication skills will come into play. Building rapport with the interviewer is

usually easiest in this setting.

Panel Interviews

Sometimes the employer will have a “selection committee” or for some other

reason there will be multiple people involved in conducting interviews. They may want to

conduct a “panel interview” in which you will be interviewed by several people at the same


time. Panel interviews are very efficient from the employer’s perspective because it allows

them, in effect, to do many interviews all at once. Remember that in a panel interview you

must connect with and engage every member of the panel, not just the person asking the

question. Make sure you get a business card from every panel member and send each a thank

you note afterwards. Always bring extra resumes and offer one to each member of the panel

at the beginning of the interview.

Serial Interviews

In a serial interview you will meet with several people throughout the day,

usually back-to-back. One person will interview you, then pass you to the next person, and so

on throughout the day. Serial interviews are physically and mentally tiring because they can

often take the entire day. Remember that each time you are passed onward your chances of

being hired improve! Serial interviews are typically used for senior-level positions, but there

are exceptions.

Lunch Interviews

Sometimes the employer will take you to an interview lunch or even dinner.

Interview lunches are very unstructured, and they will probably be evaluating your social

skills and manners. If you haven’t yet done so, make a point of attending the University

Career Center Professional Etiquette dinner to familiarize yourself with the basics of dining

etiquette. When ordering off the menu, stick with something in the mid-range of prices that’s

easy to eat. Never under any circumstances order an alcoholic drink during a lunch or dinner

interview.


Group Interviews

You may be asked to do a “group” interview, which is the opposite of a panel

interview. Instead of several interviewers and one candidate, one interviewer will sometimes

interview several candidates at the same time. The interviewer will ask questions of no one in

particular in hopes that a “leader” will emerge. Group interviews are not very effective for

most situations and are rarely used.

Stress Interviews

Stress interviewing is a generally ineffective and antiquated interview

method, and most – but unfortunately not all – employers have discontinued this practice.

The theory is to see how you react to stress. The interviewer may make the room physically

uncomfortable by turning up the heat, make the candidate sit in an uncomfortable chair or

sometimes even stand, ask off-the-wall questions that have nothing to do with the job and

possibly refuse to answer your questions. Today’s job candidates are too sophisticated to

tolerate these methods and this technique is very ineffective.

Conclusion

Employers conduct multiple interviews as a filtering or screening process. At

each step candidates are eliminated from consideration until at the end only one person

remains. Each time you are invited back for a subsequent interview means you are one step

closer to a job offer!

In all interviewing situations the key to success is good preparation. The more

effort you put into it, the better your odds of succeeding.


SELECTION

Selection is the process of picking up individuals (out of the pool of job applicants)

with requisite qualifications and competence to fill jobs in the organization. A formal

definition of Selection is as under

Definition of Selection: Process of differentiating “Selection is the process of differentiating

between applicants in order to identify and hire those with a greater likelihood of success in a

job.”

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION:

Recruitment Selection

1. Recruitment refers to the process of

identifying and encouraging prospective

employees to apply for jobs.

2. Recruitment is said to be positive in its

approach as it seeks to attract as many

candidates as possible.

1. Selection is concerned with picking up

the right candidates from a pool of

applicants.

2. Selection on the other hand is negative

in its application in as much as it seeks to

eliminate as many unqualified applicants

as possible in order to identify the right

candidates.


PROCESS / STEPS IN SELECTION

1. Preliminary Interview:

The purpose of preliminary interviews is basically to eliminate unqualified

applications based on information supplied in application forms. The basic objective is to

reject misfits. On the other hands preliminary interviews is often called a courtesy interview

and is a good public relations exercise.

2. Selection Tests:

Jobseekers who past the preliminary interviews are called for tests. There are various

types of tests conducted depending upon the jobs and the company. These tests can be

Aptitude Tests, Personality Tests, and Ability Tests and are conducted to judge how well an

individual can perform tasks related to the job. Besides this there are some other tests also

like Interest Tests (activity preferences), Graphology Test (Handwriting), Medical Tests,

Psychometric Tests etc.

3. Employment Interview:

The next step in selection is employment interview. Here interview is a formal and

in-depth conversation between applicant’s acceptability. It is considered to be an excellent

selection device. Interviews can be One-to-One, Panel Interview, or Sequential Interviews.

Besides there can be Structured and Unstructured interviews, Behavioral Interviews, Stress

Interviews.

4. Reference & Background Checks:

Reference checks and background checks are conducted to verify the information

provided by the candidates. Reference checks can be through formal letters, telephone

conversations. However it is merely a formality and selections decisions are seldom affected

by it.


5. Selection Decision:

After obtaining all the information, the most critical step is the selection decision is to

be made. The final decision has to be made out of applicants who have passed preliminary

interviews, tests, final interviews and reference checks. The views of line managers are

considered generally because it is the line manager who is responsible for the performance of

the new employee.

6. Physical Examination:

After the selection decision is made, the candidate is required to undergo a physical

fitness test. A job offer is often contingent upon the candidate passing the physical

examination.

7. Job Offer:

The next step in selection process is job offer to those applicants who have crossed all

the previous hurdles. It is made by way of letter of appointment.

8. Final Selection

The final phase of the interview involves a round up with the seniormanagement; this

includes negotiations regarding the compensation and any further enquiries regarding the job

RATE



CHAPTER 3

CONCLUSION


The employees of any organization are its life blood, without doubt. With the dawn of

this realization upon the present day business organizations, there appears to be a major shift

towards human resource management. In fact, the employees of today are encouraged to

participate in the major decisions and thus play a vital role in the management of the firm.

The performance of the organization depends on the efficiency that its employees exhibit.

Hence it is of crucial importance that employees with the most suitable qualifications be

selected. This is where the processes of recruitment and selection come in. It is difficult to

separate one from the other. The various company illustrations given in this report indicate

that these processes require a great deal of thought and advanced planning. In fact, it is not

only the HR department that is involved. The finance department provides the budget for the

processes and the manpower gap is determined by inputs from all the departments. Also the

gruelling procedure through which the candidate goes through is, in itself, an indicator of the

significance of these processes in the efficient functioning of the organization. The

information provided in this guide is designed to help you find the right people in the first

instance then to lead and manage them in a way that maximises their levels of engagement.

In their 2013 paper, “The future of employment: How susceptible are jobs to

computerization”, Oxford University academics, Carl Benedikt Frey and Michael Osborne,

predict that even accountancy, a profession that has long been portrayed as the ultimate

symbol of mundane stability and job security, is almost certain to suffer

significant unemployment within the next 20 years.91 With predictions like this, we can


assume that many things we now take for granted about the modern-day workplace will soon

diminish or disappear completely.

Savvy individuals will seek to stay ahead of the game before events overtake them,

acquiring the skills and experience that the companies of the future will need. To do this, they

will have to rely principally on their good sense and instinct. Major companies, however,

have no such excuse. They have the resources and the collective manpower to understand and

even fashion the future, and then modify their organizations accordingly.

So many fundamental issues—changes in the age, cultural and gender profile of

workers, flexible working, skills shortages, technological impact, the decline of the job for

life now confront the HR strategist. It has surely never been a more exciting or interesting

time to be one. People are the very lifeblood of a knowledge economy. And those people,

along with their working routine and the nature of their jobs, are changing in front of our

eyes. Will companies be sufficiently alert and nimble to respond to this huge challenge?


BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. ABC recruitment and induction , Acas , accessed 10 may 2015

2. Teacher’s guide to performance-based learning and assessment

3. Hays Quarterly report sharing our recruiting know-how ,nick Deligiannis, april – june

2012

4. Darling Peter (august 2007). ‘Disabilities and the work place’. Business NH magazine

24 (8): 28.

5. Valdosta state university. Retrieved 7 aril 2014

6. Atlassian’s social hiring spree pays off. Itnews


Documents

Recruitment and Selection