Recruitment and Selection

What are the consequences of unfair recruitment or selection?

1- Negative attitude towards the recruitment and selection system
2- Negative attitude towards the company
3- Less likelihood of accepting the job offer
4- Chance of taking legal action against the company
5- Demonization and poorer performance

Define Recruitment and Selection?

RECRUITMENT: the process of generating a pool of candidates from which the appropriate person to fill a job vacancy is
selected
There are twelve sub-systems in a normal recruitment drive. They are: the manpower plan (vacancy; numbers; timescale); the
job analysis; the job description; the person specification; the marketing; handling the response; shortlisting; assessing
candidates; selecting; obtaining references; making an offer; starting new employees
SELECTION: the process of assessing job applicants using one or a variety of methods with the purpose of finding the most
suitable person

System approach vs. Personal approach?

A mix of both is the best
System approach (Medium to large firms):
- Defining the ideal candidate is based on the assumption that there is one best way of doing a job based on the past an
documents
- It aims to reduce the amount of personal bias in the selection process to a minimum through interlocking series of laid-down
procedures all leading to the rational selection of the best candidates.

Personal approach (Small firms):

- Propose that the job and the individual can change over time so there should be a process of exchange and negotiation
future oriented
- The recruitment process is a personalised one. We like to get to know candidates; we like to find out about their life and work
histories; we want to know what sort of employees they will make.
- Selection is based mostly on attitude and behaviour rather than history and documents.
- Personal selection is indeed still pursued in many organisations of smaller size, where the chief executive make a final decision
using the "school team captain" approach where he or she is allowed to pick who they want from those available.
Risks: There might be discrimination or corruption, as the interviewer is more likely to select the candidate that is most similar
to him, and that can risk unfairness of recruitment approach

What are the recruitment prerequisites?

Job analysis
Before recruiting for a new or existing position, it is important to invest time in gathering information about the nature of the
job. This means thinking about, the jobs purpose, the outputs required by the job holder, and how it fits into the organisations
structure.

Job description
The job analysis leads to writing a job description. This explains the job to the candidates, and helps the recruitment process by
providing a clear guide to all involved about the tasks and requirements of the job.
It can also be used to communicate expectations about performance to employees and managers to help ensure effective
performance in the job.

Person specification/job profile

A person specification or job profile lists and defines the competencies identified as necessary for the performance of the job.

What are the 4 methods of attracting applicants?

Internal methods
It is important not to forget the internal talent pool when recruiting. Providing opportunities for development and
career progression increases employee engagement and retention and supports succession planning

Employee referral schemes

These schemes usually offer an incentive to existing employees to assist in the recruitment of family or friends. But
employers should not rely on schemes such as these at the expense of attracting a diverse workforce and use it to
complement other methods

External methods
-There are many options available for generating interest from individuals outside the organisation. Cipds survey
indicate that the most popular methods for seeking candidates include employers corporate website, recruitment
agencies, commercial job boards and professional networking sites such as LinkedIn. .
-Technology is also being used more and more to manage the application process; for example storing candidate
details and generating responses to applications.
- Job Advertisement should be clear, simple and informative about the job

External recruitment services

-Widely known in the industry as recruitment agencies or recruitment consultants, they offer employers a range of
services - attracting candidates, managing candidate responses, screening and shortlisting, or running assessment
centres on the employers behalf.

What are the 2 forms of applications?

There are two main formats in which applications are likely to be received:

Application forms:
- Application forms allow for information to be presented in a consistent format, and therefore make it easier to collect
information from job applicants in a systematic way and assess objectively the candidates suitability for the job. They should be
appropriate to the level of the job. Application form design and language is also important to account for disabled and talented

CV:
The advantage of CVs is that they give candidates the opportunity to sell themselves in their own way and dont restrict the
fitting of information into boxes which often happens on application forms, but put them in risk of including irrelevant
information.

What are the different methods involved with Selecting and assessing candidates?
1- Interviews
Remain popular because it provides information to predict future performance, and give an opportunity for the
interviewer and interviewee to meet face to face and exchange information.
For the candidate, the interview is an opportunity to:
1- Ask questions about the job and the organisation
2- Decide if theyd like to take the job.
For the organisation, the interview is an opportunity to:
1- Describe the job and the responsibilities the job holder would need to take on in more detail
2- Assess candidates ability to perform in the role
3- Discuss with the candidate details such as start dates, training provisions and terms and conditions such as
employee benefits
4- Give a positive impression to the candidate of the company as a good employer.

However traditional interviews have been criticized for being a poor predictor of performance.
Anderson and Shackleton draw on a wide variety of studies to summarise the reasons why interviews have been
criticised in this way:
The self-fulfilling prophecy effect:
Interviewers may ask questions designed to confirm initial impressions of candidates gained either before the interview or
in its early stages.
The stereotyping effect:
Interviewers sometimes assume that particular characteristics are typical of members of a particular group. In the case of
sex, race, disability, marital status or ex-offenders, decisions made on this basis are often illegal
The halo and horns effect:
Interviewers sometimes rate candidates as good or bad across the board and thus reach very unbalanced decisions.
The contrast effect:
Interviewers can allow the experience of interviewing one candidate to affect the way they interview others who are seen
later in the selection process.
The similar-to-me effect:
Interviewers sometimes give preference to candidates they perceive as having a similar background, career history,
personality or attitudes to themselves.
The personal liking effect:
Interviewers may make decisions on the basis of whether they personally like or dislike the candidate.
Structuring the interview can help improve its ability to predict performance in the job and a growing number of employers
take this approach. However companies still have to balance the structure to give the applicant their ease.
A structured interview means that:
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Questions are planned carefully before the interview

All candidates are asked the same questions
Answers are scored using a rating system
Questions focus on the attributes and behaviours needed in the job.

2- Psychological testing
Psychological tests are tests which can be systematically scored and administered. They are supported by a body of evidence
and statistical data which demonstrates their validity, and are used in an occupational setting to measure individual differences
(for example in ability, aptitude, attainment, intelligence or personality).
With the increase in the use of technology in the workplace, online testing is also growing in popularity - particularly in the
recruitment of graduates and where employers are faced with high volumes of applicants.
Most tests are designed and developed by occupational psychologists and are accompanied by detailed manuals providing the
data to establish the reliability of the test and the normative information against which test results may be compared. This is the
information that allows employers to compare their test candidates against the scores of a normal population of similar people.
Administering tests and analysing the results is a skilled task. Scoring of tests is often complex and how it is done will depend on
what a test is trying to measure. With personality tests there are no right or wrong answers as they are designed to present a
profile of an individual.
Test must be relevant to the job specification, and tester must make sure that the environment is suitable for taking such tests
as Distortion is a key risk

3- Assessment Centres
Assessment centres involve candidates completing a number of different tasks as part of the selection process, where they
reflect the reality of the job and the organisation. The tasks set should link with the job description and person specification. It
must be fair regarding the time taken, the number of tasks set and the opportunities for candidates to show different aspects of
their abilities.
Depending on the nature of the job, the tasks might include individual or group work, written and/or oral input and output,
individual problem solving, or group problem solving.

Group exercises should be as real as possible, should require candidates to read, share information and reach decisions in order
to achieve set goals within the time limit
The tasks might need to encourage competitiveness or co-operation, to test for creativity or for building on the ideas of others
in a productive manner.
Selectors preferably should also have had some training on interviewing skills and in managing diversity, and have good listening
skills. Assessors might also be used to observe and comment on behaviour although they do not necessarily take part in final
selection decisions.
A feedback session is important to benefit the candidate and ensure that the company takes recruitment seriously