RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION

Recruitment Searching for, and obtaining, potential job candidates in sufficient numbers and quality, and at the right cost, for the organisation to select the most appropriate people to fill its jobs.

PurposesIncrease size of applicant pool at minimum costIdentify & prepare potential job applicantsIncrease success rate of selection process by reducing over/under qualified applicantsDecrease early turnover of new hiresIncrease individual/organisational effectiveness

A Simplified Model of the Recruitment ProcessRecruitment planning Estimated no. of contacts needed Job specifications Recruitment philosophy Internal vs External job filling Job vs Career orientation St-term vs long term orientationRecruitment strategy development choosing reqd. applicant qualifications choosing recruitment sources and communication channels choosing inducements choosing the message : realism vs flypaper

Recruitment Activities Job posting Ads Other recruitment sources Follow up actions Record keepingScreening / Selecting employeesRecruitment Evaluation No. of jobs filled ? Jobs filled in timely fashion ? Cost per job filled ?

Recruiting Yield Pyramid501001502001,200New hiresOffers made (2 : 1)Candidates interviewed (3 : 2)Candidates invited (4 : 3)Leads generated (6 : 1)

How to RecruitInternalPresent employeesEmployee referralsFormer EmployeesPrevious Applicants ExternalAdvertisingEmployment AgenciesGovt. employment exchangePrivate agenciesHeadhuntersCampusReferrals / Word of Mouth / Unsolicited ApplicationsInternet

Advantages of Internal RecruitingLower costMotivator for good performanceHire at entry-level onlyFamiliarity with organisationImproved morale and securityCan identify long-term interests

Disadvantages of Internal RecruitingInability to find appropriate peopleMorale problems Political in-fightingNeed for strong T&D programs

Advantages of External RecruitingIntroduces new ideas and knowledgeReduced need for trainingLarger skilled pool available

Disadvantages of External RecruitingProblems of fitMorale problems for internalsAdjustment periodRelocation costsDecreased incentive value of promotions

Measuring past recruitment can help predict: Timeliness of recruitment Budget needed Methods that yield greatest number of best quality candidates Assess performance of recruitersRecruitment Evaluation

SELECTION

Selection is the process of gathering information for the purposes of evaluating and deciding who should be hired, under legal guidelines, for the short and long term interests of the individual and the organisation. (Schuler, Dowling, & Smart, 1992)

Steps in Selection ProcessScreening of applicationsTestsInterviewsReference ChecksMedical Examination

TESTS

AptitudeAchievement PersonalityMentalMechanicalJob knowledgeWork sampleObjectiveProjectiveSituationalGuidelines for the use of TESTS should supplement not substitute other methods are a screening device are not precise measures test conditions are important must be conducted/assessed by competent persons

Types of Interviews Unstructured / Non-directive Structured / Patterned Panel Group Stress Behavioural (BDI) Situational (SI) Interviews using other media

Behaviour Description Interview (BDI)Assumption: "Best predictor of future performance is past performance in similar circumstances. Overcomes excellence assumption "Experience equals excellence" (i.e. tasks have been performed well.)Requires candidate to give specific examples of how they performed job duties.

Example BDI: Middle ManagerMeetings & presentations are an important part of a Manager's job. Tell me about your most successful presentation to a management meeting.What was the topic of the presentation?What were your objectives for the meeting?When did you start preparing for the meeting? What did you do to prepare?What was your role at the meeting?

Situational Interview (SI)HypotheticalQuestions focus on what an applicant would do in a hypothetical situation. e.g. scenario

Why Situational InterviewingBased on goal-setting theory which states that intentions are related to behaviour

Job Experts Develop Questions and sample GOOD, AVERAGE & POOR answers.

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-0.1Perfect prediction

Work sample tests (0.54 corrected)General mental ability (0.53 corrected)

Assessment centres (0.41)

Biodata (0.37 corrected)Structured interviews (0.35)Personality tests (up to 0.33)

Unstructured Individual Interviews (0.11)ReferencesAstrology (0.0)Graphology (0.0)Chance prediction(Corrected = corrected for measurement error / range restriction)Meta-Analysis - What Works?

Problems with Selection InterviewsThe selection interview is a subjective process and prone to:biasstereotypesinitial impressionsmemory capacity of interviewers

Decision StrategiesCompensatory Non-CompensatoryCombinationAdditiveMultiple Cut-Off Multiple HurdleMix of both approaches

Costs of Poor SelectionDirect CostsRe-advertising costsPanel time and effortHR staff time and effortHidden CostsReduced productivityLost productivity whilst position vacantTime taken for new hire to become productive

Staffing System ComponentsApplicant(Person)Organization(Job)Recruitment(identification & attraction)Selection(assessment & evaluationEmployment(decision making & final match)

ORIENTATION or INDUCTION a planned introduction of employees to their jobs, co-workers and the organisation

WHY INDUCTIONReduce the cost and inconvenience of early leaversIncrease commitmentSocializationAccelerate progress up the learning curve

3 BASIC COMPONENTSCompany / Organisational InductionDepartmental InductionFollow Up

CHOICES IN DESIGNING INDUCTION PROGRAMSFormal or Informal

Individual or Collective

PLACEMENTThe assignment or allocation of people to jobs in the organization

2 ways Placement can happenMatch 1 looking for an individual for a specific job

Match 2 looking for a job to match an individual