SELECTION

Selection• The process of choosing from a group of

applicants the individual best suited for a particular position and an organization

• Goal of the selection process is to properly match people with jobs and the organization

• Individuals overqualified, underqualified, or do not fit either the job or the organization’s culture, will probably leave the firm

Environmental Factors Affecting the Selection

Process• Legal considerations• Decision making speed• Organizational

hierarchy• Applicant pool• Type of organization• Probationary period

Legal Considerations• Human resource management is

greatly influenced by legislation, executive orders, and court decisions

• Hiring managers must have extensive knowledge of the legal aspects of selection

Speed of Decision Making• At times, speed is crucial and a few

phone calls and two brief interviews may constitute the entire selection procedure

• Conducting a national search to select a chief executive officer may take months

• In bureaucracies, the selection process often requires a considerable amount of time

Organizational Hierarchy• Extensive background checks and

interviewing are conducted for the executive position

• An applicant for a clerical position would most likely take a word processing test and perhaps have a short employment interview

Applicant Pool• Selection Ratio - The number of

people hired for a particular job compared to the individuals in the applicant pool

• A selection ratio of 1:10 indicates that there is only one applicant hired out of 10 applicants.

• The common rule selection ratio is 1:3 i.e. to hire 1 person the pool of candidates should be 3.

Type of Organization• Prospective employees in private sector

are screened with regard to how they can help achieve profit goals

• Government civil service systems typically identify qualified applicants through competitive examinations

• Individuals being considered for positions in non-profit organizations must not only be qualified but also dedicated to this type work

Probationary Period• Practice may be to check on the validity

of the process.

• If an individual can successfully perform the job during the probationary period, other selection tools are not needed

The Selection Process• Review Applications/ Short-listing

• Preliminary interviews• Selection tests

• Employment interviews• Reference and background checks

• Selection decision• Physical examination

Review of Applications

• Each person completes an application to determine if there is a match between individual and the position

• Essential information included and presented in a standardized format

• Certification that everything on the form is true

• Checking of Qualification/ training/ job experience/ reference etc.

Preliminary Interview• Removes obviously unqualified

individuals• Ask a few straightforward questions• May qualify to work in other open

positions• Telephone interviews• Videotaped interviews• Computer interviews

Advantages of Selection Tests• Reliable and

accurate means of selecting qualified candidates

• Identify attitudes and job-related skills

• Deficiencies in other techniques

Choose the Tests

– Psychological– Intellectual– Technical– Aptitude– Interest inventories

– Clerical skills test– Service ability tests– Management aptitude test– Team skills test– Sales ability test

Available tests include:

Psychomotor Abilities Tests

• Strength• Coordination

Job Knowledge Tests• Measure a candidate's

knowledge of the duties of the position for which he or she is applying.

Work-Sample (Simulation)• Tests that require an applicant to

perform a task or set of tasks representative of the job

• Such tests by their nature are job related

• Produces a high predictive validity, reduces adverse impact, and is more acceptable to applicants

Vocational Interests• Indicate the occupation in which a

person is most interested and is most likely to be satisfied with

Personality Tests

• Traits• Temperaments• Dispositions

(Nature/Character)

Genetic Testing• Determines whether a person

carries the gene transformation for certain diseases, including heart disease, Hypertension, cancer TB etc.

End of Section I

The Employment InterviewGoal-oriented conversation in which interviewer and applicant exchange information

The Employment InterviewBasic Rules

– Interview planning– Content of the interview

Interview Planning• Compare application and resume with

job requirements• Develop questions related to qualities

sought• Step-by-step plan to present position,

company, division, and department• Determine how to ask for examples of

past applicant behavior, not what future behavior might be

Content of the Interview• Occupational experience• Academic achievement• Interpersonal skills• Personal qualities• Organizational fit• Candidate’s objectives

Types of Interviews• Unstructured

(nondirective)• Structured

(directive or patterned)

• Behavior Description

Unstructured (Nondirective) Interview

• Asks probing, open-ended questions

• Encourages applicant to do much of the talking

• Often time-consuming• Different information from

different candidates• Potential legal woes

Structured (Directive) Interview

• Situational questions• Job knowledge

questions• Job-sample simulation

questions• Worker requirements

questions

Behavior Description Interview• Find knowledge, skills, abilities and

behaviors (STAR) important for job success

• Determine which behavioral questions to ask about particular job to elicit desired behaviors

• Develop structured format tailored for each job

• Set benchmark responses - examples of good, average and bad answers

• Train interviewers

Methods of Interviewing• One-on-one interview - Applicant meets

one-on-one with an interviewer• Group interview - Several applicants

interact in the presence of one or more company representatives

• Board interview - Several of the firm’s representatives interview one candidate

• Stress interview - Anxiety is intentionally created

• Realistic job previews - Job information is conveyed to the applicant in an unbiased manner

Potential Interviewing Problems

• Inappropriate questions• Premature judgments• Interviewer domination• Inconsistent questions• Central tendency

Potential Interviewing Problems (Continued)

• Halo error – like me tendency

• Interviewer bias• Lack of training• Nonverbal communication

Assessment Centers• Candidates subjected to exercises that

simulate actual job tasks • In-basket exercises• Management games• Leaderless discussion groups• Mock interviews• Measures candidates’ skills in

prioritizing, delegating and decision-making

Personal Reference Checks

• Provides additional insight into applicant information

• Verification of accuracy• Applicant often required to

provide names of several references

• More emphasis on previous employment investigations

Professional References and Background Investigations

• Previous employment• Education verification

• Personal reference check• Criminal history• Driving record• Civil litigation

• Workers’ compensation history• Credit history

• Social security number verification

Negligent Hiring and Retention• Negligent Hiring - Liability incurs when

no reasonable investigation of applicant’s background is made and potentially dangerous person is assigned to the position where he or she can inflict harm

• Negligent Retention - Keeping persons on payroll whose records indicate strong potential for wrongdoing

The Selection Decision

• Most critical step of all• Person whose qualifications

(knowledge, skills, competence) most closely conform to the requirements of the open position should be selected

Physical Examination• Determine whether

applicant is physically capable of working– Medical Examination– Fitness Certificate

Notification to Candidates• Results should be made known to

candidates as soon as possible• Delay may result in firm losing

prime candidate• Unsuccessful candidates should

also be promptly notified