hrm research - recruitment and selection

8/8/2019 HRM Research - Recruitment and Selection

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RECRUITMENT &

SELECTION

Better recruitment and selection strategies result in improved organizational

outcomes. The more effectively organizations recruit and select candidates,

the more likely they are to hire and retain satisfied employees.

Human Resource

Management

Section - B


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Submitted To:

Mr. Ghulam Muhammad

Compiled & Written By:

MurtazaAsgher Ali

Naeem Ahmed

ShaziaSiddiq

Syeda Farah Naz

Syeda Sarah Fatima


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Acknowledgement

Our term report would have not been possible without theassistance of the human resource department at TransWing

Logistics, TradeKey, Logistic Services Pakistan and MCB, who

with their contacts made all our visits possible. We thank all

the owners and employees of these organizations who

welcomed us and cooperated with us, resolving all our

questions and queries. All the problems that we faced in

different sections of our report were resolved in the most

effective manner.

We would also like to thank our course instructor Mr. Ghulam

Muhammad, who took time off his busy schedule to guide us

through a few sections of our report.


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Table of Contents

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 6

Recruitment and Selection Practices Survey Report ............................................................................. 6

Purpose ........................................................................................................................................... 6Definition ......................................................................................................................................... 6

General Profile ................................................................................................................................. 7

Purpose of the guide ............................ .......................... ........................... ................................ ........... 7

Contents .............................................................................................................................................. 8

Improving the guide ............................. .......................... ............................ ............................... ........... 8

Training ............................................................................................................................................... 8

Documentation ................................ ......................... ............................... ............................ ................ 8

Equal Opportunities .............................. ........................ ............................ ................................ ............... 8

Addressing conflicts of interest .......................... ................................ ...................... ................................ 9

Recruitment Procedure............................................................................................................................ 9

Step 1: Analyse the job ......................................................................................................................10

Job analysis ....................................................................................................................................10

Job design ......................................................................................................................................10

Job titles ........................................................................................................................................10

Job descriptions .............................................................................................................................11Person specification .......................................................................................................................11

Step 2: Obtain authorization to recruit ...............................................................................................12

Step 3: Advertising the post ...............................................................................................................13

Do we need to advertise? ..............................................................................................................13

Composing the advertisement .......................................................................................................13

Advertisement process ..................................................................................................................14

Where to advertise ........................................................................................................................14

Cost of advertising .........................................................................................................................15

Information required of applicants .................................................................................................15

Step 4: Composition of the selection panel ........................................................................................15

Step 5: Select candidates for interview & identify any tests or presentations required .......................16

Shortlisting the applicants ..............................................................................................................16


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Shortlisting paperwork ...................................................................................................................17

Selection tests and presentations ...................................................................................................17

Invitation to interview letters .........................................................................................................18

Travel and accommodation expenses .............................................................................................18

References .....................................................................................................................................18

Step 6: The selection interview ..........................................................................................................19

Preparation ....................................................................................................................................19

The venue ......................................................................................................................................19

Welcoming the candidate ..............................................................................................................20

The interview questions .................................................................................................................20

Question types ...............................................................................................................................21

Taking notes ..................................................................................................................................23

Candidates that require permission (work permit) to work in the UK ............................................. 23

Avoiding discrimination ..................................................................................................................24

Step 7: Appoint the successful candidate ...........................................................................................24

Making a selection decision ...........................................................................................................24

Probation periods ..........................................................................................................................25

Completing the interview record and offer details forms ...............................................................25

Step 8: Notify unsuccessful candidates...............................................................................................26

Unsuccessful candidates ................................................................................................................26

Feedback .......................................................................................................................................26

Step 9: Returning recruitment documentation ...................................................................................26

Step 10:Inducting the new employee ................................................................................................27

Research Analysis ..................................................................................................................................27

Recruitment .......................................................................................................................................27

Strategies .......................................................................................................................................27

Organizational Offerings ................................................................................................................29

Best Recruiting Strategies ..............................................................................................................30

Selection ............................................................................................................................................31

Current Selection Practices ............................................................................................................31

Best Selection Systems ...................................................................................................................34

Future Selection Practices ..............................................................................................................35


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Making an offer .............................................................................................................................37

Impact of Offerings on Employee ...................................................................................................38

Outsourcing Recruitment and Selection Activities ........................... .......................... .............................39

Barriers to Effective Recruitment and Selection .................................................................................41

Survey of Different Organizations ..........................................................................................................42

Comparison of Recruitment Practices ................................................................................................42

Recommendations:................................................................................................................................ 44

The Big Picture.......................................................................................................................................45

References............................................................................................................................................. 46

Bibliography ..........................................................................................................................................46


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Introduction

Recruitment and Selection Practices Survey Report

Better recruitment and selection strategies result in improved organizational

outcomes. The more effectively organizations recruit and select candidates, the

more likely they are to hire and retain satisfied employees.

Purpose

The objectives of this study were to:

y Identify general practices that organizations use to recruit and selectemployees.

y Determine which recruitment and selection practices are most effective.y Determine how the recruitment and selection practices affect

organizational outcomes.

This report is based on results of recruitment and selection survey provided to

members of different organizations mainly in Pakistan and In some other

countries of the World. The member organizations that responded, 60 in all,

provided information about the following topics:

y General recruitment and selection profiles.y Recruitment strategies.y Organizational offerings to prospective employees.y Impact of offerings on employee outcomes.y Current and future selection practices.y Outsourcing recruitment and selection activities.y Barriers to effective recruitment and selection.

Definition

This report focuses on recruiting and selecting individuals for employment in an

organization.

Recruitment is the process of identifying and attracting potential candidates from

within and outside an organization to begin evaluating them for futureemployment. Once candidates are identified, an organization can begin the

selection process. This includes collecting, measuring, and evaluating information

about candidates qualifications for specified positions. Organizations use these

processes to increase the likelihood of hiring individuals who possess the right

skills and abilities to be successful at their jobs.


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General Profile

Organizations fill positions with external candidates more often than internal

candidates.

y Although internal candidates typically stay in positions and are moresuccessful than external candidates, organizations fill positions withexternal candidates, on average, 13 percent more often than internal

candidates.

y 44 percent of positions are filled with internal candidates, with anapproximate success rate (people who stay in the positions and are

successful) of 86 percent.

y 57 percent of positions are filled with external candidates, with anapproximate success rate of78 percent.

Organizations plan to increase the money they spend on recruiting and selecting

candidates.

y On average an organizations human resources department specificallyallocates 17 percent of its budget to recruitment and 10 percent to

selection.

y Over the next two years, 75 percent of the organizations surveyed plan toincrease their spending on recruiting; 68 percent plan to increase spending

on selection.

Nearly half of the organizations plan to change their approach to recruitment and

selection.

y Overall, organizations perceive their approaches to recruitment (mean =6.57) and selection (mean = 6.53) to be only moderately effective. Ratings

were made using a 10-point scale (1 = not at all effective; 10 = extremely

effective).

y Almost half of the organizations plan to significantly change their currentapproach to both recruitment (47 percent) and selection (41 percent)

within the next two years.

Purpose of the guideThis report supplements and provides further information and practical advice for those

involved in all aspects of recruitment and selection. Recruitment and selection is a very

important process and it is important to select the best candidates. This guide sets out

best practice guidelines to assist you in making this process as effective as possible. In

addition, our Human Resources Team is very willing to support you and give further

advice should you require it.


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Contents

The guide sets out to:

y encourage good practice and adopt an equal opportunities approach throughouty explain the policy, procedures and link with the legal obligations laid out in the

relevant legislation in a pragmatic wayy specify what information is required from schools and departments at each stagey indicate what the Human Resources Team will do in response at each stagey provides working examples of the documentation using a sample posty assists schools and departments in recruiting the best people for each job in a fair

and efficient way.

Improving the guide

This guide has been recently updated to comply with amendments to employment law,

and to improve the guidance and best practice examples given. We would greatly

appreciate any comments on this guide and the recruitment process generally, and theinformation and advice provided. Please contact either myself, or one of my colleagues in

the Human Resources Team with any suggestions. Amendments will be made

periodically and the most up-to-date copies will be available on the Web at

www.bbk.ac.uk/hr.

Training

All those involved on a regular basis, or who may be required to assist with, the

recruitment and selection of staff should attend the appropriate workshop (see

http://www.bbk.ac.uk/sd/ourcourses/coursedirectory.html for more information).

These workshops provide detailed guidance on the legal framework and equal

opportunities issues throughout the process, as well as the more practical skills involved

in interviewing. From 1 October 2004, attendance at the Recruitment and Selection

workshop is mandatory for those involved in recruitment, in accordance with the Human

Resources Strategy.

Documentation

All the standard forms and documents that are used in the recruitment process are

available on the Human Resources intranet site, http://www.bbk.ac.uk/hr/forms/, or

from the Human Resources Team.

Equal OpportunitiesBirkbeck is committed to equality of opportunity and fair treatment of both current and

potential employees. Equal opportunities and anti-discrimination measures are promoted

throughout the whole recruitment and selection process. Guidance on how to ensure you

are complying with this commitment is set out in this document. However, please refer

to, and ensure you are familiar with the Equal Opportunities Policy. The "Code of Practice

onDisability in Employment" is also included in the appendix for your information.


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In addition to the ethical and effective business case reasons that support an equal

opportunities approach, we are also open to legal challenge. It is therefore vital that our

selection and interviewing processes are fair and objective. If an applicant makes a claim

against the organization to an Employment Tribunal, on the grounds of alleged unlawful

discrimination, the organization will be required to demonstrate that:

y the person(s) appointed most closely matched the selection criteria and hadgreater relevant experience and/or skills than other candidates;

y the complainant was not unlawfully discriminated against.There is a considerable volume of employment legislation that is relevant in the

recruitment and selection process; please refer to the Recruitment Policy for further

details. Please do not hesitate to contact the Human Resources Team if you require

further advice or assistance in this area.

Addressing conflicts of interestPlease refer to the organizations Addressing Conflicts of Interest Code of Conduct on

Relationships at Work and the Recruitment Policy, which aim to ensure that no real or

perceived unequal treatment, or conflict of interest occurs throughout the recruitment

process or within working relationships.

Recruitment Procedure

Please refer to appendix for a flow chart of the whole recruitment and selection process.

Step 1: Analyse the job

Step 2: Obtain authorisation to recruit

Step 3: Advertising the post

Step 4: Composition of the selection panel

Step 5: Select candidates for interview & identify any tests or presentations

required

Step 6: The selection interview

Step 7: Appoint the successful candidate

Step 8: Notify unsuccessful candidates

Step 9: Returning recruitment documentation

Step 10: Inducting the new employee


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Step 1: Analyse the job

Job analysis

If an employee leaves the organization, it is likely that you will want to replace them.

However, before getting approval to appoint and advertising the same post, you should

take time to consider the role and decide if there are any changes required. Job analysis isthe term given to this assessment of a role. Job analysis is a systematic procedure for

obtaining detailed and objective information about the post, before it is advertised and

filled; giving the opportunity to tailor it to what is currently required.

Questions to ask about the role:

y What tasks did the previous postholder carry outy What level were these tasksy Did they have supervisory responsibility or budgetary controly Are the reporting lines still appropriatey Are there any other tasks that would need to be added to this role (or taken away

if the role is considered too large)

y Is the level at which the role holder is expected to undertake tasks still appropriate(note, if changes are made here, the role may need to be regraded; please contact

your Human Resources Adviser for advice).

y Is the grade of the post accurate for a new person to come in and fill (this isespecially important if the previous postholder was promoted during their time in

the role (you should consult with Human Resources to determine the correct

grade)

y Are the hours of work still suitable (i.e. does it need to be made full-time or viceversa)

y Is there still a requirement for this role at allJob design

If you wish to create a new post, which is not replacing a leaver, or filling an established

post, you will need to design the job. This involves considering the duties that the new

post will cover, and the level these tasks will be (e.g. maintain, develop, manage, or assist

etc.). You will need to decide how the post will fit in with the current organizational

structure for your org, what the reporting lines will be, and if the post will be responsible

for supervising or managing people in other posts.

Job titlesThe job title should be an accurate reflection of the scope and nature of the role

undertaken, including giving an indication of the seniority of the post. In view of this, and

of the fact that job titles relate to other processes in the organization, please give due

consideration to the correct job title for the role. If you feel a current job title needs to be

changed before being filled, and/or if you would like advice on selecting the most

appropriate title, please contact your Human Resources Adviser.


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Job descriptions

Once you have either analysed an existing role, or designed a new post, you will need to

produce a job description. The job description should provide basic information about the

role, including the title, whom the post reports to (job title of the postholder only, not

their actual name), any other posts for which the job has responsibility, and the date it

was created or updated.

Please see appendix for a sample Job Description and Further Particulars, using a

standard Birkbeck template, which should be used for all jobs.

The main purpose of the role should come next, followed by a breakdown of the specific

duties. Whilst the description should be comprehensive, it must be concise; there is no

need for every minor task to be quoted. The working relationships that the postholder

must maintain should be outlined to illustrate the communications aspects of the role

(e.g. relationships with students, members of the public, trade unions etc.). Finally, the

dimensions of the job may be noted where applicable (e.g. size of budget managed,

number of students supervised, number direct line reports etc.).

A good job description will enable candidates to apply effectively; it is a statement, which

sets out:

y the roles and functions of the faculty, school or departmenty the general purpose of the joby an outline of the duties involvedy a full description of the main responsibilities of the post

The more accurate and informative a job description is, the more likely it will be that the

Organization will attract applicants who meet a school or department's needs. This oftenmakes shortlisting and interviewing easier and less time-consuming for everyone

involved. A well-written and laid out job description also helps to give potential

applicants a positive first impression of the school or department and the Organization.

Job descriptions should not contain any personalized information, such as the names of

postholders as this can mean they become out of date very quickly.

Job descriptions are working documents that will be used for other purposes following

the selection process, such as for staff development discussions and job

evaluation/promotions reviews.

Person specificationThe person specification is one of the most important documents within the recruitment

and selection process and so is an essential requirement for every post. The purpose of

the Person Specification is to set out a list of the knowledge, skills, experience and level of

qualifications that are required to carry out the role effectively, and should be developed

from the job description. Consider the range and depth of duties to be undertaken, and


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assess what the post holder will need, under the headings above, to enable them to do the

job.

This specification then forms the objective criteria against which all candidates will be

assessed throughout the selection process. These criteria must consist of the minimum

standards considered essential for the effective performance of the job.D

esirable criteriamay be included, but these must be referred to only if candidates have met the essential

criteria.

Mention of selection tests, which form part of the recruitment process, should be made on

the person specification form.

The following key points will help you to develop your person specification:

y identify the key duties from the job descriptiony translate the duties into the skills and knowledge required to do the joby separate the essential skills from the desirable ones; specify as far as possible in

precise job-related terms

y identify any specific knowledge requirements for the job or the requirement ofsome evidence of the ability to learn

y indicate qualifications and level of education required for the job, if relevant(remembering to state "or equivalent" to cover all types of qualifications)

y identify what experience is required to carry out the job. This should be realisticand appropriate to the role

Reference to age, marital status or to dependents should not be included since these are

unlawfully discriminatory. The main aim of the person specification is to set out the skills

and abilities that a candidate would need in order to be able to carry out the role to asatisfactory standard. It is not a 'wish list'; setting the criteria too 'high' may result in a

lack of suitable applicants. However, pitching them too low may mean you have a high

volume of applicants who all meet your criteria. Please refer to appendix for a sample

person specification for the post of Lecturer in Psychology, which uses the standard

template form.

The job described and the level of skills/experience required must relate to an

appropriate grade. Where necessary, the Human Resources Team will undertake job

evaluation; any subsequent amendments to the job will have to be agreed before the post

is advertised, to ensure the correct grade and salary.

Step 2: Obtain authorization to recruit

Before beginning the recruitment and selection process, you must obtain the appropriate

authorization for your post. Please refer to the Recruitment Policy for further

information, or alternatively seek advice from your Human ResourcesAdviser.

You must inform Human Resources of any requests to recruit in order for us to advise on

the correct grade for the post.


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Step 3: Advertising the post

Do we need to advertise?

All Organization-funded posts that are for 6 months or more, must be advertised in

external media. This is in accordance with the Organization's Equal Opportunities Policy.

Certain rare exceptions may apply, such as:

y temporary/fixed term posts of 6 months duration or lessy externally funded research posts, where a named researcher has been identifiedy when employees whose fixed-term contracts of employment are ending are

offered a permanent post to avoid a redundancy situation (where the original

appointment was made in accordance with the Organizations Recruitment and

SelectionGuidelines);

y where there is a risk of a redundancy situation within the Organizationy where an individual employee is being considered for re-deployment under

another Organization policy

Maternity cover posts are normally advertised if the vacancy is for 6 months duration or

more. The advertisement will need to state that the post is available up to a certain date

in the first instance, to allow for the possibility of the permanent postholder extending

her maternity leave. If the permanent postholder decides not to return to her post then

the permanent vacancy will be advertised.

Please note that all advertisements must be placed via Human Resources; no post should

be advertised without prior consultation with the Human Resources Team. Birkbeck has

an account with a professional advertising agency, which has developed an agreed

template and corporate style for our advertisements. This encourages consistency and

ensures that the text is appropriate and free from bias or discrimination.

Composing the advertisement

There is a standard template for Birkbeck advertisements, and certain paragraphs need

to be included. Please refer to appendix for a sample advertisement for our post of

Lecturer in Psychology, which includes these standard paragraphs in bold italics. These

standard paragraphs contain important information and keep the look of Birkbecks

adverts consistent; they should not be changed without reference to your Human

ResourcesAdviser.

When composing the non-standard parts of your advert (normally no more than one or

two paragraphs), you need to think about how you can attract the people that will meet

the criteria for the role. It is therefore advisable to develop an informative paragraph

about what the role involves, and include at least two of the main criteria that are

essential to carry out the role (e.g. "applicants must have experience of managing a

team and have a working knowledge of database design")


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You may wish to include the contact details of an individual to whom informal inquiries

can be made.. However, it is better to include it with the information that goes out to

those who actually respond to the advert. This allows them to read the details sent about

the role, before deciding whether they still require further information from the contact.

If you are including contact details for someone, please ensure that they are aware thatthey may be receiving some calls, and that they will be available for the period when the

advert appears in the media (e.g. not on annual leave!).

Advertisement process

You should send your draft advertisement to your Human Resources Adviser, along with

the Job Description, Person Specification, Further Particulars and Information on the post,

and any other details that you would like to go to applicants. Please state in which

publications you would like your advert to appear and when.

This information should be sent via e-mail as an attachment, or if not possible, on a disk

in Word for Windows format (no hardcopies please). Please note that deadlines are set bythe advertising agency for receiving advertising copy, in order to place it in time in the

appropriate media. These deadlines are at least a calendar week before the publication

date, and in addition, your Human Resources Adviser will need time to process the advert

and get it to the agency. For details of actual deadlines, please contact your Human

ResourcesAdviser.

Along with your draft advert, it is important to include a copy of the appropriate

authorization for the post and ensure that the source of funding is highlighted.

Each post is given a reference number by the Human Resources Team. The number

relates to the Human Resources database post number and is quoted in theadvertisement, the job description and other documents related to recruitment and to the

post thereafter. This reference number should be used for this post for any further

correspondence or actions.

Where to advertise

The Human Resources Team places all adverts on the UKs leading higher education

recruitment website, Jobs.ac.uk, which is accessible via the Organization website.

In addition to these sources, please indicate in which, if any other publications you would

like your advert to appear. The choice of publication will obviously depend on the nature

of the role.

Care must be taken to ensure that the advert will reach as diverse a range of the

population as possible, to ensure indirect discrimination does not take place. For

example, placing an advert, solely in "Ms London" magazine, which is aimed at women

would be indirect discrimination as there is less chance of men seeing and therefore

being able to apply for the post. Certain exceptions may be made in cases of targeted

recruitment to reach under-represented groups. However, this would need to be justified


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and may still need to be placed in other publications. Human Resources may advise you

where necessary.

Cost of advertising

The Organizations central recruitment advertising budget normally covers the cost for all

agreed Organization funded posts to be placed in one publication. Your School orDepartment or the relevant Faculty will be required to meet the cost of advertisements

placed in any additional requested publications.

Recruitment costs for non-Organization funded posts are normally met by the funding

body. Therefore it is advisable, when applying for a grant to an outside funding body

(other than a Research Council) to include recruitment expenses in the calculation of the

overhead spending money required, together with provision for the Organizations

maternity and sickness absence leave (copies of these policies are available on the Web at

www.bkk.ac.uk/hr or from the Human Resources Team).

Information required of applicantsAppointees to all posts (Organization funded or not) must complete aOrganization

Application Form. This ensures that the Organization obtains all essential information

regarding the employment status. Candidates are asked to provide Equal Opportunities

data on a separate document. This information is retained permanently by the Human

Resources Team on a database and it is used anonymously for statistical purposes in

accordance with the HEFCE, HESA and the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000

requirements.

Applicants for academic posts may attach a C.V. and a list of publications to the

application form. For some posts, Heads of Schools may wish to request that candidates

send in a sample of work with their initial applications, e.g. a copy of a recent publication.Human Resources send any original documents received to the Head of School. After the

interviews have been held, the publications should be returned to the candidate either by

the School or by the Human Resources Team.

Step 4: Composition of the selection panel

At this stage (or earlier) the appointing manager (the panel Chair) should decide on the

composition of your selection panel. To comply with best practice in equal opportunities

and the Organizations Equal Opportunities Policy, panels should reflect an appropriate

mix of gender and ethnicity. Please note that panels will be monitored in accordance with

the Organizations Race Equality Policy.

The membership of the panel must be agreed upon by the closing date of the post. Panel

Membership of the Recruitment Policy for further information of the minimum

requirements.

The names of the panel members will be provided to shortlisted applicants in their

invitation to interview letter.


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Step 5: Select candidates for interview & identify any tests or

presentations required

All applications received are held in the Human Resources Team until the closing date. On

the first working day after the closing date, one set of all the application forms, together

with a Shortlist memo and Shortlist form is sent to the Chair of the interview panel (or

nominee) along with a list of the names of all applicants. Human Resources retain the

other

Shortlisting the applicants

In order to ensure the best candidates are chosen for the role, and to promote an

objective and non-discriminatory process, shortlisting should ideally be carried out by

the interview panel, or at least by one member of the panel and another appropriate

person. This ensures that a number of people assess a candidate and that individual

opinions or prejudices do not dominate. Those involved in the shortlisting should meet to

discuss their views on applications. If it is possible to gather the panel together, this

makes an ideal opportunity to also plan for the interview itself.

Each applicant should be assessed against the person specification to determine the

extent to which they meet the criteria. Applicants should not be shortlisted if they do not

meet the essential criteria as set out in the specification.

If you have specified a particular qualification, or standard of education, you should note

that many overseas qualifications are comparable and, in some cases superior to those

awarded in the UK, and therefore may warrant the applicant being shortlisted. If you are

uncertain of the status of such qualifications, please contact the Registry for further

advice.

Stereotyping should be avoided and assumptions must not be made whether or not

someone will fit in because of their age, gender or disability, for example. Assumptions

can be incorrect and the Organization could be wrongfully deprived of a potential asset.

Such assumptions are also likely to be subjective and discriminatory, and therefore, may

contravene the Organization's Equal Opportunities Policy.

In terms of the optimum number of applicants to shortlist, it is difficult to put a limit as

each post is different and may attract a very different number of appropriate candidates.

However, it is advisable to restrict the number of interviews that you carry out to five or

six in any one day. If you wish to shortlist more than this, it is recommended that

interviews be carried out over 2 days, and you may consider a two-stage selectionprocess to reduce the number of candidates who reach a panel interview.

For academic posts, the Master has requested shortlists are limited to up to five

applicants for any one post. If you wish to shortlist more than five applicants, you must

make a case to the Master to do so, before the invitation to interview letters are sent out.


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It is possible to identify (usually up to two) applicants as reserves in case any of your first

choice candidates do not attend. However you will need to be able to differentiate as to

why they were not first choice candidates by the extent to which they met the criteria.

Shortlisting paperwork

The Shortlist form is designed to give space for (brief) notes and reasons on why lcandidates were or were not shortlisted. This is necessary in case of any potential

dispute, or if applicants request feedback on why they did not get an interview. The

reasons given must relate to the criteria set out in the person specification for the post.

These notes will also be referred to if a work permit application is required for the

successful candidate at a later stage.

Once the Shortlist form has been completed, you should fill in the Shortlist memo form,

ensuring that all the necessary information required to set up the interviews is included

and send it to your Human Resources Adviser. Please ensure that you allow sufficient

time between getting the forms to Human Resources and the interview date. This is to

allow the appropriate paperwork to be completed and to give the candidates time toarrange leave from work and prepare for the interview, (ideally a minimum of 10

working days).

Selection tests and presentations

If your selection procedure requires candidates to deliver a presentation or undergo a

test, they will be informed of this in their invitation letter. Please ensure that you include

the relevant presentation topic or test instructions on the Shortlist memo.

Selection tests can be very useful tools in the selection process to help with assessing the

suitability of candidates for the role. Any test you use must be fair, unbiased and directly

relevant to the central requirements of the job. Ideally, they should take place in anenvironment similar to the job situation. For example, for some administrative jobs, a

word-processing or written test may be useful. This could include drafting

correspondence or setting up a simple spreadsheet, whereas candidates for a Lecturer

role are likely to be asked to prepare a presentation to test their delivery skills and

knowledge of a subject.

Whilst the Human Resources Team is happy to provide advice about devising tests, the

school or department should provide the material/content. This ensures that the test is

relevant to the job in question. The tests should be held in the school or department

concerned and there should be a member of that school or department available to

monitor the candidates and to offer appropriate assistance if required. The appointing

School/Department should arrange any equipment or rooms required for any

presentations or tests.


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Invitation to interview letters

Once Human Resources receive the Shortlist Memo and Shortlist Form, they will invite

the candidates to interview. The Human Resources Team will then (except for externally

funded posts) send an interview pack to the Chair of the panel, which will include:

y Aset of the application forms/CVs of those shortlisted

y A set of any references received (where applicable)y A copy of the advertisementy Job description & person specificationy Interview Record & OfferDetails form and salary scales

In the invitation to interview letters, candidates are requested to report to the Reception

Desk of the appropriate building, for directions to the interview room. The Human

Resources Team will inform the attendant on duty at the Reception Desk of the interview

arrangements so that they are prepared to welcome the candidates. If you wish to vary

these reporting arrangements for any reason, please ensure that you inform Human

Resources at the short listing stage.

You should make arrangements for the interview papers to be copied to the members of

your interview panel. If you wish to send the invitation to interview paperwork out

yourself directly from your school/department, this is fine. However, you must use the

template letters and documentation, which are available from your Human Resources

Adviser.

Travel and accommodation expenses

The details of expenses available are set out in the Recruitment Policy. However, please

note that any interview travel expenses over and above the 150 limit will be met by the

recruiting School or Department and must therefore be agreed with the candidate

beforehand. This is something to look out for if a candidate will need to travel from a

distance/abroad.

References

The Human Resources Team will request references at the time they invite candidates to

interview. In each case, two references are sought, including one from the current/most

recent employer who should not be a relation of the candidate. If a referee happens to be

a panel member (for either shortlisting or interviewing) then the candidate will be asked

to provide an alternative referee.

Although the Human Resources Team does chase up outstanding references, sometimes

these are not received before the interview panel meeting. Whilst it is advisable to see

references before a candidate starts employment, if they have not been received, you

should make the following statement (which will be added to their offer letter) when

making the verbal offer to them, 'this offer is subject to the receipt of two references

which the Organization finds satisfactory.


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Step 6: The selection interview

Preparation

Preparation is a vital part of the recruitment and interviewing process. It is not sufficient

for panel members to meet up 20 minutes before the start of the first interview. Time

should be set aside at least a day or two in advance of the interview date for the panel toconvene and decide on:

y the format of the interview and order of questionsy the questions to be asked of all candidatesy the specific questions to be asked of individual candidatesy who is going to ask which questionsy the optimum start date for the posty any other details candidates may need about the role that were not sent at

application

As noted previously, the ideal time to do this is at the short-listing stage, as all members

of the panel should ideally be convened already for this part of the exercise. You will be

looking through applications forms against the criteria in the person specification, and so

the generic and specific questions could be developed at this stage.

The venue

Where you hold the interviews is important. This should ideally be in a light and airy

room, with sufficient space to hold the panel and interviewees, without being so large as

to be intimidating. Obviously, if a presentation is required, the correct equipment must be

booked.

All potential distractions should be minimized, such as:

y Put a sign on the door to indicate interviews are taking place, and if necessary,redirections to visitors

y Forward any telephones to another office (ensure the occupants know this hasbeen done!) or turn the volume right down

y Provide refreshments (particularly water) for the panel and the interviewee, andreplenish regularly

y Where possible, ensure that the temperature in the room is comfortabley Place the interviewee's chair facing away from any windows where appropriate to

minimize any distractions to them

Arrange the room and furniture in a format suitable to the particular interview you are

doing. There are a number of possible options, dependent on the type of interview and

number of panel members present. Some people think that having a desk between the

panel and the interviewee is intimidating and presents a barrier; others prefer to have the

use of a desk or table for the interview paperwork. An ideal layout is to have a round or

square table around which the panel and the candidate can sit.


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Welcoming the candidate

When organizing the interviews, it is best to allocate a person (not on the panel) who can

meet the candidates as they arrive, complete some of the 'welcoming' tasks, such as

taking their coats, giving them a drink etc, and the show them to the interview room. This

means that the individual is settled when they get to the interview.

At the start of the interview, the Chair of the panel should introduce themselves and the

other members, including names and job titles/roles. Next, outline the format of the

interview so that the candidate is aware of what is going to happen. A typical format

might be:

y Introductions to the Chair and panel membersy A brief introduction to the role/how it fits into the structurey Inform candidate that you may be taking some written notesy The candidate gives a presentationy Panel questions to the candidate on their presentationy Panel questions testing the criteria from the person specificationy Time for the candidate to ask questionsy Informing the candidate of the next step (i.e. they will be contacted either by

phone or in writing of the outcome)

y Thank them for coming and ensure someone shows them outBefore starting the interview, it is useful to ask a few welcoming, friendly questions to put

them at ease, such as asking them about their journey and so on. The interview should

not be about putting the candidate under excessive pressure and making them feel

uncomfortable; putting them at their ease and building a rapport will ensure you get the

right information from them.

It may be appropriate to include a visit to the relevant department or office as part of the

interview so that candidates can see and get a feel for the work environment.

The interview questions

As the interview is the main, and often the only method of selection used after sifting

applications, it is important to get it right, and get the most out of it, so that you build up a

true picture of the candidates' ability to do the job. Careful consideration of the questions

will help ensure that the right information is gathered in order to make an informed

decision. You should use the criteria that you set out in your person specification at the

start of the recruitment process as the basis for question development.

Start with the essential criteria, and design a question (or series of questions) to test for

evidence of their abilities in each area. A few questions that would test some of the

desirable criteria are useful as a tool to differentiate between suitable candidates. These

questions should be asked of all candidates to ensure consistency, enable you to assess

the level to which candidates match your criteria, and make an informed and fair

recruitment decision. However, each interviewee will answer the questions in a slightly


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different way. Therefore, you will need to probe and ask specific questions of the

individual candidates to explore their responses.

You may like to ask some questions of certain candidates that are specific to their

application, or individual circumstances. However, care must be taken to ensure that such

questions do not breach our Equal Opportunities Policy, or any employment legislation(see Section 2. of the Recruitment Policy). For example, if you were interviewing four

male candidates and one female, and you asked the female if she had any childcare

commitments, but did not ask this of the male candidates, assuming that they would not

have any responsibility, this would be discriminatory. Further advice in this area can be

obtained from your Human ResourcesAdviser.

To help you with your interview planning, a bank of sample interview questions is set out

in the appendix.

Question types

There are a number of different question types, some of which should be used frequently,others that should be used sparingly/carefully, and some of which should be avoided

altogether:

Open - questions that start with, "what, when, how, who, why, please" and illicit a fuller

response than just yes or no, for example:

y What experience do you have of managing a team?y Why did you decide to move from working in finance to Human Resources?y How do you keep up to date with the latest thinking/developments in your field?y Whom did you report to in your previous role?

Behavioural - putting a question into a context and asking for examples of the

interviewee's behaviour in the past. These questions are particularly effective as they

provide 'evidence' of a candidate's experience/competence of a particular area or skill,

for example;

y Please tell me about a time when you successfully handled a complaint from astudent

y Please give an example of a complex problem that you solved with minimumassistance from others

y Tell us about a time when you have had to use effective verbal communicationskills

Probing - to ensure that you get the most information out of candidates, and to follow up

an answer you may have got from another question, you need to probe. This is also useful

if you want to be sure that a candidate really understands what they have said to you and

that they have not just used a 'stock' answer. Probing is an important but difficult skill

that becomes easier the more you practice for example;


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y Why do you think that project was so successful?y How do you think you might have approached it differently if you could do it

again?

y So, whom did you speak to about it?y What other people were involved in that group?

Closed - these are questions that only require a 'yes' or 'no' answer, or a very

brief/specific response. These questions should be used sparingly as they do not

encourage the candidate to open up and you will get very limited information, for

example:

y Have you completed your TiLL course?y Do you work well in a team?y However, closed questions can be useful for checking facts, or focusing a very

talkative candidate, for example;

y How many years experience have you had in finance?y So, have you actually created a database before?

Multiple - a common mistake that interviewers make is to ask two or more questions in

one. This can be very confusing for the candidate, and often results in the interviewer

being asked to repeat the question, for example:

y Have you ever done a presentation to a large group of people before, and what wasthe presentation about?

y Tell me about a time when you led a research project, how did you go about it, andwhat were the main outcomes?

These questions are fine, if they are broken down and asked separately.

Hypothetical - the candidate is given a scenario (either fictitious of real) and asked how

they would react/deal with the situation. These questions can be useful to test someone's

reaction under 'pressure' or assess their initiative. However, they should be used

sparingly as it is usually better to seek evidence of what someone has actually done or

how they have behaved in the past ('behavioural' questions), e.g.,

y You are in the office alone. You are dealing with a student who has a query abouttheir coursework, which has gone missing. You have some papers that need

copying for a meeting, which starts in half an hour, and then the phone rings. How

do you manage these tasks?

y A member of your team has been an hour late for work for the last three dayswithout explanation. There is an important meeting in the morning that you need

them to attend. How would you deal with this issue?

Checking/Reflective - used to clarify a point made by the candidate, and to check that you

have understood what they meant, for example:


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y You say that you felt frustrated at the time, why was this?y So, you actually spoke to the student?y It seems that you felt you coped very well with the situation, is that right?

Leading/Loaded - these questions should be avoided as you are giving the candidate a

limited possible response; they are likely to answer based on what they think you want tohear rather than what theyactually think. Trying to ascertain 'political' answers is not

helpful in seeing whether they have the ability to do the job, and in some cases could be

seen as discriminatory, for example:

y This is a very stressful environment; I presume you cope well under pressure?y Do you think it is better to own up if you have made a mistake, or attempt to cover

it up and risk the consequences?

Taking notes

Most people like to take notes during an interview to assist with making recruitment

decisions. It is good practice to let the candidate know that this will happen so they do notget alarmed when someone starts scribbling after their first answer! It is quite difficult to

make notes and listen actively to responses at the same time. Therefore, a good tip is to

take it in turns to make notes so that when one person is asking questions another panel

member makes some notes.

It is important to remember that any notes made must be appropriate and non-

discriminatory. Under the Data Protection Act 1998, individuals have the right to see any

documentation held about them, this includes any formal and casual notes kept after the

interviews. Therefore, if you wouldn't want the candidate to read it, do not to write it!

Candidates that require permission (work permit) to work in the UKBefore an employee can start work at the Organization, it is necessary to ascertain their

eligibility to work in the UK. All candidates are asked to make a declaration of their status

on their application form. The successful candidate will be asked to provide documentary

evidence of their status to Human Resources on appointment (see Section 11. in the

Recruitment Policy).

The law and rules around employment of Non-EU Nationals is complex and so this section

is not designed to represent a definitive guide to this issue. It is best to consult with your

Human Resources Adviser to ensure compliance, or if you have any queries about a

candidates eligibility, prior to making an offer.

The basic principle under The Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 is that it is illegal to

employ an individual who is not a British Citizen or an EU National, without prior

permission, either through obtaining a work permit, or if their individual circumstances

allow it.

Circumstances that may not require a work permit:


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y The spouse of an EU Nationaly The spouse or family member of a Non-EU National who holds a valid work permity A Student who holds a valid entry Visa, authorizing them to take up work. They

must not be employed for more than 20 hours per week during term-time.

y An individual with a Working Holiday Visa (restrictions will apply).If you select a candidate who requires a work permit, the work permit application

requires evidence of why the other EU National candidates could not perform the role.

Therefore, if for example there are two candidates who are suitable for the role and one

requires a work permit and the other does not, you are obliged by the legislation to select

the individual who does not require a permit. It is important not to make assumptions

about a persons right to work based on their nationality, as this may be direct

discrimination under the Race Discrimination Act. You should get advice from Human

Resources before making any offer in this situation.

Please note that the roles and professions for which the Home Office will issue work

permits are limited and are usually those that are considered to be 'shortage

occupations', or very highly specialized. Work permits are highly unlikely to be approved

for any posts other than academic or research roles, and will not be approved for any

clerical, administrative, or manual posts. Again, it is strongly recommended that you seek

advice from Human Resources if you are in any doubt as to a posts' eligibility.

Avoiding discrimination

It is important to distinguish between complying with the legislation in this area, and

being discriminatory. Assumptions should not be made about a persons eligibility to

work based on their appearance, accents or names, for example. All candidates are

required to declare their eligibility to work on the application form, sign to say the

information they give is correct and then bring evidence to the interview. Therefore it

would not be appropriate to ask certain candidates to confirm their eligibility at

interview because they are an ethnic minority, or have a 'non-western' sounding name as

this could constitute discrimination and is based on prejudice and assumptions.

Step 7: Appoint the successful candidate

Making a selection decision

Once you have seen all of the candidates, you will need to assess the extent to which each

one met your selection criteria, based on evidence they gave from the questioning and

any tests or exercises. It is very tempting to start comparing the candidates against oneanother; however, it is best practice (and minimizes the risk of discrimination) to try to

stick to looking at how they each meet the person specification and selecting the

individual who best fits this profile.

Some panels like to construct a scoring system. This could be something fairly simple

such as looking at each area of criteria and assigning, 'Fully met', Partially met' or Not

met' to each one. You will need to decide on what constitutes evidence for each category


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before you start the process. It is not essential to follow this sort of system. However, it

can be useful in justifying decisions and making them as objective as possible.

The most important thing to remember is that you will need to be able to justify your

decision, and you must complete the Interview Record & Offer Details Forms for each

candidate, stating brief reasons why they were successful or unsuccessful (seeA

nnex J forexamples). Many interview panels have a second choice candidate who is a suitable

appointee, if the first candidate declines the offer. This should be marked clearly on the

Interview Record and OfferDetails Form.

Probation periods

New appointees to academic posts are subject to a probationary period of up to three

years, dependant on their experience and qualifications. Please indicate on the Interview

Record and Offer Details Form if the probation is to be less than three years. New

appointees to all other professional, research and support posts are subject to a six

months probation period. Please refer to the Probationary Policy, which is available on

the web, or from the Human Resources Team before making the offer to the successfulcandidate. The probationary period should be discussed at the interview.

Please note that existing Birkbeck employees whom have already completed their

probationary period will not be required to complete another period of probation if they

are successful in obtaining an internal appointment. They should, however, have some

form of induction into their new role, where they receive the appropriate support and

training.

Completing the interview record and offer details forms

The Chair of the panel must complete an Interview Record and Offer Details form for each

candidate, even if they did not attend, and return them to the Human Resources Teamimmediately so that a contract can be sent to the successful candidate, and the

unsuccessful candidates can be notified of the decision.

If the successful candidate wishes to consider the offer of employment for a few days it is

recommended that a deadline (of not more than 5 working days) be agreed by which time

the candidate will communicate his/her decision to the Chair. In such circumstances the

Interview Record and Offer Details forms should still be returned to the Human

Resources Team immediately after the offer has been madewith a covering note stating

the situation. If there is another appointable candidate this should be clearly noted and

he/she will be sent a holding letter. Once the Chair has been notified of the candidates

decision he/she should inform the Human Resources Team in writing.

A copy of the appointment letter is sent to the Head of School and to the Dean of

Faculty/Administrative Section Head. Candidates are welcome to contact the Human

Resources Team if there are any questions. Please note that due to their legal status,

written offers of employment should only be sent by Human Resources, and not directly

by Schools/Departments.


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Step 8: Notify unsuccessful candidates

Unsuccessful candidates

Unsuccessful candidates are normally informed in writing of the outcome of their

interview as soon as the successful candidate has accepted an offer of employment.

However, if the panel had decided that a candidate is not appointable to a post(regardless of whether the first or second choice accepts) then they will be written to as

soon as possible.

Once an acceptance is received from the first choice candidate, a final rejection letter is

sent to any second choice candidates as required. If the first choice candidate does not

accept then the Chair of the panel is informed and a decision is made about offering the

job to another candidate or re-advertising.

As with other stages of the process, Schools/Departments are welcome to send out the

letters to unsuccessful candidates directly, however, the standard template letters, which

are available from Human Resources must be used.

Feedback

Some unsuccessful candidates may ask for reasons why they were not shortlisted or

selected for a post. If the applicant has specific grounds for concern, the Human

Resources Team will liaise with the school or department concerned to give feedback.

Well thought out and constructive feedback can be very useful for candidates and gives a

good impression of the Organization. However, it is recognized that managers may feel

wary of giving feedback for a number of reasons, and in such cases, you are encouraged to

discuss this with your Human ResourcesAdviser before responding to the candidate.

Step 9: Returning recruitment documentation

After the interviews have taken place all copies of application forms and supporting

documents, and notes from all the panel members should be returned to Human

Resources, as soon as possible by the school or department concerned, as they contain

personal and confidential information, which should not be held in duplicate outside of

Human Resources.

The successful employees original application form, CV, and associated paperwork will

be retained in their staff file and their details entered on the Human Resources IT System.

However, the appointing manager may also keep a copy of the application form and

documents of the appointed candidate for the purposes of managing that employee. Such

records must be kept securely and in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.

The Human Resources Team will keep a set of all the other application forms and

recruitment information (including panel notes) for a period of one year in case a

candidate makes an application to an Employment Tribunal claiming discrimination.


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Step 10: Inducting the new employee

All newly appointed staff:

y Will have an induction mentor nominated by their line managery Must attend the Organizations Introduction to Birkbeck for New StaffDayy Must complete the Induction Checklist (supplied with the offer letter and on the

website)

y Must report to the Human Resources Office with the relevant documentation ontheir first day of employment (they will be advised of what to bring in their offer

letter)

For further information and advice on planning an induction programme, please contact

the StaffDevelopment Team or your Human Resources Adviser.

Research Analysis

Recruitment

Strategies

Organizations tailor their recruitment strategies to the specific positions they are

seeking to fill. These strategies might differ depending on the level of the position.

Survey respondents were asked what strategies they use to recruit for two types

of positions: managerial/professional and non-management. Table below

provides the percentage of organizations using each strategy.

Table: Percentage of Organizations using these tools for recruiting

Advertisements

Manageria

l (%)

Non-

Managerial

(%)

internet (e.g bulletin or job boards) 76 51

Local newspaper 71 90

National newspaper 63 18

Trade publications & magazine 56 17

Direct mail 11 9

TV or radio 6 16

Movie screens 1 4

Agencies or Services

EmploymentAgencies 76 39

Government employment services 19 51

Temporary help agencies 16 77

School/College/Community


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College recruiting 68 47

Job fairs 58 60

Targeted minority recruiting 46 36

School-to-work

partnerships/internships

37 53

Military recruiting 16 11

Partnerships with community

organizations

15 43

Retiree job banks 5 12

Professional Associations

Professional organizations 62 20

Professional conferences 38 16

InternalResources

Internal job postings 81 86

Employee referrals 78 83

Company web site 71 60

Walk-ins, unsolicited resumes 59 73

Toll-free number 21 21

The Internet is the most popular advertising medium to recruit for managerial/

professional positions.


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The Internet allows organizations to reach a large number of candidates easily

and efficiently. Although the World Wide Web is becoming the hot new recruiting

tool, traditional methods, such as newspaper advertising, are not yet obsolete.

Local newspapers are the preferred advertising medium for non-management

positions (90 percent), and national newspapers are widely used to recruit

managerial/professional candidates (63 percent).

Organizations utilize internal resources when recruiting both internal and

external candidates.

Overwhelmingly, organizations use internal job postings and employee referrals

to recruit candidates for both managerial and non-managerial positions. Many

companies also place job postings on their company web site to attract

candidates. These are relatively easy, inexpensive ways to identify candidates

both inside and outside the company. Internal job-posting programs are also an

excellent method of providing promotion opportunities for employees and

minimizing employee complaints of unfair treatment and discrimination.

Different kinds of agencies are used to recruit for positions at different levels.

Organizations regularly use both temporary and government agencies to recruit

non-management candidates. These kinds of agencies typically provide listings of

individuals who have general, applicable skills and backgrounds for

nonmanagerial work. When organizations are looking for candidates with

specialized skills, abilities, or knowledge to fill managerial/professional jobs, they

use employment agencies (76 percent), colleges (68 percent), and professionalorganizations (62 percent).

Organizational Offerings

Potential job candidates consider many factors when choosing an employer. The

quality of an organizations offerings (e.g., salary, benefits package, reputation)

affects its ability to attract job candidates. Respondent organizations were asked

how a candidate might view the quality of several of their offerings.

Organizations believe they offer candidates a strong company reputation and

high-quality benefits and learning opportunities.

Most organizations rate their offerings to be of moderate quality. Many

organizations, however, believe they offer candidates high-quality:

y Company reputation (69 percent).y Benefits package (65 percent).y Learning opportunities (55 percent).


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The benefits package is an important factor when employees are evaluating the

attractiveness of an organization. Benefits include health care options, retirement

plans, vacation, stock options, etc. Organizations must offer a variety of options to

attract potential employees and to retain their current talent.

Many organizations do not offer candidates stock options or child care options.

Many of the surveyed organizations do not offer:

y Stock options (37 percent).y Child care options (36 percent).y Sign-on bonuses (34 percent).

When a potential employee is considering an employment offer, these offerings

not only affect that persons decision, but they also have an impact on his or her

choice to remain with the company once hired.A

recent national survey ofemployees found that the availability of both stock options and benefits related to

child care (e.g., day care for sick children) are significantly related to employee

commitment. Thus, organizations might consider the quality of these kinds of

benefits when evaluating their recruitment and retention strategies.

BestRecruiting Strategies

The quality of options an organization offers can influence how effective it

perceives its recruiting strategies to be. Respondents were asked to rate the

effectiveness of their organizations current approach to recruiting using a 10-

point scale (1 = not at all effective; 10 = extremely effective). Few organizationsrated their recruiting strategy to be ineffective; hence, the differences were

examined in the quality of offerings between organizations that rated their

recruiting strategy to be moderately effective (4 through 7) and highly effective (8

and higher).

Effective recruiting strategies incorporate benefits, salary, and corporate culture.

These six offerings that distinguish organizations with highly effective recruiting

strategies from those with moderately effective ones. Highly effective recruiting

strategies were more likely to offer candidates high-quality options such as:

y Potential for advancement.y Company reputation.y Stocks.y Benefits package.y Corporate culture.


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y Salary scale.Organizations with highly effective recruiting strategies reported that these

offerings were of high quality 15 to 19 percent more often than those companies

with moderately effective strategies. Salary is not the only important factor for

companies to focus on when trying to attract potential job candidates. Less thanhalf the organizations with highly effective recruiting strategies (78 percent)

believed their salary scale was of high quality. Other factors, however, were

considered to be of high quality. For instance, 81 percent of organizations with

highly effective strategies considered their reputation a selling point, and 77

percent believed that their benefits package was of high quality. Although many

companies choose not to even offer stock options, 15 percent more organizations

with highly effective strategies offered stock options than those with moderately

effective strategies. HR professionals acknowledge that candidates look for many

qualities in an organization when pursuing employment. To successfully attractcandidates, organizations must provide not only a competitive salary, but also an

environment and culture in which candidates will feel comfortable and can

flourish.

This finding reflects the importance of person-organization fit, which is the

congruence of the values of the employee and the organization. A person is more

likely to find a job attractive if his or her values and goals are perceived to be a

good fit with how the organization conducts business. Alignment of individual and

organizational goals also enhances employee satisfaction and commitment to the

organization, and thus, employee retention

Selection

Current Selection Practices

Organizations use a variety of practices to select potential employees. The survey

asked respondents to estimate how often they use several practices to evaluate

candidates in their selection process. Table below indicates the percentage of

those organizations currently using each practice.

Selection Practices Use

extensively(%)

Use

sometimes(%)

Do notuse (%)

General

Applications 89 8 3

Resume screeningmanual 80 16 4

Reference checks 75 24 1

Drug tests 56 9 35


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Biographical data 18 15 67

Training and experienceevaluations

15 42 43

Resume screening

computerized9 14 76

Testing and AssessmentMotivational fit inventories 18 30 52

Ability tests 17 63 20

Knowledge tests 8 61 20

Personality inventories 7 28 65

Performance/Work sample tests 6 60 34

Assessmentsrole plays andsimulations

4 45 51

Integrity tests 1 7 92

Interviews

Behavior-based interviews 59 38 3

Situational interviews 28 55 17

Computer-assisted interviews 1 10 89

Nearly all organizations use resumes and applications as part of their selection

process.

Organizations typically require job candidates to complete some sort of standard

application that requests personal information such as their education and work

history. Most organizations also screen candidates resumes manually (80 percent

use extensively) rather than using computerized screening methods (9 percent

use extensively). However, this trend might change with the advent of new


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technology and software packages that will make screening resumes through a

computer easier, more efficient, and cost effective.

Behavior-based interviews are widely used in selection systems.

Of the surveyed organizations 97

percent use behavior-based interviews whenselecting employees.

Almost all the organizations surveyed use behavior based interviews to some

extent as part of their selection process. In these structured interviews candidates

are asked to describe specific behavioral examples of their skills. A variety of

research studies have compared the validity of different interviewing techniques.

Behavior- or experience based interviews are found to predict subsequent job

performance better than other interviewing techniques, such as situational

interviews. As a result, more organizations are opting to perform behavior-based

interviews as part of their selection process to increase the likelihood that theywill hire candidates who will be successful in the positions.

Applicant testing and assessment are not widely used in typical selection systems.

Less than 20 percent of organizations use testing or assessment methods

extensively in their selection process.

Respondent organizations indicated that various types of testing are rarely used

in their selection process.

y Ability, knowledge, and performance/work sample tests are sometimesused to select employees.

y Role plays or simulations are used by less than half (49 percent) of theorganizations.

y Integrity tests and personality inventories are used infrequently or not atall.

The selection practices an organization uses are dependent upon the open

positions under consideration. Selecting candidates for various positions typically

requires different practices or methods. Using tests to measure mechanical,

clerical, or other types of abilities is more appropriate for certain jobs (e.g.,

plumber, administrative assistant) than for others (e.g., manager). Assessments

are typically used for evaluating critical competencies required for upperlevel

positions and might not be appropriate for lower-level jobs.


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Thus, organizations that use testing as part of their selection process must be sure

that the tests are appropriate for the positions under consideration as well as

valid measures of the knowledge, skills, and abilities for which they are intended.

Best Selection Systems

Respondent organizations were asked to rate the effectiveness of their selectionstrategy using a 10-point scale (1 = not at all effective; 10 = extremely effective).

Most organizations believe their selection strategy is somewhat effective.

Therefore, the survey looked at which practices are used most often in

organizations with moderately effective (4 through 7) and highly effective (8 or

higher) selection systems.

Selection Finding 4: Five characteristics distinguish highly effective from

moderately effective selection systems.

These five characteristics that organizations with highly effective selectionsystems use more extensively than organizations with moderately effective

systems. Highly effective selection systems are more likely to use:

y Behavior-based interviews.y Training and experience evaluations.y Ability tests.y Biographical data.y Motivational fit inventories.

Organizations with highly effective selection systems report making extensive useof these practices between 15 and 22 percent more than organizations with

moderately effective systems.

Practice 1: Behavior-based interviews

Nearly 80 percent of organizations with highly effective selection systems

reported using behavior based interviews extensively, compared to only 55

percent of those with moderately effective systems. These interviews contribute

to the effectiveness of a selection process by:

y Focusing on job-related behaviors.y Obtaining accurate behavioral data.y Using candidates past behaviors to predict future behavior.

Practice 2: Training and experience Evaluations

Training and experience (T&E) evaluations attempt to assess job-relevant

abilities, skills, and motivations. They work on the premise that individuals who

have successfully performed job relevant tasks requiring certain skills and


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abilities in the past will be successful in performing similar tasks in the future.

T&E evaluations can be used as a screening device for positions where experience

and specific training are necessary for job performance. Organizations can use a

welldeveloped T&E evaluation to set minimum qualifications for essential job

tasks and skills that are necessary for quality job performance.

Practice 3: Ability tests

Ability tests (e.g., mechanical, mental, clerical) are useful in predicting job

performance across a wide variety of jobs. Well-developed ability tests can be a

reliable, valid, and efficient means of measuring applicants capabilities. When

used appropriately, ability tests are robust tools that can add to the prediction

accuracy of a selection system.

Practice 4: Biographical data

Biographical data is a powerful predictor of future job success,6 but our data

shows that it is not widely used by organizations. When compiling data, anorganization gathers information about an applicants past behaviors, attitudes,

and values as they relate to the job under consideration. The information can

provide a nearly complete picture of a candidates life experience and can directly

relate to the persons future job performance. However, many organizations do

not use this tool because they lack the knowledge or resources to develop bio data

forms or because they are concerned about EEOC compliance or the validity of

such measures.

Practice 5: Motivational fit inventories

During the selection process many organizations focus on assessing only the skills

necessary to perform the job. However, skill is only one factor related to job

performance. A candidate could possess all the skills necessary for a job, yet be

unmotivated by the factors associated with it or by the companys values or

operations. Job motivation and organizational fit must also be taken into

consideration.7 Assessing these motivations can help identify candidates who not

only have the can do aspect of the job, but also have the will do.

Future Selection Practices

Respondent organizations were asked if they expect to use the various selection

practices less, about the same, or more over the next three years. Tabl

hrm research - recruitment and selection

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