SELECTING EMPLOYEES

Session 4

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Chapter Objectives

Define the selecting employees

Identify environmental factors that affect the

selection process

Describe the major selection methods

Explain the importance of the preliminary

interview.

Describe the importance of the application for

employment.

After studying this chapter, you should be able to:

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I. Definitions of Selection

The process of choosing from

a group of applicants those individuals best

suited for a particular position and

organization. There are many ways to improve

productivity, but none is more powerful than

making the right hiring decision.

The process by which an organization chooses

from a list of applicants the person or persons

who best meet the selection criteria for the

position available, considering current

environmental conditions.3

I. Definitions of Selection (Cont.)

• During the process of selection managers

must determine extent to which job

candidates have the skills, abilities, and

knowledge required to perform effectively

in the positions for which they are being

considered.

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The process of determining which job

candidates best suit organizational

needs.

• To help make such judgments, managers

and human resource professionals use

various selection methods, such as

interviews and tests.

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The process of determining which job

candidates best suit organizational

needs. (Cont.)

• Before discussing more specifically the

most commonly used selection

methods, we examine an important

concept underlying their use, validity.

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II. Responsibilities of Selection

1) Human resource unit

Provides initial employment reception

Conducts initial screening interview

Administers appropriate employment tests

Obtains background and reference information

Refers to candied to manager for final selection

Arranges for the employment physical

examination if used

Evaluation success of selection process

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2) Manager

Requisition employees with specify

qualifications to fill jobs

Participate in selection process as appropriate

Interview final candidates

Make final selection decision subject to advices

of human resource specialists

Provide follow-up information on the suitability

of selected individuals

III. Environmental Factors Affecting

the Selection Process

1) Other HR functions

• The selection process affects and is

affected by HR functions.

• For instance, if the compensation

package is inferior to those provided by

the firm’s compensation, hiring the best

qualified applicants will be difficult or

impossible.

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2) Legal consideration

• HRM is greatly influenced by

legislation, executive orders,

and court decisions.

• The basic purpose of selection is to

determine candidates’ eligibility for

employment, it is also essential for

organizations to maintain

nondiscriminatory practices.

3) Speed of decision making

• Time available to make selection

decision can have major effect on

selection process.

• For instance, the production manager

says “My only quality control inspectors

just had both resigned.”

• In this situation, speed is crucial and a

few pone calls, two brief interviews, and

a prayer may constitute the entire

selection procedure”.

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4) Organizational hierarchy

• Organization take different approaches to

filling positions at varying levels.

• For instance, to hire a chief executive

officer and a data entry clerk.

• Extensive background checks and multiple

interviews would most likely apply for the

executive position.

• An applicant for a clerical position would

probably take a word processing test and

perhaps have a short employment

interview.

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5) Applicant pool

• The number of qualified applicants for a

particular job can affect the selection

process.

• The process can be truly selective only if

there are several qualified applicants.

• Only a few applicants with the required skills

may be available.

• The expansion and contraction of the labor

market also exert considerable influence on

availability and selection process.

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6) Type of organization:

• Prospective employees in private sector

screened with regard to how they can help

achieve profit goals.

• Government civil service systems identify

qualified applicants through competitive

examinations.

• Individuals considered for positions in not-

for-profit organizations must be qualified

and dedicated to work

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7) Probationary period

• Period that permits evaluating employee’s

ability based on established performance.

• May be a substitute for certain phases of

the selection process or a check on the

validity of the process.

• If an individual can successfully perform

the job during the probationary period, the

process doesn’t require other selection

tools.

• In any event, newly hired employees need

monitoring to determine whether the hiring

decision was a good one. 14

IV. The Major Selection Methods

More than one selection method typically

is used in assessing job candidates.

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• Application form

• Employment tests

• Selection interviews

• Reference checks

• Physical exam

• Final selection

The most prevalent methods include

the use of:

1. Application form ¬

In developing application forms, organizations

need to avoid include questions that are not

valid predictors of job performance, especially

if such as questions tend to have adverse

impact. 16

Is a form containing a series of inquiries

about such issues as an applicant's

educational background, previous job

experience, physical health, and other

information that maybe useful in

assessing an individual's abilities

to perform a job.

Application form serves 4 purposes

Record of job applicant's desire to obtain

a position.

It provides interviewers with a profile of

job applicant that used during interviews

period

It is a basic employee record of job

applicants who are hired.

It is used for research on the

effectiveness of selection process.

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Personal data

Education

Skills

Work experiences

References

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Elements of application form

2. Employment tests ¬

Is a means of assessing a Job applicant's

characteristics through paper-and-pencil

responses or simulated exercises.

There are 3 major types of tests used in

the selection process are ability,

personality, and performance tests.

! Ability tests: Are means of measuring

mainly mental (such as intelligence),

mechanical, and clerical abilities or

sensory capacities.

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a) Cognitive aptitude tests: Types of

tests used to measure a person's

capacity or potential talents to learn and

perform a job. Or tests that determine

general reasoning ability, memory,

vocabulary, verbal fluency, and

numerical ability.

! Performance / Work sample tests:Requires the applicant complete some of job activity under structured conditions.

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! Personality: Are means of measuring characteristics, such as patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

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• Verbal tests: Used to measure a person’s

ability to use word in oral or written

communication.

• Numerical tests: Used to measure a

person's ability to add, subtract, multiply,

divide.

• Spatial tests: Used to measure a person's

ability to visualize objects in space and

determine their relationships.

• Reasoning tests: Used to measure a

person's to analyze oral or written facts

and make correct judgment concerning to

these facts based on the logical

implication.

Needs to measure a person's strength,

dexterity and coordination.

• Speed of arm movements

• Manual dexterity

• Finger dexterity

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b) Psychomotor tests: ¬

c) Job knowledge tests:

¬

Used to measure job related knowledge

of job applicants (oral & written).

d) Performance/ Efficiency/ Achievement tests:

Used to measure a person's ability how well

applicant can do as sample of the work to be

performed in a job.

e) Personality tests/ Psychological tests:

Used to measure a person's traits.

o Aggression : MKT. (Salesperson,

Sales supervisor)

o Autonomy : Accountant, Account clerks

o Understanding : Reporters, Journalists …

o Exhibition : Film stars

o Nurture/ feelings : Nurse23

3. Employment interviews ¬

Is a relatively formal in-depth conversation

conducted for the purpose of assessing a

candidate's knowledge, skills, and abilities,

as well as providing information to the can

the candidate about the organization and

potential jobs.

Is a goal-oriented conversation in which an

interviewer and an applicant supposedly

exchange information.

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Purposes of interview

Obtaining information about candidates

Creating friendships with job applicants.

Providing information about organization

to job candidates (image of organization

working conditions, policies, opportunities for

advancement).

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Types of interviews

Board interviews/ Panel interviews:

• Job applicant is asked by a group

of interviews

Structured interviews / patterned /

standardized:

• Type of interview used by

interviewers to ask interviewees

(Job applicants) with series of

predetermined questions.

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Stressed interview:

• Types of interview is used to create

stress on job applicant to see how

a person responds.

Group interview:

• Interviewers ask a group of interviewees

(job applicants) at one time.

Unstructured/ informal / non-directive

interviews:

• Interviewers ask interviewees with

general questions.27

• Determine the questions we want to ask

before starting interview.

• Encourage job applicants to talk during

the interview period.

• Put applicants at quiet place.

• Observe closely applicant mannerisms,

speech and attire if these characteristics

are necessary to the job.

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How to interview successfully?

• Try to avoid interviewing applicants

who we know

• Listen to applicants carefully. (active

and passive listening)

• Never argue to applicants

• Eye contacts

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How to interview successfully?(Cont.)

4. Reference Checks ¬

n Are attempts to obtain job-related

information about job applicants from

individuals who are in a position to be

knowledgeable about applicants'

qualifications.

n Can be obtained by mail, by telephone, and

in person.

n Such checks often are aimed at verifying

information on application blanks and

resumes and may also focus on collecting

additional data to facilitate the selection

decision. 30

n Types of reference

Academic references: vocational training

schools, Universities or Faculties….

Prior-work references: Former employers,

directors of Co, NGO.

Financial references/ credit reports:

Bankers, Savings accounts, credit

cards……

Personal references: Family, relatives, and

friends…

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n Methods for checking references

Telephone-reference checking:

Used to verify information that provided

by applicants such as employment date,

Salary history, types of job

responsibilities, reasons for leaving jobs…

Write references checking:

Some Companies have their reference

forms. They give them to applicants in

order to send them to former employers

to fill and signed them.

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5. Physical Exam ¬

Some company use physical exams in

order to check applicant's health.

Once the person is hired, a medical exam

is often the next step in the selection

process (although it may also take place

after the new employee starts work).

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6. Final selection decisions ¬☻ Some organizations:

Let HRD handles all select steps and

making final selection decisions. But

HRD leaves qualified applicants to

department managers choose based on

information provided by HRD.

Let HRD handles all selection steps but

final selection decisions leaves to top

managers.

It involved with 3 levels of managers in

an organization.

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