Final r&s Project

8/4/2019 Final r&s Project

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HUMAN RESOURCE PLANING, RECRUITMRNT

AND SELECTION

Human Resource Planning

Human Resource Planning which is also called as Manpower Planning consists of

putting right number of people, right kind of people at the right place, right time,

doing the right things for which they are suited for the achievement of goals of the

organization. Human Resource Planning has got an important place in the arena of

industrialization. Human Resource Planning has to be a systems approach and is

carried out in a set procedure.

Objectives of HRP

To ensure optimum use of existing HR.

To forecast future requirement for HR.

To provide control measures to ensure that necessary HR are available as

and when required.

To asses the surplus and shortage of HR. (Downsizing).

To anticipate the impact of technology on jobs and HR.

To determine the level of Recruitment and Training. To estimate the cost of HR and Housing needs of employees.

To meet the needs of expansion and diversification programmes.

The procedure is as follows:

1. Analysing the current manpower inventory

2. Making future manpower forecasts

3. Developing employment programmes4. Design training programmes


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Steps in Human Resource

Planning1. Analysing the current manpower

inventory- Before a manager makesforecast of future manpower, the

current manpower status has to be

analysed. For this the following

things have to be noted-

Type of organization

Number of departments

Number and quantity of such

departments

Employees in these workunits

Once these factors are registered by

a manager, he goes for the future

forecasting.

2. Making future manpower forecasts- Once the factors affecting the future

manpower forecasts are known, planning can be done for the future

manpower requirements in several work units.

The Manpower forecasting techniques commonly employed by theorganizations are as follows:

i. Expert Forecasts : This includes informal decisions, formal expert

surveys and Delphi technique.

ii. Trend Analysis : Manpower needs can be projected through

extrapolation (projecting past trends), indexation (using base year as

basis), and statistical analysis (central tendency measure).

iii. Work Load Analysis : It is dependent upon the nature of work load in

a department, in a branch or in a division.

iv. Work Force Analysis : Whenever production and time period has to

be analysed, due allowances have to be made for getting net

manpower requirements.

v. Other methods : Several Mathematical models, with the aid of

computers are used to forecast manpower needs, like budget and

planning analysis, regression, new venture analysis.


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3. Developing employment programmes - Once the current inventory is

compared with future forecasts, the employment programmes can be framed

and developed accordingly, which will include recruitment, selection

procedures and placement plans.

4. Design training programmes - These will be based upon extent of

diversification, expansion plans, development programmes,etc. Training

programmes depend upon the extent of improvement in technology and

advancement to take place. It is also done to improve upon the skills,

capabilities, knowledge of the workers.

Importance of Human Resource Planning

1. Key to managerial functions - The four managerial functions, i.e., planning,

organizing, directing and controlling are based upon the manpower. Humanresources help in the implementation of all these managerial activities.

Therefore, staffing becomes a key to all managerial functions.

2. Efficient utilization - Efficient management of personnels becomes an

important function in the industrialization world of today. Seting of large

scale enterprises require management of large scale manpower. It can be

effectively done through staffing function.

3. Motivation - Staffing function not only includes putting right men on right

job, but it also comprises of motivational programmes, i.e., incentive plans

to be framed for further participation and employment of employees in aconcern. Therefore, all types of incentive plans becomes an integral part of

staffing function.

4. Better human relations - A concern can stabilize itself if human relations

develop and are strong. Human relations become strong trough effective

control, clear communication, effective supervision and leadership in a

concern. Staffing function also looks after training and development of the

work force which leads to co-operation and better human relations.

5. Higher productivity - Productivity level increases when resources are

utilized in best possible manner. higher productivity is a result of minimum

wastage of time, money, efforts and energies.This is possible through thestaffing and it's related activities ( Performance appraisal, training and

development, remuneration) .


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Need of Human Resource Planning

Manpower Planning is a two-phased process because manpower planning not onlyanalyses the current human resources but also makes manpower forecasts and

thereby draw employment programmes. Manpower Planning is advantageous to

firm in following manner:

> Shortages and surpluses can be identified so that quick action can be taken

wherever required.

> All the recruitment and selection programmes are based on manpower

planning.

> It also helps to reduce the labour cost as excess staff can be identified and

thereby overstaffing can be avoided.

> It also helps to identify the available talents in a concern and accordingly

training programmes can be chalked out to develop those talents.

> It helps in growth and diversification of business. Through manpower

planning, human resources can be readily available and they can be utilized in

best manner.

> It helps the organization to realize the importance of manpower management

which ultimately helps in the stability of a concern.

HRP Process


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1. Review of Organisation's Objectives

The HRD Manager first studies the objectives of the organisation. Then he

prepares a list of all the activities (jobs) that are required to achieve the objectives.

He also does Job's analysis.

2. Estimation of Manpower Requirements

The HRD manager then estimates the manpower requirement of the organisation.

That is, he finds out how many people (manager and employers) will be required to

do all the jobs in the organisation. Estimation of manpower requirements must be

made in terms of quantity and quality.

3. Estimation of Manpower Supply

The HRD manager then estimates the manpower supply. That is, he finds out how

many managers, and employers are available in the organisation.


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4. Comparison of Manpower

The HRD manager then compares the manpower requirements and manpower

supply.

5.In case of no difference

If there is no difference between the manpower requirements and the manpower

supply, then the HRD manager does not take any action. This is because manpower

requirements are equal to the manpower supply.

6.In case of difference

If there is a difference between the manpower requirements and the manpower

supply the HRD manager takes the following actions:

1. Manpower Surplus

If the manpower requirements are less then the manpower supply then there is a

surplus.

During manpower surplus, the HRD manager takes the following actions :-

1. Termination i.e removal of staff.

2. Lay-off.

3. Voluntary retirement.

2. Manpower Shortage

If the manpower requirements are greater than the manpower supply then there is

manpower shortage.

During manpower shortage, the HRD manager takes the following actions :-

1. Promotions

2. Overtime

3. Training to improve quality.


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4. Hire staff from outside, etc.

7. Motivation of Manpower

HRP also motivates the employers and managers by providing, financial and non-

financial incentives.

8. Monitoring Manpower Requirements

The HRD manager must continuously monitor the manpower requirements. This is

because many employees and managers leave the organisation by resignation,retirement, etc. and new work force must take their place fill the manpower gap.

This helps in uninterruptible functioning of the organisation.

Obstacles in Manpower Planning

Following are the main obstacles that organizations face in the process ofmanpower planning:

1. Under Utilization of Manpower : The biggest obstacle in case of manpower

planning is the fact that the industries in general are not making optimum

use of their manpower and once manpower planning begins, it encounters

heavy odds in stepping up the utilization.

2. Degree of Absenteeism : Absenteeism is quite high and has been increasingsince last few years.

3. Lack of Education and Skilled Labour : The extent of illetracy and the

slow pace of development of the skilled categories account for low

productivity in employees. Low productivity has implications for manpower

planning.

4. Manpower Control and Review :


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a. Any increase in manpower is considered at the top level of

management

b. On the basis of manpower plans, personnel budgets are prepared.

These act as control mechanisms to keep the manpower under certain

broadly defined limits.

c. The productivity of any organization is usually calculated using the

formula:

Productivity = Output / Input

. But a rough index of employee productivity is calculated as follows:

Employee Productivity = Total Production / Total no. of

employees

d. Exit Interviews, the rate of turnover and rate of absenteesim are

source of vital information on the satisfaction level of manpower. For

conservation of Human Resources and better utilization of men

studying these condition, manpower control would have to take into

account the data to make meaningful analysis.

e. Extent of Overtime: The amount of overtime paid may be due to real

shortage of men, ineffective management or improper utilization of

manpower. Manpower control would require a careful study of

overtime statistics.

Few Organizations do not have sufficient records and information on manpower.

Several of those who have them do not have a proper retrieval system. There are

complications in resolving the issues in design, definition and creation of

computerized personnel information system for effective manpower planning and

utilization. Even the existing technologies in this respect is not optimally used.

This is a strategic disadvantage.

Recruitment And Selection


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INTRODUCTION

The human resources are the most important assets of an organization. The success

or failure of an organization is largely dependent on the caliber of the people

working therein. Without positive and creative contributions from people,

organizations cannot progress and prosper. In order to achieve the goals or the

activities of an organization, therefore, they need to recruit people with

requisite skills, qualifications and experience. While doing so, they have to

keep the present as well as the future requirements of the organization in mind.

Recruitment is distinct from Employment and Selection. Once the required number

and kind of human resources are determined, the management has to find the

places where the required human resources are/will be available and also find

the means of attracting them towards the organization before selecting suitable

candidates for jobs. All this process is generally known as recruitment. Somepeople use the term Recruitment for employment. These two are not one and

the same. Recruitment is only one of the steps in the entire employment

process. Some others use the term recruitment for selection. These are not the

same either. Technically speaking, the function of recruitment precedes the

selection function and it includes only finding, developing the sources of

prospective employees and attracting them to apply for jobs in an organization,

whereas the selection is the process of finding out the most suitable candidate

to the job out of the candidates attracted (i.e., recruited).Formal definition of

recruitment would give clear cut idea about the function of recruitment.

Difference Between Recruitment And Selection

Both recruitment and selection are the two phases of the employment process. The

differences between the two are:

1. Recruitment is the process of searching the candidates for employment and

stimulating them to apply for jobs in the organisation WHEREAS selection

involves the series of steps by which the candidates are screened for choosing the

most suitable persons for vacant posts.

2. The basic purpose of recruitments is to create a talent pool of candidates to

enable the selection of best candidates for the organisation, by attracting more and

more employees to apply in the organisation WHEREAS the basic purpose of


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selection process is to choose the right candidate tofill the various positions in the

organisation.

3.Recruitment is a positive process i.e. encouraging more and more employees to

apply WHEREAS selection is a negative process as it involves rejection of the

unsuitable candidates.

4. Recruitment is concerned with tapping the sources of human resources

WHEREAS selection is concerned with selecting the most suitable candidate

through various interviews and tests.

5. There is no contract of recruitment established in recruitment WHEREAS

selection results in a contract of service between the employer and the selected

employee.

Recruitment

Recruitment is defined as, a process to discover the sources of manpower to

meet the requirements of the staffing schedule and to employ effective

measures for attracting that manpower in adequate numbers to facilitate

effective selection of an efficient workforce. Edwin B. Flippo defined

recruitment as the process of searching for prospective employees andstimulating them to apply for jobs in the organization. Recruitment is a

linking function-joining together those with jobs to fill and those

seekingjobs. It is a joining process in that it tries to bring together job

seekers and employer with a view to encourage the former to apply for a job

with the latter.

In order to attract people for the jobs, the organization must communicate

the position in such a way that job seekers respond. To be cost effective, the

recruitment process should attract qualified applicants and provide enough

information for unqualified persons to self-select themselves out.

Thus, the recruitment process begins when new recruits are sought and ends

when their applications are submitted. The result is a pool of applicants from

which new employees are selected.


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Purpose & Importance Of Recruitment

Attract and encourage more and more candidates to apply in the organisation.

Create a talent pool of candidates to enable the selection of best candidates for

the organisation.

Determine present and future requirements of the organization in conjunction

with its personnel planning and job analysis activities.

Recruitment is the process which links the employers with the employees.

Increase the pool of job candidates at minimum cost.

Help increase the success rate of selection process by decreasing number of

visibly under qualified or overqualified job applicants.

Help reduce the probability that job applicants once recruited and selected will

leave the organization only after a short period of time.

Meet the organizations legal and social obligations regarding the composition

of its workforce.

Begin identifying and preparing potential job applicants who will be

appropriate candidates.

The Recruitment Process

The recruitment process begins when you know you need someone new in

the Department, either because an existing staff member has left, or because

there is new work to be done. It doesn't finish until after the appointment has

been made.

The main stages are identified in the below flow chart

Identify Vacancy

|


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Prepare Job Description and person Specification

|

Advertise

|

Managing the Response

|

Short-listing

|

References

|

Arrange Interviews

|

Conduct The Interview

|

Decision Making|

Convey The Decision

|

Appointment Action

The recruitment and selection is the major function of the human resource

department and recruitment process is the first step towards creating the

competitive strength and the strategic advantage for the organisations. Recruitment

process involves a systematic procedure from sourcing the candidates to arranging

and conducting the interviews and requires many resources and time. A general

recruitment process is as follows:

Identifying the vacancy:

The recruitment process begins with the human resource department receiving


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requisitions for recruitment from any department of the company. These contain:

Posts to be filled

Number of persons

Duties to be performed

Qualifications required

Preparing the job descrip

tion and person specification.

Locating and developing the sources of required number and type of

employees (Advertising etc).

Short-listing and identifying the prospective employee with required

characteristics.

References

Arranging the interviews with the selected candidates. Conducting the interview and decision making

Preparing appointment letter.

The recruitment process is immediately followed by the selection process i.e. the

final interviews and the decision making, conveying the decision and the

appointment formalities.

Sources Of Recruitment

Every organisation has the option of choosing the candidates for its recruitment

processes from two kinds of sources: internal and external sources. The sources


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within the organisation itself (like transfer of employees from one department to

other, promotions) to fill a position are known as the internal sources of

recruitment. Recruitment candidates from all the other sources (like outsourcing

agencies etc.) are known as the external sources of recruitment.

SOURCES OF RECRUITMENT

Internal Sources Of Recruitment

1. TRANSFERS

The employees are transferred from one department to another according to their

efficiency and experience.

2. PROMOTIONS

The employees are promoted from one department to another with more benefits

and greater responsibility based on efficiency and experience.

3. Others are Upgrading and Demotion of present employees according to their

performance.


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4. Retired and Retrenched employees may also be recruited once again in case of

shortage of qualified personnel or increase in load of work. Recruitment such

people

save time and costs of the organisations as the people are already aware of the

organisational culture and the policies and procedures.

The dependents and relatives of Deceased employees and Disabled employees are

also done by many companies so that the members of the family do not

become dependent on the mercy of others.

External Sources Of Recruitment

1. PRESS ADVERTISEMENTSAdvertisements of the vacancy in newspapers and journals are a widely used

source of recruitment. The main advantage of this method is that it has a wide

reach.

2. EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES

Various management institutes, engineering colleges, medical Colleges etc. are a

good source of recruiting well qualified executives, engineers, medical staff etc.

They provide facilities for campus interviews and placements. This source is

known as Campus Recruitment.

3. PLACEMENT AGENCIES

Several private consultancy firms perform recruitment functions on behalf of client

companies by charging a fee. These

agencies are particularly suitable for recruitment of executives and specialists. It is

also known as RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing)

4.EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGESGovernment establishes public employment exchanges throughout the country.

These exchanges provide job information to job seekers and help employers in

identifying suitable candidates.

5.LABOUR CONTRACTORS

Manual workers can be recruited through contractors who maintain close contacts


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with the sources of such workers. This source is used to recruit labour for

construction jobs.

6.UNSOLICITED APPLICANTS

Many job seekers visit the office of well-known companies on their own. Such

callers are considered nuisance to the daily work routine of the enterprise. But can

help in creating the talent pool or the database of the probable candidates for the

organisation.

7.EMPLOYEE REFERRALS / RECOMMENDATIONS

Many organisations have structured system where the current employees of the

organisation can refer their friends and relatives for some position in their

organisation. Also, the office bearers of trade unions are often aware of the

suitability of candidates. Management can inquire these leaders for suitable jobs. In

some organizations these are formal agreements to give priority in recruitment tothe candidates recommended by the trade union.

8.RECRUITMENT AT FACTORY GATE

Unskilled workers may be recruited at the factory gate these may be employed

whenever a permanent worker is absent. More efficient among these may be

recruited to fill permanent vacancies.

Factors Affecting Recruitment

The recruitment function of the organisations is affected and governed by a mix of

various internal and external forces. The internal forces or factors are the factors

that can be controlled by the organisation. And the external factors are those

factors which cannot be controlled by the organisation. The internal and external

forces affecting recruitment function of an organisation are:


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FACTORS AFFECTING RECRUITMENT

Internal Factors Affecting Recruitment

The internal forces i.e. the factors which can be controlled by the organisation are:

1. RECRUITMENT POLICY

The recruitment policy of an organisation specifies the objectives of recruitment

and provides a framework for implementation of recruitment programme. It may

involve organizational system to be developed for implementing recruitment

programmes and procedures by filling up vacancies with best qualified people.

FACTORS AFFECTING RECRUITMENT POLICY

Organizational objectives

Personnel policies of the organization and its competitors.

Government policies on reservations.

Preferred sources of recruitment. Need of the organization.

Recruitment costs and financial implications.


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2.HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING

Effective human resource planning helps in determining the gaps present in the

existing manpower of the organization. It also helps in determining the number of

employees to be recruited and what qualification they must possess.

3.SIZE OF THE FIRM

The size of the firm is an important factor in recruitment process. If the

organization is planning to increase its operations and expand its business, it will

think of hiring more personnel, which will handle its operations.

4.COST

Recruitment incur cost to the employer, therefore, organizations try to employ that

source of recruitment which will bear a lower cost of recruitment to the

organization for each candidate.

5.GROWTH AND EXPANSION

Organization will employ or think of employing more personnel if it is expanding

its operations.

External Factors Affecting Recruitment

The external forces are the forces which cannot be controlled by the organisation.

The major external forces are:

1. SUPPLY AND DEMAND

The availability of manpower both within and outside the organization is an

important determinant in the recruitment process. If the company has a demand for

more professionals and there is limited supply in the market for the professionals

demanded by the company, then the company will have to depend upon internal

sources by providing them special training and development programs.

2. LABOUR MARKET

Employment conditions in the community where the organization is located will

influence the recruiting efforts of the organization. If there is surplus of manpower

at the time of recruitment, even informal attempts at the time of recruiting like

notice boards display of the requisition or announcement in the meeting etc will

attract more than enough applicants.


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3.IMAGE / GOODWILL

Image of the employer can work as a potential constraint for recruitment. An

organization with positive image and goodwill as an employer finds it easier to

attract and retain employees than an organization with negative image. Image of a

company is based on what organization does and affected by industry. For example

finance was taken up by fresher MBAs when many finance companies were

coming up.

4.POLITICAL-SOCIAL- LEGAL ENVIRONMENT

Various government regulations prohibiting discrimination in hiring and

employment have direct impact on recruitment practices. For example,

Government of India has introduced legislation for reservation in employment for

scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, physically handicapped etc. Also, trade unions

play important role in recruitment. This restricts management freedom to select

those individuals who it believes would be the best performers. If the candidatecant meet criteria stipulated by the union but union regulations can restrict

recruitment sources.

5.UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

One of the factors that influence the availability of applicants is the growth of the

economy (whether economy is growing or not and its rate). When the company is

not creating new jobs, there is often oversupply of qualified labour which in turn

leads to unemployment.

6.COMPETITORSThe recruitment policies of the competitors also effect the recruitment function of

the organisations. To face the competition, many a times the organisations have to

change their recruitment policies according to the policies being followed by the

competitors.

Recruitment Policy Of a Company

In todays rapidly changing business environment, a well defined recruitment

policy is necessary for organizations to respond to its human resource requirementsin time. Therefore, it is important to have a clear and concise recruitment policy in

place, which can be executed effectively to recruit the best talent pool for the

selection of the right candidate at the right place quickly. Creating a suitable

recruitment policy is the first step in the efficient hiring process. A clear and

concise recruitment policy helps ensure a sound recruitment process.


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It specifies the objectives of recruitment and provides a framework for

implementation of recruitment programme. It may involve organizational system

to be developed for

implementing recruitment programmes and procedures by filling up vacancies with

best qualified people.

COMPONENTS OF THE RECRUITMENT POLICY

The general recruitment policies and terms of the organisation

Recruitment services of consultants

Recruitment of temporary employees

Unique recruitment situations

The selection process

The job descriptions The terms and conditions of the employment

A recruitment policy of an organisation should be such that:

It should focus on recruiting the best potential people

To ensure that every applicant and employee is treated equally with dignity

and respect.

Unbiased policy.

To aid and encourage employees in realizing their full potential.

Transparent, task oriented and merit based selection. Weightage during selection given to factors that suit organization needs.

Optimization of manpower at the time of selection process.

Defining the competent authority to approve each selection.

Abides by relevant public policy and legislation on hiring and employment

relationship.

Integrates employee needs with the organisational needs.

FACTORS AFFECTING RECRUITMENT POLICY

Organizational objectives Personnel policies of the organization and its competitors.

Government policies on reservations.

Preferred sources of recruitment.

Need of the organization.

Recruitment costs and financial implications.


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Recent Trends in Recruitment

The following trends are being seen in recruitment:

OUTSOURCING

In India, the HR processes are being outsourced from more than a decade

now. A company may draw required personnel from outsourcing firms. The

outsourcing firms help the organisation by the initial screening of the

candidates according to the needs of the organisation and creating a suitable

pool of talent for the final selection by the organisation. Outsourcing firms

develop their human resource pool by employing people for them and make

available personnel to various companies as per their needs. In turn, the

outsourcing firms or the intermediaries charge the organisations for theirservices.

Advantages of outsourcing are:

1. Company need not plan for human resources much in advance.

2. Value creation, operational flexibility and competitive advantage

3. turning the management's focus to strategic level processes of HRM

4. Company is free from salary negotiations, weeding the unsuitable

resumes/candidates.

5. Company can save a lot of its resources and time

POACHING/RAIDING

Buying talent (rather than developing it) is the latest mantra being

followed by the organisations today. Poaching means employing a

competent and experienced person already working with another reputed

company in the same or different industry; the organisation might be a

competitor in the industry. A company can attract talent from another firm

by offering attractive pay packages and other terms and conditions, betterthan the current employer of the candidate. But it is seen as an unethical

practice and not openly talked about. Indian software and the retail sector are

the sectors facing the most severe brunt of poaching today. It has become a

challenge for human resource managers to face and tackle poaching, as it

weakens the competitive strength of the firm.


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E-RECRUITMENT

Many big organizations use Internet as a source of recruitment. E-

recruitment is the use of technology to assist the recruitment process. They

advertise job vacancies through worldwide web. The job seekers send their

applications or curriculum vitae i.e. CV through e mail using the Internet.

Alternatively job seekers place their CVs in worldwide web, which can be

drawn by prospective employees depending upon their requirements.

Advantages of recruitment are:

o Low cost.

o No intermediaries

o

Reduction in time for recruitment.o Recruitment of right type of people.

o Efficiency of recruitment process.

SELECTION

INTRODUCTION

The size of the labour market, the image of the company, the place of

posting, the nature of job, the compensation package and a host of other

factors influence the manner of aspirants are likely to respond to the

recruiting efforts of the company. Through the process of recruitment the

company tries to locate prospective employees and encourages them to

apply for vacancies at various levels. Recruiting, thus, provides a pool of

applicants for selection.

Definition

To select mean to choose. Selection is the process of picking individuals

who have relevant qualifications to fill jobs in an organisation. The basic

purpose is to choose the individual who can most successfully perform the

job from the pool of qualified candidates.


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Purpose

The purpose of selection is to pick up the most suitable candidate who

would meet the requirements of the job in an organisation best, to find out

which job applicant will be successful, if hired. To meet this goal, thecompany obtains and assesses information about the applicants in terms of

age, qualifications, skills, experience, etc. the needs of the job are matched

with the profile of candidates. The most suitable person is then picked up

after eliminating the unsuitable applicants through successive stages of

selection process. How well an employee is matched to a job is very

important because it is directly affects the amount and quality of employees

work. Any mismatched in this regard can cost an organisation a great deal of

money, time and trouble, especially, in terms of training and operating costs.

In course of time, the employee may find the job distasteful and leave in

frustration. He may even circulate hot news and juicy bits of negativeinformation about the company, causing incalculable harm to the company

in the long run. Effective election, therefore, demands constant monitoring

of the fit between people the job.

The Process

Selection is usually a series of hurdles or steps. Each one must be

successfully cleared before the applicant proceeds to the next one. The timeand emphasis place on each step will definitely vary from one organisation

to another and indeed, from job to job within the same organisation. The

sequence of steps may also vary from job to job and organisation to

organisation. For example some organisations may give more importance to

testing while others give more emphasis to interviews and reference checks.

Similarly a single brief selection interview might be enough for applicants

for lower level positions, while applicants for managerial jobs might be

interviewed by a number of people.


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Reception

A company is known by the people it employs. In order to attract people with

talents, skills and experience a company has to create a favourable impression on

the applicants right from the stage of reception. Whoever meets the applicant

initially should be tactful and able to extend help in a friendly and courteous way.Employment possibilities must be presented honestly and clearly. If no jobs are

available at that point of time, the applicant may be asked to call back the

personnel department after some time.


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Screening Interview

A preliminary interview is generally planned by large organisations to cut

the cost of selection by allowing only eligible candidates to go through the further

stages in selection. A junior executive from the Personnel Department may elicit

responses from the applicants on important items determining the suitability of an

applicant for a job such as age, education, experience, pay expectations, aptitude,

location, choice etc. this courtesy interview as it is often called helps the

department screen out obvious misfits. If the department finds the candidate

suitable, a prescribed application form is given to the applicants to fill and submit.

Application Blank

Application blank or form is one of the most common methods used to

collect information on the various aspects of the applicants academic, social,demographic, work related background and references. It is a brief history sheet of

employees background, usually containing the following things:

Personal data (address, sex, telephone number)

Marital data

Educational data

Employment Experience

Extra-curricular activities

References and Recommendations

Usefulness of Application Blank or Form

Application blank is highly useful selection tool, in that way it serves three

important purposes:

1. It introduces the candidate to the company in a formal way.

2. It helps the company to have a cross-comparison of the applicants; the

company can screen and reject candidates if they fail to meet the

eligibility criteria at this stage itself.

1. It can serve as a basis to initiate a dialogue in the interview.


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Selection Testing

In this section let examine the selection test or the employment test that

attempts to asses intelligence, abilities, personality trait, performance simulation

tests including work sampling and the tests administered at assessment centres-

followed by a discussion about the polygraph test, graphology and integrity test.

A test is a standardized, objective measure of a persons behaviour, performance or

attitude. It is standardised because the way the tests is carried out, the environment

in which the test is administered and the way the individual scores are calculated-

are uniformly applied. It is objective in that it tries to measure individual

differences in a scientific way giving very little room for individual bias and

interpretation. Over the years employment tests have not only gained importancebut also a certain amount of inevitability in employment decisions. Since they try

to objectively determine how well an applicant meets the job requirement, most

companies do not hesitate to invest their time and money in selection testing in a

big way. Some of the commonly used employment tests are:

Intelligence tests

Aptitude tests

Personality tests

Achievement tests

Miscellaneous tests such as graphology, polygraphy and honesty tests.

1.Intelligence Tests: These are mental ability tests. They measure the incumbents

learning ability and the ability to understand instructions and make judgements.

The basic objective of such test is to pick up employees who are alert and quick at

learning things so that they can be offered adequate training to improve their skills

for the benefit of the organization. These tests measure several abilities such as

memory, vocabulary, verbal fluency, numerical ability, perception etc. Eg.

Standford-Binet Test, Binet-Simon Test, The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale

are example of standard intelligence test


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2.Aptitude Test: Aptitude test measure an individuals potential to learn certain

skills- clerical, mechanical, mathematical, etc. These tests indicate whether or not

an individual has the capabilities to learn a given job quickly and efficiently. In

order to recruit efficient office staff, aptitude tests are necessary. An aptitude tests

is always administered in combination with other tests like intelligence and

personality tests as it does not measure on-the-job-motivation

3.Personality Test: Of all test required for selection the personality tests

have generated a lot of heat and controversy. The definition of personality,

methods of measuring personality factors and the relationship between personality

factors and actual job criteria has been the subject of much discussion. Researchers

have also questioned whether applicants answer all the items truthfully or whether

they try to respond in a socially desirable manner. Regardless of these objections,

many people still consider personality as an important component of job success.

4.Achievement Tests: These are designed to measure what the applicant

can do on the job currently, i.e., whether the testee actually knows what he or she

claims to know. A typing test tests shows the typing proficiency, a short hand tests

measures the testee ability to take dictation and transcribe, etc. Such proficiency

tests are also known as work sampling test. Work sampling is a selection tests

wherein the job applicants ability to do a small portion of the job is tested. These

tests are of two types; Motor, involving physical manipulations of things(e.g., trade

tests for carpenters, electricians, plumbers) or Verbal, involving problem situationthat are primarily language-oriented or people- oriented(e.g., situational tests for

supervisory jobs). Since work samples are miniature replicas of the actual job

requirements, they are difficult to fake. They offer concrete evidence of the

proficiency of an applicant as against his ability to the job. However, work sample

tests are not cost effective and every candidate has to be tested individually. It is

not easy to develop work samples for each job. Moreover, it is not applicable to all

levels of the organisation

5.Simulation Tests: Simulation exercise is a tests which duplicate many ofthe

activities and problems an employee faces while at work. Suchexercises are

commonly used while hiring managers at various levels inan organisation. To asses

the potential of a candidate for managerialpositions assessment centres are

commonly used.


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6.Assessment Centre: An assessment centre is an extended work sample.It uses

procedures that incorporate group and individual exercises. These exercises are

designed to stimulate the type of work which the candidate will be expected to do.

Initially a small batch of applicants comes to the assessment centre (a separate

room). Their performance in the situational exercise is observed and evaluated by a

team of 6-8 assessors. The assessors judgement on each exercise are complied and

combined to have a summary rating for each candidate being assessed.

7.Graphology Test:Graphology involves using a trained evaluator toexamine the

lines, loops, hooks, stokes, curves and flourishes in a persons handwriting to

assess the persons personality and emotional make-up. The recruiting company,

may, for example, ask the applicants to complete the application forms and write

about why they want a job. These samples may be finally sent to graphologist foranalysis and the result may be put use while selecting a person. The use of

graphology, however, is dependent on the training and expertise of the person

doing the analysis. In the actual practice, questions of validity and just plain

skepticism have limited in use.

8.Polygraph (Lie-Detector) tests: the polygraph records physical changesin the

body as the tests subject answers a series of questions. It records fluctuations in

respiration, blood pressure and perspiration on a moving roll of graph paper. The

polygraph operator forms a judgement as to whether the subjects response was

truthful or deceptive by examining the biological movements recorded on thepaper. Critic, however, questions the appropriateness of the polygraphs in

establishing the truth about an applicants behaviour. The fact is that the polygraph

records the biological reaction in response to stress and does not record lying or

even conditions necessarily accompanying lying. Is it possible to prove that the

responses recorded by the polygraph occur only because a lie has been told? What

about those situations in which a person lies without guilt (pathological liar) or lies

believing the responses to be true? The fact of the matter is that polygraphs are

neither reliable nor valid. Since they invade the privacy of those tested, many

applicants vehemently oppose the use of polygraph as a selection tool.

9.Integrity Test: These are designed to measure employees honestly to predict

those who are more likely to steal from an employer or otherwise act in a manner

unacceptable to the organization. The applicants who take these tests are expected

to answer several yes or no type questions such as:


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Typical Integrity Questions

Typical Integrity Questions Yes No

Have you ever told a lie?

Do you report to your boss if you know

of another employee stealing from the

store?

Do you carry office stationary back to

your home for occasional use?

Do you mark attendance for your

colleagues also?

Often these tests contain questions that repeat themselves in some way and the

evaluator then examines the consistency in responses. Companies that have used

integrity tests have reported success in tracking employees who indulge in theft.

However, these tests ultimately suffer from the same weakness as polygraph and

graphology test.

Interview is the oral examination of candidates for employment. This is the most

essential step in the selection process. In this step the interviewer matches the

information obtained about the candidates through various means to the job

requirements and to the information obtained through his own observations during

the interview. Interview gives the recruiter an opportunity

Selection Interview

To size up the candidate personally;

To ask question that are not covered in the tests;

To make judgments on candidates enthusiasm and intelligence;


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To assess subjective aspects of the candidate facial expressions,appearance,

nervousness and so forth

To give facts to the candidates regarding the company, its policies,

etc. and promote goodwill towards the company

Types of interviews:

Several types of interviews are commonly used depending on the nature

andimportance of the position to be filled within an organization.

In a NON-DIRECTIVE INTERVIEW the recruiter asks questions as theycometo mind. There is no specific format to be followed.

In a PATTERNED INTERVIEW, the employer follows a pre-determined

sequence of questions. Here the interviewee is given a special form containing

questions regarding his technical competence, personality traits, attitudes,

motivation, etc.

In a STRUCTURED OR SITUATIONAL INTERVIEW, there are fixedjob

related questions that are presented to each applicant.

In a PANEL INTERVIEW several interviewers question and seek answers from

one applicant. The panel members can ask new and incisive questions based on

their expertise and experience and elicit deeper and more meaningful expertise

from candidates.

Interviews can also be designed to create a difficult environment where the

applicants confidence level and the ability to stand erect in difficult situations are

put to test. These are referred to as the STRESS

INTERVIEW. This is basically an interview in which the applicant ismadeuncomfortable by a series of, often, rude, annoying or embarrassingquestions.

In the final category, there is the APPRAISAL INTERVIEW, where a superior

and subordinate sit together after the performance appraisal to discuss the

subordinates rating and possible remedial actions.


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Steps in interview process:

Interview is an art. It demands a positive frame of mind on part of the interviewers.

Interviewers must be treated properly so as to leave a good impression about the

company in their minds. HR experts have identified certain steps to be followedwhile conducting interviews:

PREPARATION:

Establishing the objective of the interview Receiving the candidates application

and resume

Keeping tests score ready, along with interview assessment forms

Selecting the interview method to be followed

Choosing the panel of experts who would interview the candidates

Identifying proper room for environment

RECEPTION:

The candidate should be properly received and led into the interviewroom. Start

the interview on time.

INFORMATION EXCHANGE:

State the purpose of the interview, how the qualifications are going tobe matched

with skills needed to handle the job.Begin with open ended questions where thecandidate gets enough freedomto express himself.Focus on the applicants

education, training, work experience, etc.

Find unexplained gaps in applicants past work or college record and elicit facts that

are not mentioned in the resume.

EVALUATION:

Evaluation is done on basis of answers and justification given by theapplicant in

the interview.

PHYSICAL EXAMINATION:

After the selection decision and before the job offer is made, the candidate is

required to undergo a physical fitness test. A job offer is often contingent upon the

candidate being declared fit after the physical examination.


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Medical examination:

Certain jobs require physical qualities like clear vision, perfect hearing, unusual

stamina, tolerance of hard working conditions, clear tone, etc. Medical

examination reveals whether or not a candidate possesses these qualities.

Reference Checks

Once the interview and medical examination of the candidate is over, the personnel

department will engage in checking references. Candidates are required to give the

names of 2 or 3 references in their application forms. These references may be

from the individuals who are familiar with the candidates academic achievements

or from the applicants previous employer, who is well versed with the applicants

job performance and sometimes from the co-workers. In case the reference check

is from the previous employer, information in the following areas may be obtained.

They are job title, job description, period of employment, pay and allowances,

gross emoluments, benefits provided, rate of absence, willingness of previous

employer to employ the candidate again, etc. Further, information regarding

candidates regularity at work, character, progress, etc. can be obtained. Often a

telephone call is much quicker. The method of mail query provides detailed

information about the candidates performance, character and behavior. However,

a personal visit is superior to the mail or telephone methods and is used where it is

highly essential to get a detailed, first hand information which can also be secured

by observation. Reference checks are taken as a matter of routine and treatedcasually or omitted entirely in many organizations. But a good reference check,

when used sincerely, will fetch useful and reliable information to the organization.

Hiring decision:

The line manager has to make the final decision now whether to select or reject a

candidate after soliciting the required information through different techniques

discussed earlier. The line manager has to take adequate care in taking the final

decision because of economic, behavioral and social implications of the selection

decisions. A careless decision of rejecting a candidate would impair the morale of

the people and they suspect the selection procedure and the very basis of selection

in a particular organization. A true understanding between line managers and

personnel managers should be established so as to facilitate good selection

decisions. After taking the final decision, the organization has to intimate this


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decision to the successful as well as unsuccessful candidates. The organization

sends the appointment order to the successful candidates either immediately or

after sometime depending upon its time schedule.

Interviewing Mistakes:

Favors applicants who share his own attitudes;

Not be asking right questions and hence not getting relevant

responses;

Resort to snap judgments, making a decision as to the applicants

suitability in the first few minutes of the interview. Too often

interviewers form on early impression and spend the balance of interview

looking for evidence to support it;

May have been influenced by cultural noise. To get the job, the

applicants try to get by the interviewer. If they reveal wrong things aboutthemselves, they may not get the job, so they try to give the interviewer

responses that are socially acceptable, but not very revealing. These types

of responses are known as cultural noise responses the applicant

believes are socially acceptable rather than facts;

May have allowed him to be unduly influenced by associating a

particular personality trait with a persons origin or cultural background

and that kind of stereotyping/generalizing ultimately determining the

score of a candidate. For example, he may feel that candidate from Bihar

may find it difficult to read, write and speak English language and hence

not select them at all;

May conclude that a poorly dressed candidate is not intelligent,

attractive females are good for public dealings, etc. This is known as

Halo Effect where a single important trait of a candidate affects the

judgment of the rather. The halo effect is present if an interviewer allows

a candidates accomplishments in athletics overshadow other aspects and

leads the interviewer to like the applicant because athletes make good

sales people;

Have been influenced more by unfavorable than favorable information

about or from the candidate. Unfavorable information is given roughly

twice the weight of favorable information. According to Dobmeyer and

Dunette, a single negative characteristic may bar an individual from

being accepted, while no amount of positive features will guarantee a


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candidates acceptance;

Have been under pressure to hire candidates at short notice;

Have been influenced by the behavior of the candidates (how he has

answered, his body language), his or her dress (especially in case of

female candidates) and other physical factors that are not job related

Barriers to effective selection:

The main objective of selection is to hire people having competence and

commitment. This objective is often defeated because of certain barriers. The

impediments which check effectiveness of selection are perception, fairness,

validity, reliability, and pressure.

PERCEPTION: Our inability to understand others accurately is probablythe most fundamental barrier to selecting right candidate. Selection demands

an individual or a group to assess and compare the respective competencies

of others, with the aim of choosing the right persons for the jobs. But our

views are highly personalized. We all perceive the world differently. Our

limited perceptual ability is obviously a stumbling block to the objective and

rational selection of people.

FAIRNESS: Fairness in selection requires that no individual should be

discriminated against on the basis of religion, region, race or gender. But thelow number of women and other less privileged sections of society in the

middle and senior management positions and open discrimination on the

basis of age in job advertisements and in the selection process would suggest

that all the efforts to minimize inequity have not been very effective.

VALIDITY: Validity, as explained earlier, is a test that helps predict job

performance of an incumbent. A test that has been validated can differentiate

between the employees who can perform well and those who will not.

However, a validated test does not predict job success accurately. It can only

increase possibility of success.

RELIABILITY: A reliable method is one which will produce consistent

results when repeated in similar situations. Like a validated test, a reliable

test may fall to predict job performance with precision.


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PRESSURE: Pressure is brought on the selectors by politicians,

bureaucrats, relatives, friends, and peers to select particular candidate.

Candidates selected because of compulsions are obviously not the right

ones. Appointments to public sector undertakings generally take place under

such pressure.

Pre-Interview Preparation of recruitment /selection document for the position

Advertising

o Preparing advertisement

o Media selection

o Positioning

Response handling

o Initial interview online or telephone

o Short-listing for interviews

o Interview arrangement

o Sending emails or calling short listed candidates

o Interview details to the short listed candidates

During Interview

o HR interview

o Technical interview

o Conducting tests [Aptitude / Mathematical / Analytical etc.]

o Initial final list of candidates.o Reference check (if required)

Post-Interview

Email or Telephone call to unsuccessful candidates

Technical Manager approval for a start up date.

Email or Telephone call to successful candidates

HRM prepares a letter of appointment

Recruitment Cycle Time

To bring in more effectiveness in the recruitment process, HR would follow a

specific project deadline of 38 days (from the day it had received the approved

Manpower Requisition) to hire a new employee.

Final r&s Project

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