Human Resource Management

Lecture 8

MGT 350

Last Lecture

• Recruiting Sources– Internal Searches– Employee Referrals/Recommendations– External Searches– Alternatives

Meeting the Organization

2

Topic

EMPLOYEE SELECTION

EMPLOYEE SELECTION

• The process of carefully screening the applicants to select/hire the best one(s).

• Employee selection is the process of matching people and jobs.

The Selection Process

The selection process typically consists of eight steps: 1. initial screening interview2. completion of the application form3. employment tests4. comprehensive interview5. background investigation6. conditional job offer7. medical/physical exam8. permanent job offer

The Selection Process

Fundamentals of Human Resource Management 8e, DeCenzo and Robbins

The Selection Process

• Initial Screening – Involves screening of inquiries and screening

interviews. – Job description information is shared along

with a salary range.

The Selection Process

Completing the Application Form: Key Issues – Gives a job-performance-related synopsis of

what applicants have been doing, their skills and accomplishments.

The Selection ProcessCompleting the Application Form: Key

Issues • Legal considerations

– Omit items which are not job-related; e.g., sex, religion, age, national origin, race, color, and disability.

– Includes statement giving employer the right to dismiss an employee for falsifying information.

– Asks for permission to check work references.

– Typically includes “employment-at-will” statement.

The Selection Process• Weighted application forms

– Individual items of information are validated against performance and turnover measures and given appropriate weights.

– Data must be collected for each job to determine how well a particular item (e.g., years of schooling, tenure on last job) predicts success on target job.

The Selection Process

Completing the Application Form: Key Issues

• Successful applications – Information collected on application forms can

be highly predictive of successful job performance.

– Forms must be validated and continuously reviewed and updated.

– Data should be verified through background investigations.

The Selection Process

Employment Tests • Estimates say 60% of all organizations

use some type of employment tests.– Performance simulation tests: requires the

applicant to engage in specific job behaviors necessary for doing the job successfully.

– Work sampling: Job analysis is used to develop a miniature replica of the job on which an applicant demonstrates his/her skills.

The Selection Process

Employment Tests– Assessment centers: A series of tests and

exercises, including individual and group simulation tests, is used to assess managerial potential or other complex sets of skills.

– Testing in a global arena: Selection practices must be adapted to cultures and regulations of host country.

The Selection Process

Comprehensive Interviews:

• Interviews involve a face-to-face meeting with the candidate to probe areas not addressed by the application form or tests.

• They are a universal selection tool.

The Selection Process

Comprehensive Interviews:

• Interview Effectiveness – Interviews are the most widely used selection

tool. – Often are expensive, inefficient, and not job-

related. – Possible biases with decisions based on

interviews include prior knowledge about the applicant, stereotypes, interviewee order.

The Selection Process

Comprehensive Interviews:

• Interview Effectiveness– Impression management, or the applicant’s

desire to project the “right” image, may skew the interview results.

– Interviewers have short and inaccurate memories: note-taking and videotaping may help.

The Selection Process

Comprehensive Interviews: • Interview Effectiveness

– Structured interviews use fixed questions designed to assess specific job-related attributes

– More reliable and valid than unstructured ones.– Best for determining organizational fit,

motivation and interpersonal skills. – Especially useful for high-turnover jobs and

less routine ones.

The Selection Process

Comprehensive Interviews:

• Behavioral Interviews – Candidates are observed not only for what

they say, but how they behave. – Role playing is often used.

The Selection Process

Comprehensive Interviews:• Realistic Job Preview

– RJP’s present unfavorable as well as favorable information about the job to applicants.

– May include brochures, films, tours, work sampling, or verbal statements that realistically portray the job.

– RJP’s reduce turnover without lowering acceptance rates.

Summary

The selection process1. initial screening interview2. completion of the application form3. employment tests4. comprehensive interview5. background investigation6. conditional job offer7. medical/physical exam8. permanent job offer

RJP