recruitment and selection

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HRM: Recruitment and Selection

Recruitment and Selection Acquiring Staff for the Flexible Firm

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Sample Examination Question

A large business wants its HRM recruitment staff to specify the quality of the recruitment service they will deliver to departments and to establish service level agreements for recruitment.

a)How will you specify the quality of recruitment services.b)What issues, procedures and practices will you research?c)What problems will you encounter in specifying recruitment service quality?d)How can service quality be defined in terms of

functions and activities to be carried out and the potential strategic contribution of recruitment to organisational

success and changing culture?

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Descriptive-Functional View

• standardisation, risk reduction when filling vacancies• maintaining and delivering a quality service?• strategic, proactive?• prescriptive - model best practice• systematic analysis of requirements: organisational + job levels• transaction processing system: - advertising, applications and

engagement - internal and external markets• ethics and equal opps policies - large + small firms• who does it?• selection methods - reliability, validity and utility (cost effective)• legal constraints and contracts of employment• what could go wrong?

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“I'm from recruitment ....... Here’s what I can do for you”

• vacancy• authorisation to recruit• job/role analysis and specification• agree terms and conditions• sourcing/attracting (target groups) in-house vs. external recruitment, • design and administrate communications (boundary transactions)• recommend and use recruitment methods/techniques• process applications and responses• organisation the "programme"• selection: apply the methods (incidental techniques, questionable cohesion?)• make the decisions and administer the offer• finalise the contract• receive/induct

Specifying the Quality of these Services

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How we recruit and select reflects organisational culture? Presentation of organisational FACE orientation to competitive forces hire and fire versus “we value our staff” the lean, flexible firm - out-sourcing and sub-contracting our “core staff” and our core competencies

Normative view?

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Focus on actual recruitment experience/behaviour of personnel specialists

and line managers Behaviour in front of audiences - on-stage, back stage, off stage

Critical Evaluative How does behaviour compare with textbook normative rhetoric? Are the techniques reliable, valid, cost effective? Is the process objective or prone to subjective bias? Why? Decision-making processes

Psychometric-objective versus Subjective, social action process

Descriptive-Behavioural

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Vacancy Processing

involves intra-organisational bargaining Job/role and competence analysis

observation, interviews, knowledge of roles, skills, imperatives Title, reports to, tenure, compensation package, scope of

responsibilities and duties, authority, priorities, budget, staff team, location, conditions, knowledge, skills, experience, values, performance standards, problems/objectives, results/priorities, ideal candidate profile.

copy writing and internal/external advertising

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Recruitment assumptions

…based on a psychometric-objective model.

define job requirements ascertain personal qualities – traits and competencies match job requirements to person's profile.

Use techniques to Routinise and objectivise the processReduce the risksMaximise predictive power

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Job description - what use?

how can the manager operate effectively if he/she does not understand & cannot define the jobs of their staff?

shared understanding about what the job is reliable, factual definition of scope of job and responsibilities?? useful for organisational design and analysis of change? it helps to minimise conflicts??? reference point for induction, performance assessment & grading a basis for the job advert & recruitment literature indicates competencies required - generic + job specific

Dull, boringOver-bureaucraticOut-of-dateWritten by???Contractual?

"Burn the lot of 'em" Robert Townsend, "Up the Organisation"

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Job analysis products

Job description Title, reporting relationships (up, down, sideways, external) job summary, responsibilities, duties, MbO/R: key result areas, scope

of authority. Position of “organisation chart”. Career/promotion path. working conditions

Competencies specification levels, range of situations, performance indicators, knowledge/wisdom,

experience, skills (psycho-motor, technical, analytical, literary, spoken, numeric, social and emotional), personal orientations and motivators.

Personnel specification (person profile) characteristics of ideal candidate. Essentials - desireables -

disqualifiers Applicant profiles

built up from evidence/data from forms, interviews, other tests, references

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Job Analysis Orange: Label the Key Result Area segments

KRA 1

KRA 2

KRA 3

KRA 4

KRA 5

Now define the key tasks of KRA 5

KT1

KT2 KT3 KT4KT5

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physique, health and appearance height, build, hearing, eyesight, health, looks, grooming, voice, disability?

attainments education/qualifications (school, HE), job training, experience & learning

conceptual and reasoning ability knowledge-base, perception, intellectual & conceptual capacities, wisdom

special aptitudes physical, verbal (speech/writing), technical, figures, art, music, social?

interests intellectual, cultural, practical, physically active, international, aesthetic

disposition acceptability, relationships, leadership/initiative, motivation and drive,

reliability, stability/adjustment, proactivity, influencing circumstances

age, plans, domestic ties, mobility, domicile, other

Personnel Specification: Rodger's 7 Point Plan

Essential?Desireable?Disqualifier?

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Core Competencies (example from major software house)

People relationships Customer relationships management Communication and persuasiveness Business and financial judgement Knowledge sharing/management Vision, change and accountability Drive, motivation, planning and organising Problem-solving and decision-making People management capabilities Role specific technical and specialist capabilities Professional standards and values

We sell our skills and abilities!

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Finding and attracting candidates

Sources internal: word of mouth, internal vacancy notifications, staff newsletters.

Staff analysis. Career planning external: where are the candidates located, in what type of job? Local,

national, overseas. Do they want to move? Schools, colleges, careers centres, job shops, employment fairs.

Agencies recruitment consultants/agencies, head hunters, media: newspapers, journals, radio, WWW/Internet advertising

advertising accounts, writing & designing the copy, targeting the advert, proof reading, publishing deadlines, costs

The emergence of on-line recruitment - suitable for all jobs?

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Nature of vacancy and open access? Internal

known qualities, locals vs. cosmopolitans fluid internal market and contribution to culture, rewards/expectations staff database, career support planning - quicker/cheaper, incestuous/inbreeding?

External - time consuming, uncertain, new blood, socialisation inexpensive, limited choice approaches?

staff recommendation, online applications, school-college links etc. expensive, wider access approaches

head-hunters, general/specialist recruitment agencies, local/national press, professional & trade journals

poaching/fishing

Come and live/work in our house - forming, fight/flight, norming & performing

Attract Candidates - Internal vs. external sources

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Recruitment Information System

data in/out flows inquiries, application packs (out/in +CVs), requests for references,

security vetting, invitations for interview + joining instructions, offer letters, rejections, contract documentation

sources and sinks candidates, dept. Managers, security, referees, clients

data capture/storage? Find/collate, candidates in progress. Printingvolume, handling, copying & distribution, short-listing, briefing.

use of IT - PC networks, word processing, databases, Intranet/Internet, filtering & co-ordination of selection decision-makers? expenses, agency fees, costing the whole process

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Skeletons in cupboards: References & testimonials

Obligation to provide a reference? Importance/value of references? Reciprocity, validation and reliability. Security Consequences for employee (job, mortgage, bank loan). Organisational policy on giving references? Right to see what is written about you?

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Selection Tests

Application form Biodata analysis Interviews

one-to-one, panel formal and informal settings

References/security screening Ability tests

paper-based, practical/trade, social

Aptitude, intelligence and personality Group methods & assessment centres Work experience/short term contracts Medical

• reliability• validity• utility• acceptability

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The Psychometric-Objective Model

Characterised by Eternal optimism Smoothly administered/programmable Measured, controlled, predictable, systematic search often using

psychometric techniques Match evidence of competences & stable qualities to job demands

Compare with "social process" approach

Interplay between selection events Candidate & selector feelings/responses organisational negotiations and mutual adjustments

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Exchange sufficient & necessary information to decide suitability Social and ritual aspects. Audition. Group/power vetting Candidate asserts abilities & presents experience. Communicate relevant information about job/organisation - objective

& subjective Seduce candidate to become an organisational member Satisfy candidate - give fair opportunity Importance of not over-selling

Why an Interview?

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Interview Strategies

Frank and friendly Problem-solving - “imaging yourself in the job...what would you do

if...? Behavioural event - critical experiences - what, why, how, options,

plans, outcomes Simulate stress. Put on the spot? Validity? Spurious appeal? Strengths and weaknesses of

individual interviews sequential interviews panel interviews

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Reception

Schedule for the day candidates, Cooks Tour, guides & interviewers, domestics & catering receiving applicants site security, car parks travel and subsistence arrangements waiting place

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The GASP Interview

Greeting

Acquiring Information

Supplying Information

Parting

Interviewer Preparation

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Move towards genuine welcome, positive regard Calm, neutral, with no interruptions Put at ease, build and maintain rapport Seating, voice, eye contact, warmth and body posture Preparation and “contract of interest and expectation” Opening conversation CHANGING GEAR - Moving smoothly into main

substance of the interview.

GASP Interview - Greeting

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Listen more - talk less. Ratio % interviewer/interviewee. Objectivity vs. personal preference, stereotyping & early judgement Not adversarial. Halo effects Taking notes (on application form or interview plan) Question strategy (preparation)

Structured conversation open-ended questions, probe and link direct, leading, trick and taboo questions

Emphasise biography and experience, explanation and analysis Mental agility and hypothetical questions Let interview flow but control it: - use space/time Non-verbal signals and skills. Cover key points (interview plan) Summarise periodically and conclude

GASP - Acquiring Information

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Recent and significant past jobs/projects contributions, events/phases, initiatives, products, achievements and

decisions. Evaluation of strengths and gaps

Competence embedded in REAL experience knowledge/understanding, analytical skill, written/numeric, specialist attitudes and values, drives and motivation

Interpersonal relations - the candidate as a person with others Education, training, learning and development Personal and domestic topics - relevance/irrelevant Applicant’s questions about

the organisation and job - current + prospects the terms of employment

GASP - Acquiring Information - the Journey

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GASP - The Good Interviewer

….at times • well-prepared, sharp & in focus, specific & rational• at other times intuitive, picking up nuances and rationalisations• at others stepping back to see the whole interaction, fitting things

together and noting the time left and areas to cover....• Interviewer "genuine regard for the other" helps to relax the

candidate• clear perception

• allows productive silences & easy asking of questions. • counteracts habituated boredom in interviews• intuitive processes as well as the usual thinking, evaluating

ones.

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cutting it short (horns/halo, premature judgement) equal opportunity to all candidates intimation of success/rejection (verbals and non-verbals)? beware misunderstandings over contractual terms. No promises. Communicating a decision

hints to attractive candidates (in a competitive situation) intra-organisational bargaining the decision in writing subject to references

giving career advice to rejected candidates?

GASP Interview: Supplying Information

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Signal closure requires as much skill as opening the interview clarify future steps - the remaining interview schedule verify

dates - holidays and availabilities phone, post

stand up, move, exchange parting courtesies

GASP Interview: Parting

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Anderson and Shackleton, Successful Selection Interviewing, Blackwell, 1993 pp 69

“Utilised properly; depending on its exact purpose, the interview emerges as a valid reliable tool in candidate assessment. Moreover its flexibility to act as a medium for mutual preview or as a final stage forum for negotiation between the parties, renders the interview more useful in selection than narrowly focused definitions of validity and reliability can convey”

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premature decision Tentative, pre-determined views seldom altered at interview accept/reject within 3-4 min. Gather evidence to confirm first

impression Weak candidates make average candidates look good Unstructured interviews vs impression management and random

selection propositions

interview practice does not improve performance training does

dramatic performance may not reflect job. Interviewee actors. panel interviews - defer to most influential member. Poor

correlation of views when choice is confidential psychometric tests - weak evidence but belief and practice strong. psychometric-objective model vs. social process?

GASP Interview Issues

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Stereotyping

What is it? What form does it take? How and why does it occur? Common stereotypes Positive and negative value? Problems of signs, signifiers, interpretation. Body language. Presentation of self - "Front" - stage and audience What dangers for fairness and equity?

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Assessment Centre Methods

Group work: Problem-solving in team situations, interpersonal skills, listening, thinking

on feet, influencing and coordinating. Realistic/unrealistic scenarios. Organising/prioritising. Emotional resilience.

Competence of observer-testers Presentations:

verbal/non-verbal skills, use of media, presentation content. Analysis - differentiation of higher/lower order issues, ability to construct a case. Influencing and argument. Awareness of wider issues and implications.

Work Demo or Simulation - news reader, drivers, brick-layers, chair meetings, computer programming, counselling, typing/shorthand,

Portfolio Psycho-tests

• reliability• validity• utility• acceptability

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Programme (battery) of different tests Systematic job analysis: performance criteria, skills & behaviours Select valid, reliable, cost effective exercises Validate the exercises on a sample of subjects Train tester-assessors to observe and rate Feedback to candidates Evaluate the techniques and process outcomes

Assessment Centre Programmes

External & internal candidates?Psychometric-objective model vs social process

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Assessment Centres - identifying promotion potential

Superior assessments? High degree of validity? Recognising formal & informal qualities - not all job-related -

required for organisational success Post-assessment centre judgments coloured by knowledge of

individual's performance in the assessment centre Assessment centres define and construct potential > discover it.

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Competitive advantage and core competencies

Skill, capability, competence as "keys" to competitive advantage Job demands arising from performance oriented organisational

change, TQM & IT initiatives Emphasis on managerial competences for performance Communication, leadership, group and decision skills, project

management, entrepreneurship Outward-looking, market-focused, team-oriented Psychometric assessment techniques e.g. tests of cognitive

ability to identify potential

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Intelligence and Aptitude Testing

verbal fluency & comprehension logical & numerical spatial & mechanical memory

Tests for clerical, apprentice & general staff

selection health, fitness, mental agility verbal & numerical problems IT skills honesty, neurosis, tolerance, ethics?

GMATGraduate ManagementAdmissions Test

What employability tests would you use for airline cabin crew?

What is IQ?

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Cattell 16 PF warmth intelligence emotional stability dominance impulsiveness conformity boldness sensitivity

Personality Tests

suspiciousness imagination shrewdness insecurity radicalism self-sufficiency self-discipline tension

Myers-Briggs (Type Indicator)

Introvert Extrovert Intuitive Sensing Feeling Thinking Perceptive Judging

TYPES

• Testing industry - sales + training the testers• Administration? interpretation?• Supplementary information for decision-making?• Predictive value?

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The Decision and Follow-up

Job criteria & information on candidatesReaching a consensus, taking a risk? Letters of

hold rejection the offer (risks and uncertainties)

Contract finalisation & documentationCommencement & induction planOrganisational communications & reassurances

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Evaluation of the Recruitment Process

costs/methods/effort involved by stage DROP-OUT: inquirers applications seen candidates “quality” of short-list per post service indicators & client satisfaction/dissatisfaction in-house process vs. out-sourcing and agencies job criteria vs. criteria used in action added PR value - image projected SURVIVAL: number retained after 6 months recommendations for improvement

Evaluate reliability, validity and utility of methods usedPsychometric-objective model versus social process

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Evaluation of Selection Process

candidate feedback on selection methods & experience observation and incident analysis e.g. re-equal opportunities selector “self-evaluation”? relevance, reliability, validity and utility of selection methods/tests recommendations for improvement

recruitment and selection

Documents

hrm recruitment staff

external recruitment

recruitment service

selection job description

selection job analysis

programme selection

selection im

selection acquiring